q & a (questions and answers)

1: What makes your company worth our investment?

Our care and concern for your special event is second only to your own. We are able to bring our experience from hundreds of performances to your one special night. This means we make your vision of the perfect celebration a reality.

Our fresh look brings a new definition to “experienced DJ.” We've been entertaining for over 10 years but there is nothing old about the way we do business. Our systems are uniformly sleek and state-of-the-art.

We believe that being a successful disc jockey requires 100% musical expertise, 100% customer service satisfaction, and 100% professionalism. The investment you make in our company reflects the expertise and quality we bring to your special event.

2: Are you licensed and insured?

It is absolutely essential that any DJ you consider is licensed and carries a full liability insurance policy. Some reception sites have even taken the step of requiring all vendors working at their facility to provide proof of insurance before the wedding date.

Liability insurance protects you and the reception site in the unlikely event that your DJ injures one of your guests or burns your reception site to the ground.

Art Of Sound operates a legitimate, professional DJ business. Rest assured that we are both licensed and carry a full liability insurance policy.

3: Do you offer a contract or written agreement?

Absolutely. Our contract is signed by both parties and offers you a high level of protection and dependability. With our contract you can be assured that there will be no hidden extra charges or surprises at your event.

The signed contract and deposit officially reserves your date and of course an executed copy will be sent to you for your records. If you have any questions or concerns about the terms, just ask. Do not settle for a non-professional verbal agreement, get it in writing!

4: What is the deposit and when is the final payment due?

We require a $100 deposit and signed contract to reserve your date. The final payment of the remaining balance is due at least 14 days (2 weeks) prior to your event date. We will gladly accept your personal check, certified check, cashier's check, money order or credit card payment via Pay Pal Online.

You can also pay on the date of your event in cash prior to the scheduled start time. However settling up before the date works best since it will give you the freedom to relax and enjoy your event!

5: Are your rates negotiable through price matching?

Our rates are based on our cost of doing business as well as the value we place on the services we provide. We take all events seriously and attend to each in a professional manner. We're confident you will find our prices to be exceptionally competitive.

If you do find a comparable service and package for less cost, we will do our best to match or beat the price. When you book our services you're not only paying for incredible DJ entertainment, you're paying for peace of mind.

6: Is setup time included in your price?

You never have to pay for setup or take down time. We typically arrive almost 60-90 minutes prior to your scheduled start time and will be set up long before your first guest arrives and it's on our own time!
The same applies for take down time after your event.

7: What kind of music do you play?

Since our music collection is exhaustive and comprehensive, we can meet with you in advance to determine the pace, style and specific requests needed for your event.

You will be able to choose from various genres & musical styles such as: Top-40 (Pop), Hip-Hop, R&B, Oldies, Old School, Country, Alternative Rock, Classic Rock, Disco, Big Band, Jazz, and more!

We will play the music that you and your guests want to hear, after all it's your day!

8: How interactive are you as a DJ?

A very familiar question! Often times when a prospective client is looking for the perfect DJ they search for one who fits the level of interaction they're looking for, whether it be conservative or outgoing.

We actually let you decide how much interaction you would like. We can be conservative, outgoing, or anywhere in between. By default, we're only as interactive as necessary to keep your guests having a good time on the dance floor.

In any case, you'll never hear one of our DJ's yelling, screaming, or even singing over the microphone. Even at our most outgoing level, we still remain totally professional and never steal the spotlight!

9: Will you be able to take requests from our guests?

Requests and suggestions should be welcome! This will allow a quality musical host to get "in-tune" with your guests. If some songs are inappropriate for the event, a good DJ will explain the reason why.

DJ's that are not open to requests usually have a poor musical library & hide it by not accepting requests.

10: What if we want a song that you don't have?

While our music library encompasses the widest variety of hits from the 1940s to today, it's likely you may have a few obscure requests that are not in our repertoire. In this case, we would be more than happy to play your copy. As you're making your request list, simply indicate which songs you'll be providing.

11: Can we have a "do not play" list?

Sometimes the do not play list is equally important or more important than the request list itself!

