Tipping hosts/DJs at clubs?

[Resi Pfeffer]

8 hours ago, Rat Luv said:

like redecorating the club, or letting off sheep particles or only talking through Japanese translators. Actually, no wonder we were unpopular 😂

What you did, should actually have drawn more people into that club, in my opinion. Sounds fun.

[Female Winslet]

May I share some thoughts from this from the DJ perspective? 

I never ask for tips because I figure that if I’m doing a good job, I won’t have to. This approach has worked well for me and I often receive as much as about 3000L in tips for a half-set of one hour in length. I do use tipping as a way to entertain the audience though because, let’s face it, entertaining is my job. It’s not just about playing songs. So I will thank people for their “Linden like” on the mic and talk about how that is oh so different from the “Linden love” that most people say, for example. 

I don’t like people to típ me less than my host, but I will never say anything to the audience about it. Never ever ever. What I will do if I see that the host has significantly less than me at the end of the set, I will tip them enough to even out the difference. So if they get 2000 in tips and I get 3000, then I will tip them 500 at the end. Now we each have 2500. My reasoning is that the show is a team effort and the host is just as important as I am. The host-DJ interaction is a way to entertain the audience and keep people talking and engaged and having fun kinda like a late night tv host and their sidekick. On top of that, I spend an awful lot of time buried in my DJ software to the point where I often only hear about 1/3 to 1/4 of my own shows. And the fact that I’m buried in DO software affects my ability to chat in local. I also have a real world disability that affects how much I can type in local—in fact, that’s why I started DJing; a lot less wear on my wrists than hosting because I get to talk on mic. Since my audiences are frequently 30-60 people or more, I just cannot keep up with everything in local. So I rely on my host for that. 
 

I do encourage people to tip the venue. The reason for that is the costs involved in running a good venue. Land costs add up fast in SL and get really expensive, but i think that tends to get forgotten about. One of the things I try to make a hallmark of my shows is simply being kind. And that includes being kind to the venue owners.

If someone comes and does not tip at all, I’m fine with that. I worry more about having people come than I do about having them tip me. If people come, then the green dot effect comes into play where people are drawn to the crowd of green dots on the map. Don’t worry. Some of the people who come will handle the tipping. 

Aaaaaaand . . . I’ve been known to completely forget to even put out a tip jar, actually. Sometimes I have forgotten for entire sets. Because, let’s be honest. No one is making a great living as a Second Life dj. The only real reason to do it is to have some fun with you and the audience. As long as I can do that, I feel like I have been very well tipped indeed, thank you very much. Anything else is gravy.
 

Not every dj is going to feel the way I do, or course. But I think that putting the audience ahead of my tips makes me a better, more successful dj and does a lot to explain why I tend to get invites for relatively big audiences and why I get tip totals that are rather higher than most. At the end of the day, if I take care of the audience they will take care of me. 

 

 

[Maitimo]

I sometimes co-host events at Chiaroscuro when Greville is unavailable, but neither Grev nor I have a host tipjar. I'm more concerned that everyone is enjoying the party and having fun. The DJs always have a tipjar out but even then, it's not a faux-pas if you are unable to tip, or if you just forget. If you really want to tip the host, there's venue tipjars all over the sim; it'll all come back round in the end.

[Drakonadrgora Darkfold]

I only tip the dj at clubs if I really like the music or if they play my request if I make one. otherwise im just there for the free entertainment. i rarely if ever tip the host or club itself. they should be getting a cut from the dj imo.

[FairreLilette]

I have heard some great DJ's who play songs I've never heard, old blue's tunes mostly or underground kind of stuff, and that's about all the music I really like in SL.  I've heard "Pour Some Sugar On Me" enough to never have to hear it again, plus a lot of the same songs.  I do request once in a while and pay 100 lindens.  I tend to go to live music where it's fresh and I tip 200 linden per show approximately.  100 linden to the live artist and 50 linden to the host and 50 linden to the venue.   I am not a big tipper but I do support the theory "give what you can"...it all adds up.    

Edited October 8, 2020 by FairreLilette

[Foggypebble Muircastle]

DJs, what's the average tip you get?

[Female Winslet]

1 hour ago, Foggypebble Muircastle said:

DJs, what's the average tip you get?

