Your Must-Play Songs vs. Your Mother-in-Law

​There is a ton of cool music out there that never will make (or never has made) it onto Top 40 or Hot 100 lists. Sometimes, a client will want a certain style of music that is not as familiar to their crowd at the wedding/event or perhaps not as familiar to the DJ/MC. When the DJ or the crowd have other ideas of what the dance floor should sound like, you may need to pay a little more to ensure you get the songs you want, depending on the DJ package you select. 

Certain packages limit how many must-play songs you get. For example, the party or Star Lite packages offer 10 and 25 respectively. This may be just 1-2 hours of music, with the remainder of time up to the discretion of the DJ and influence of the crowd, or strongest personalities in the room. If you have a strong taste in music make sure you see how much creative control your package allows.

For example, Dana and Terry are having a wedding reception with a Star Lite package, but planning a longer guest-list. Dana likes alt pop and alt rock and does not like typical music played at weddings. Terry isn't too picky on music whatsoever, and more familiar with Top 40 and classic music but fine with whatever their partner and friends like the most. The crowd represents an even mix of several preferences and age groups. Terry's mother also has a strong taste in music and wants to dance with her friends and family quite a bit. Terry doesn't want to dance much anyway, nor do most of the wedding party. Dana is the one who booked and made payment for the DJ service, and she doesn't want her mother-in-law or the groom's side of the family to ruin the vibe she's going for by playing too much of Journey, Air Supply, AC/DC, Tesla, Prince, etc. Some of the uncles are know for submitting 5 or 10 such song requests and loves the Rolling Stone and Beatles. So if Dana wants more control so that 50-75 songs in her style are played during the course of ceremony seating, cocktails, dinner and dance floor (lets say 80% of the 5-7 hours), then a line-item upgrade is in order for this part of the DJ package. 

But to modify the scenario, the crowd is not too big, and a majority of the crowd also enjoy alt pop and alt rock. In fact, the DJ is also very familiar with the alternative styles of music. In this second case, a creative control "additional must-play songs" add-on fee is not really necessary. 

Modifying the case one more time, let's say the DJ is not as familiar with alternative music nor the latest new alternative hits from the last few years. They cannot even name off-the-cuff any bands or songs by title, but they like the vibe the client is going for. It will take 2-5 hours of listening to a long list of songs to get a handle on them and be able to really rock-out the party. In this case, it would be required for a party or Star Lite package to upgrade the "must-play" songs option. I (Nate) once had a bride who emailed me a Spotify link to an 11 hours playlist of R&B music which took me many hours to comb thru. Then, with 2 hours left at her reception, she told me to dump her list and go with whatever the crowd wanted because it was obvious some of their requests were working fantastic! Plus, you can tag certain songs in your Vibo app as "must play" with the little crown icon, just to be clear what your absolute favorite songs are. 

In conclusion, some weddings are a lot more difficult to keep a crowd dancing if the wedding couple's style is very different from the crowd's preferences. We will always try to cater to the client, and to the crowd when able, and take seriously the exact package and customizations that the client has purchased. Keep in mind, it's always nice to build in time for their mothers-in-law to have a good time too. Please see the details noted on your price quote document and talk with us (Nate) before signing your contract. See how each package compares on the pricing chart available at www.micdropDJ.com/pricing . 
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Let's bring the boom to the room!