Gigs & business
Buyout
A buyout is cash paid instead of providing something the rider asked for — usually the hospitality items, sometimes a meal or accommodation. Both sides often prefer it, because cash is easier than shopping.
In practice
Take the buyout for hospitality and take the real thing for food. Cash does not help at two in the morning.
Write both options into the rider so the promoter can choose: the items, or an agreed amount instead. Keep the list short enough to be reasonable — a rider that reads as a shopping list invites the buyout by default and sours the relationship on the way. If you are travelling and arriving late, say explicitly that a meal is the one line you do not want bought out, because that is the item a buyout most often fails to replace.
Cash
What replaces the items
Hospitality
Where it works well
Not the meal
Where it usually does not
Where these come from: How rider buyouts are commonly handled — booking convention, not a catalog figure. For what we can measure, see what a rider actually is.
Why it matters
It is the pragmatic answer to a rider nobody wants to fulfil literally. A promoter driving to a supermarket at six for a specific brand of water is worse for everyone than handing over an agreed amount, and most hospitality riders are written knowing that.
It cuts the other way too. If what you actually need is food after a long flight, taking a buyout and finding a city kitchen closed at two in the morning is a bad trade. The right answer depends on the trip, which is why it is agreed in the advance rather than assumed.
Frequently asked
Should I take a buyout instead of a rider?+
For hospitality items, usually — cash is simpler for both sides. For a meal on a late travel day, usually not, because the thing you need is food rather than money.
How much is a buyout normally?+
Whatever is agreed, and it varies enormously by territory and by the size of the booking. Naming an amount in the rider avoids the conversation happening in a corridor.
Is a buyout the same as a per diem?+
No. A buyout replaces something specific the rider asked for; a per diem is a daily allowance for being away from home. A trip can involve both.
Related terms
Rider
A rider is the document setting out what a DJ needs to perform — the technical rider lists equipment and setup, the hospitality rider covers travel, accommodation and the practical side.
Per diem
A per diem is a fixed daily cash allowance for food and incidentals while travelling, paid separately from the fee. It is normal on multi-day trips and tours and unusual on a single local booking.
Booking fee
A booking fee is the agreed amount a DJ is paid to play, independent of how the night performs. It is sometimes called a guarantee, because that is exactly what distinguishes it from a share of the door.
Advance
Advancing a show is the exchange of practical information between artist and promoter in the days before it — times, equipment, travel, contacts. The document that results is usually called an advance sheet or day sheet.
Explore: DJ tech rider template · Rider · Per diem · All DJ terms