Beyond The Booth - The Guide For Working DJs

You can mix. You’ve played out. People have paid you to DJ. But the gigs are the same ones over and over, and the money hasn’t really moved.

This book is about what comes next.

I’ve been DJing for 17 years. I went from bars in Scotland to Hï Ibiza and Amnesia. I’ve held residencies in the Maldives, Thailand and Abu Dhabi, played destination weddings and corporate events in the South of France for clients like Microsoft and the Wall Street Journal, and I’ve been a guest DJ on Virgin Voyages since 2022.

None of that came from job adverts. It came from agencies, recommendations from other DJs, and taking risks. Beyond the Booth shows you how that side of the industry works, including what these gigs pay.

What’s inside

• Agencies: the door to the best-paid work. How resorts, cruise lines and wedding companies really hire DJs, what agencies look for, and how to get on their books.
• Resort and hotel residencies. Typical contracts, real pay ranges, what living on site is like, and what gets you rebooked or let go.
• Weddings and corporate events. What a destination wedding day actually involves, what it pays, and the mistakes I’ve seen wedding DJs make.
• Life at Sea. How cruise lines find DJs, the two types of cruise DJ contract, and how to apply to be referred through me.
• Pricing, contracts and raising your rates. What to charge, how to quote private events, and word-for-word scripts for the rate conversation.
• Sets that get you rebooked, and performing like a pro. Open format for mixed, international crowds, and the professional habits that keep you booked.
• Taking the Leap. Why most of my best opportunities came from taking risks, and how to take one without being reckless.

Plus the Working DJ’s Toolkit

• 13 templates, checklists and scripts you can use straight away
• The actual email I use to pitch luxury resorts
• Resort contract, wedding consultation and booking contract checklists
• A rate card template and scripts for asking for a raise
• A directory of 12 agencies that hire DJs for resorts, weddings and cruise lines

Who it’s for

DJs who are already gigging and want better-paid, steadier work: resort residencies, private events, cruise ships, or simply charging properly for the gigs you already do.

Who it’s not for

If you’re just starting out, get my free guide From Bedroom to Booth first. It covers gear, music, branding and landing your first gigs.

86 pages · PDF · Instant download