We understand that you don't want to hear the song you and your "ex" danced to. Or maybe you've been to one too many weddings lately and are sick of the typical wedding songs. Any specific songs or general types of music you absolutely hate should go on your "do not play" list.

So don't feel as though we have to play the chicken dance and Hokey pokey... we don't! Rest assured that if a guest requests a song that is on your "do not play" list, it will not be played.

12: Can we choose the music to be played at our event?

You'll be unbelievably amazed at how flexible we are when it comes to music selection! That's because in the past 10 years we've learned that keeping the dance floor packed is influenced by many factors, including the order and style in which the songs are played, the way songs are mixed together, and DJ interaction... not just which songs are played.

We've had clients that have chosen every song for the entire event and others that have left the music selection completely up to us. Our recommendation is to provide us with a list of "must play" songs and list of "play if possible"songs. This will leave plenty of room for requests from your guests and DJ selections.

You may also stipulate that we not take requests from your guests. But have fun and select music you want to hear and dance to. After all, it's your event!

13: What does your DJ equipment consist of?

We only use professional equipment from brands such as JBL, Crown, Pioneer, Sennheisser & more. To view a complete list of the equipment we use for our booked events click here now.

14: How loud do you play the music?

One of the greatest complaints of bands and DJ's alike is that they play the music too loud. It doesn't have to be that way! During cocktail and dinner hours (if applicable) the speakers will be strategically positioned for even sound coverage throughout the banquet room at a comfortable level.

When it's time to dance, the speakers will be repositioned for maximum sound coverage on the dance floor and minimum sound exposure throughout the rest of the banquet room. This means that on the dance floor the music will be at a very comfortable, yet powerful enough level for dancing.

Throughout the rest of the room the music will be less predominant and your guests will actually be able to carry on a normal conversation without screaming!

15: Do you carry back-up equipment in case of an emergency?

Your special event could very well be one of the most memorable days of your life. So we must offer you the highest level of dependability. We keep a complement of essential backup equipment on-site at all times for all events to offer our clients peace of mind.

16: Do you take breaks?

Our services are truly uninterrupted and non-stop. From our scheduled start time to our scheduled end time we will never pause to take a break. Much unlike bands that need to stop and rest, we can just keep playing straight through your event!

17: How far will you travel?

We are willing to travel to just about anywhere in the Sacramento, San Joaquin & Stanislaus counties.

Some of the cities we currently serve include Ceres, Dublin, Elk Grove, Escalon, Florin, Galt, Livermore, Lodi, Lathrop, Manteca, Modesto, Oakdale, Pleasanton, Rio Vista, Ripon, Riverbank, Sacramento, Salida, San Ramon, Thornton & Tracy.

If you think your event may be taking place on the outskirts of any of the cities mentioned above, please contact us and we'll let you know if we serve that area.

18: How early should we book?

Simply put the sooner the better! Some of the most popular dates can and do book as early as one year in advance. Our suggestion is to be prepared to sign a contract as early as 8-12 months before.

Depending on availability some dates remain open until the month before. So if you're planning an event for next month, it's worth it to check our availability. If you're just starting your planning, try to make your final decision as soon as possible to ensure our availability.

19: Are there any special needs for the DJ that we need to provide?

Other than the normal precautions for any electrical equipment, no. Your venue should be able to answer any questions about this. If the event is outside then overhead covering for our DJ equipment is required.

20: Should we feed the DJ?

One of our most popular questions! The answer to that is it's completely up to you. With setup and tear down, we'll often be at your event for nearly 8 hours. Our only request is that you let us know either way ahead of time. This way we can stop and pick something up along the way, if necessary.

If you choose to provide a meal for the DJ, we'd greatly appreciate it. We suggest not including us in your count since usually at least one guest doesn't show. But don't worry if you're working on a tight budget because there is no meal clause of any kind in our contract!

21: Is tipping/gratuity expected from the DJ?

By no means is tipping/gratuity mandatory or expected. We charge a professional rate for a professional service. This means you won't see a tip jar on our table.

If at the end of the night you feel the DJ has surpassed your expectations and you want to tip him, we would accept it as the utmost compliment. But you're under no obligation to do so.