Set craft
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.
In practice
Answer with what you can cover, not what you want — the slot on offer is usually a budget decision.
Make yourself easy to book. Reply quickly, confirm in writing what the slot and the fee are, send a tech rider only if the setup is non-standard, and turn up at the time you agreed rather than ten minutes before you play. If you need something specific — a second player, a particular cartridge, a DVS setup — say so when the booking is made, not on the night. And bring people: a promoter is carrying the financial risk of the room, and a DJ who understands that is a DJ they can build a night around.
In writing
Confirm slot and fee
At the booking
When to raise tech needs
Room, sound, door
Paid before the acts
Where these come from: Booking convention, not catalog figures. For what we can measure, see what to send, and when.
Why it matters
They are the person deciding your set time, which makes the relationship a working one rather than a favour. A promoter who knows you can open a room, cover a cancellation or play three hours will book you for the slots that come up, not the ones you asked for.
And their constraint is not musical. A night has to cover the room, the sound, the door staff and the acts before anybody is paid, which is why "can you play earlier" is a budget question far more often than a judgement about your DJing.
Frequently asked
How do you get booked by a promoter?+
Be reliable and be present. Going to the night, taking an early slot and confirming things in writing does more than a mix nobody asked for.
What should you send a promoter?+
A short bio, a photo, one or two mixes and your links — an EPK. Add a tech rider only if your setup is not the standard club one.
Who decides the set times?+
The promoter, usually in conversation with the venue and the headliner. It is a scheduling and budget decision more often than a comment on any individual DJ.
Related terms
EPK
An EPK is an electronic press kit — a single page or file holding a DJ's bio, photos, mixes, links and contact details, sent to promoters and press instead of a scattered set of messages.
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.
Residency
A residency is a regular booking at one venue — weekly, monthly or seasonal — where the same DJ plays often enough that the room, the sound system and the crowd become familiar.
Headliner
The headliner is the billed act a night is sold on, playing the slot the room is fullest for — usually peak time rather than the last set of the night.
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