I'm not sure exactly what the question means. Individual tip amounts vary a lot. I would say anything up to 500L is a typical tip, but I have had them go much higher. 

The total tips for a gig vary. I've been in semi-retirement where I have only been doing special events and such. One time gigs. I do have a client who hires me repeatedly. This is typically 30-60 people. The sets are usually 1 hour instead of the typical 2 hour sets in clubs. I usually have a total tip amount 1500L-3000L for the hour.

I sorta kinda came out of my semiretirement (haven't decided if I want to go find a club gig or not) two weeks ago to start doing a regular set at a friend's place. The place is new. The set I'm doing has never existed before. It's only happened twice before. It's a typical 2 hour set, but we're only getting 5-7 people right now. And I forgot to put out a tip jar at all the first. And the first half of the second time. And then I got 750L in tips for the second half of the set on the one time I put out a tip jar. 🙂

Like I said . . . I sometimes am forgetful. I usually forget to even tell people I have a DJ group and if you were to look at the group you might notice I didn't create it. A fan got mad at me for not having one, created it, and invited me to join. So I may be the only SL dj who did not make their own DJ group. I don't have a subscribo . . . I forget to send out notices in the group I do have . . . and, yeah, I hate doing the self promotion stuff and I'm really bad at it.

Edited October 8, 2020 by Female Winslet

[Paul Hexem]

10 hours ago, Drakonadrgora Darkfold said:

I only tip the dj at clubs if I really like the music or if they play my request if I make one. otherwise im just there for the free entertainment. i rarely if ever tip the host or club itself. they should be getting a cut from the dj imo.

Clubs should be paying the DJ, plus tips, to be there. Without music, a club is just a building. Usually a laggy, ugly one, at that. Why would I want to go to your crappy building if there's nothing good going on there?

Taking money from the people providing entertainment at your venue only works if your venue can generate traffic without the entertainment. If traffic goes away when they do, you owe them big.

[Mother Mystic]

For me it's mostly like L100 - I'm just being polite; L250 - quality set, I want to encourage you; L500 - great tuneage AND nice personality; 1k - you really impressed me! I'll come back in the future as well; 3k - you're a music god and I must really like the venue a lot too; 5k - you played Placebo or Massive Attack more than two tracks in a row.

[Mother Mystic]

Also, whoever plays Tool/puscifer/APC or does Maynard tributes, that I've sadly never heard in SL until very recently, I'll be dropping 10k on your head without hesitation. I'm very particular about my music, but when I hear it, I do support the DJ and the venue hardcore.

[Evah Baxton]

Mmmmmmmm I love tipping the DJ's, hosts, and venue.

Edited October 9, 2020 by Evah Baxton

[sirhc DeSantis]

On 10/8/2020 at 9:09 PM, Foggypebble Muircastle said:

DJs, what's the average tip you get?

With rapidly failing respect to the OP, that is between me and those who choose to be generous. Why are you (the OP) trying to census us

I am semi  retired from the scene ( but I do London later haha) but was always and remains - Thanks! As a response to all

So with respect - get in to the SLworld  and test. Protip I go clubbing with 2k

Smells to Coffee

 

 

 

 

[Foggypebble Muircastle]

I like to go to the same venue and stay there all day. Sets are 2 hours each and they generally play pop music.

How much is too much to tip a DJ, how much is the minimum or too little?

[Foggypebble Muircastle]

On 10/8/2020 at 10:10 PM, Eruka Nova said:

For me it's mostly like L100 - I'm just being polite; L250 - quality set, I want to encourage you; L500 - great tuneage AND nice personality; 1k - you really impressed me! I'll come back in the future as well; 3k - you're a music god and I must really like the venue a lot too; 5k - you played Placebo or Massive Attack more than two tracks in a row.

You have tipped DJs 5k (that’s 20$) for playing your favorite bands?? I’m afraid I’ve never been as generous.

Usually I try to tip what I think would be the same amount someone would tip at a real life venue.

[Rowan Amore]

9 minutes ago, Foggypebble Muircastle said:

I like to go to the same venue and stay there all day. Sets are 2 hours each and they generally play pop music.

How much is too much to tip a DJ, how much is the minimum or too little?

