Gigs & business
Guest list
A guest list is the names a DJ may add for free entry, agreed with the promoter and usually capped at a small number. It is part of the booking rather than a favour, and it has a deadline.
In practice
Ask for the number you actually need when the fee is agreed, then send the names before the deadline they gave you.
Two or four is standard for a support slot and more for a headline, but it varies enormously by venue and by how well the night is selling. Send full names, spelled the way they appear on identification, by the time the promoter asked for them — a list arriving after doors is a list somebody has to reconcile by hand while a queue builds. And tell your guests the list exists and what name they are under, because "I think I am on the DJ’s list" is not a name.
2–4
A typical support allocation
At the offer
When to negotiate it
Full names
What the door needs
Where these come from: Common guest-list practice across club bookings — convention, not a catalog figure.
Why it matters
It is small for a reason that is easy to forget in the booth: every name on it is a ticket the promoter did not sell. On a night that is close to breaking even, ten extra names is a real number, which is why the cap exists and why quietly exceeding it is noticed.
It is also a booking term you can negotiate before you agree, and cannot afterwards. If you know you will want six, say six when the fee is being discussed, not at eleven o’clock on the night when the person on the door has a printed list.
Frequently asked
How many guests does a DJ usually get?+
Two to four for a support slot and more for a headline, though it depends entirely on the venue and how the night is selling. It is negotiable at the offer and rarely afterwards.
When do I need to send my guest list?+
By whatever deadline the promoter gives, usually the day before. A list arriving after doors has to be handled by hand while people wait outside.
Does the guest list cover drinks?+
Almost never — it is entry only. Anything else is a rider or a buyout, and both are agreed in advance rather than at the bar.
Related terms
Promoter
A promoter books the acts, hires the room, sells the tickets and carries the financial risk of a night. They decide who plays, in what order, and for how long.
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.
Accreditation
Accreditation is the pass system controlling who may go where on a site — laminates, wristbands and colour codes, each granting a defined set of areas. It is issued on arrival against a list submitted in advance.
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 contract template · Promoter · Booking fee · All DJ terms