DJ Services: Hourly With A Minimum Gig Charge

All versions

A two-hour cocktail set is still a full load-in, setup, soundcheck, and teardown. Bill by the hour, then floor the total at a minimum gig charge so a short set still pays for the whole day's hauling.

Quick formula: Hours times your hourly rate, held to a minimum gig charge:

=MAX(B2*C2,D2)

Three hours at $120 is $360, but a $500 minimum lifts the short gig to $500. A six-hour reception clears the floor at $720.

Functions used (tap for the full reference guide):

MAX

The example

Three gigs, each with hours booked, your hourly rate, and the minimum gig charge.

	A	B	C	D	E
1	Gig	Hours	Rate	Min	Charge
2	Cocktail	3	120	500	500
3	Reception	6	120	500	720
4	Club	4	150	500	600

The formula

MAX returns the hourly total or the minimum, whichever protects your day:

=MAX(B2*C2,D2) // hours x rate, but never below the minimum gig charge

How it works

An hourly rate with a floor:

B2*C2 multiplies hours booked by your hourly rate — the straight time charge.
MAX(...,D2) compares it to the minimum gig charge and keeps whichever is larger.
On a long gig the hourly total wins and the minimum is ignored; on a short one the minimum lifts the price.
The minimum covers what the hourly rate hides: hauling, setup, soundcheck, and teardown that happen no matter how long you play.

Set the minimum to your true cost of showing up — travel, gear, and the hours around the set that never appear on the booking.

Try it: interactive demo

Interactive

Enter the hours, your hourly rate, and the minimum gig charge.

Hours

Rate ($/hr)

Minimum ($)

Variations

Travel on top

Add a flat travel fee after the floor is applied.

=MAX(B2*C2,D2)+40

Deposit due

Take half the floored charge as a booking deposit.

=MAX(B2*C2,D2)*0.5

Pitfalls & errors

Do not add the minimum to the hourly total — MAX picks one, it does not stack. Adding them would overcharge every gig that already clears the floor.

Quote the minimum openly for short events. Clients expect a floor for a two-hour booking once they realize it is the same setup as a six-hour one.

Practice workbook

📊

Download the free DJ Services: Hourly With A Minimum Gig Charge practice workbook

Edit the yellow hours, rate, and minimum cells; the charge recalculates.

Frequently asked questions

Why not just raise the hourly rate instead of a minimum?

A high hourly rate overprices long gigs, and a low one underprices short ones. A minimum lets you keep a fair hourly rate for full events while guaranteeing a short booking still covers the fixed cost of showing up.

How do I set the minimum?

Add up what happens on every gig regardless of length — travel, load-in, setup, soundcheck, teardown — and price that as your floor. Anything shorter than that break-even still pays for the day.

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Function references: MAX