Gigs & business
Deposit
A deposit is part of the fee paid before the event, typically on signature or a set number of days ahead. It converts an intention into a commitment, and it is usually non-refundable if the promoter cancels.
In practice
A deposit is a seriousness test as much as a payment. A promoter who will not pay one is telling you something.
Fifty per cent on confirmation and the balance on the night is a common shape, and for travel dates the deposit should at least cover the flights you are about to book. Write the cancellation ladder alongside it — what is retained if they cancel inside thirty days, inside seven, on the day — because that is the clause everyone wishes they had once it matters. If you are booking through an agent, all of this is their job; if you are not, it is yours, and a template is faster than a conversation.
50%
A common deposit share
Flights
What it should at least cover
Ladder
The cancellation term to write
Where these come from: Common booking-deposit structures — convention, not legal or financial advice.
Why it matters
Its real job is not cash flow but proof of seriousness. A promoter willing to pay half in advance has a night that is actually happening; one who will not is either short of money or hedging, and both are useful to know six weeks out rather than on the day.
It is also the thing that makes a cancellation survivable. You turned down other work for that date, and a deposit already paid is the difference between an annoying weekend and an unpaid one. That is why cancellation terms and the deposit are one conversation rather than two.
Frequently asked
How much deposit should a DJ ask for?+
Half on confirmation is common, and on a travel date it should at minimum cover the tickets you are about to buy with your own money.
Is a deposit refundable?+
That depends on what was agreed and where you are. It is normally written as non-refundable on promoter cancellation and returnable if the DJ cancels, but the terms are the terms rather than a rule.
What if a promoter refuses a deposit?+
Treat it as information. Some legitimate promoters simply do not work that way; others cannot, and the difference usually shows in how they answer the question.
Related terms
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.
Door split
A door split pays a DJ a share of ticket income rather than a fixed fee. The share is usually taken after the promoter’s costs, which is the term that decides whether the deal is generous or worthless.
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.
Booking agent
A booking agent sells your live dates: they take offers, negotiate fees and terms, advance shows and chase payment, for a commission on the fee — commonly around ten to fifteen per cent of it.
Explore: DJ contract template · DJ invoice template · Booking fee · All DJ terms