To put it as simply as possible, personal opinions aside, pay what you want, when you want and to whom you want.  There is no rule for tipping or even an expectation that you do unless you do make a song request and then that amount is still up to you.

ETA.  Normally, I prefer to tip the venue.  I go.somewhere because of the people, not the music as I have sound off most of the time.

Edited October 10, 2020 by RowanMinx

[Foggypebble Muircastle]

25 minutes ago, RowanMinx said:

To put it as simply as possible, personal opinions aside, pay what you want, when you want and to whom you want.  There is no rule for tipping or even an expectation that you do unless you do make a song request and then that amount is still up to you.

I keep seeing the same response. “Oh, pay what you want... but I personally tip/make [huge number]”

and it also seems like 100L keeps popping up, like it’s the median. Somewhere from 20–200L seems average.

Well I’d been paying the DJs 100-200L each daily for a while but I’ve needed to get stricter with my budget but I keep going to this venue anyway because I feel like I’ve made friends. I’ve dropped it to 30-50L plus another 50L if I make a song request or if the set was insanely good. There are an average of 4 sets a day and generally I’m there for most of them most days. It still adds up over a while. I’m just wondering if my tipping is so low that it actually makes the show feel insulted. On the other hand I don’t want to do big tips all the time and make the DJs feel awkward or obliged to me in some way.

Edited October 10, 2020 by Foggypebble Muircastle

[Rowan Amore]

1 hour ago, Foggypebble Muircastle said:

I keep seeing the same response. “Oh, pay what you want... but I personally tip/make [huge number]”

and it also seems like 100L keeps popping up, like it’s the median. Somewhere from 20–200L seems average.

Well I’d been paying the DJs 100-200L each daily for a while but I’ve needed to get stricter with my budget but I keep going to this venue anyway because I feel like I’ve made friends. I’ve dropped it to 30-50L plus another 50L if I make a song request or if the set was insanely good. There are an average of 4 sets a day and generally I’m there for most of them most days. It still adds up over a while. I’m just wondering if my tipping is so low that it actually makes the show feel insulted. On the other hand I don’t want to do big tips all the time and make the DJs feel awkward or obliged to me in some way.

Never feel that you're insulting anyone no matter how you choose to tip.  I can guarantee there are people there who never tip.  Do what makes you comfortable and what's in your budget.  

[Josephine Carissa]

Hello Everyone,

here's how i normally tip : )

Greeted by DJ: $250L

Greeted by host: $250L

If host/hostess doesn't "spam" in local or voice during set: $500L, (with a IM to say thank you for NOT SPAMMING)

I will usually tip $250L each per hour or 1/2 hour.

play my request $250L

Josephine

[Jaylinbridges]

37 minutes ago, Josephine Carissa said:

here's how i normally tip : )

Greeted by DJ: $250L

Greeted by host: $250L

If host/hostess doesn't "spam" in local or voice during set: $500L, (with a IM to say thank you for NOT SPAMMING)

I will usually tip $250L each per hour or 1/2 hour.

play my request $250L

That's rather generous tipping !  But if your budget can afford it, great.  Make one request and you would tip me $1000L.  I would not get the no spam bonus, because our club owner and manager requires the hostess and DJ to mention the club venue tip box once an hour.  Sometimes I forget though, but that hurts the club owner, since newbies usually have no idea where the club venue tip jar is - It's not obvious.  Tipping the club also sends you a gift, that varies each week.

I have never had a hostess that NEVER asks the patrons to tip the DJ if you like their music.  I feel embarrassed when they do ask, even if only once an hour, but it's part of the club culture to remind patrons.  Sometimes I forget to tip until the hostess mentions it.  Not sure what you consider SPAM, but one spam/hour hardly seems punishable to me.  

I also see no correlation between hostess spam and her/his tips.  A good hostess is worth tipping, whether she spams or not.  The best hostess I know spams too often, usually a one liner to tip the DJ - BUT she also greets AND talks to everyone in the club, IM's them if she knows them or they are new, and provides endless entertainment while the DJ does his job of selecting songs and taking requests.  She also keeps track of patron's RL and SL birthdays, puts up signs and decorations for their parties, and spams the music groups once an hour, as is required by management.  She is exhausted at the end of a two hour set.   

I suspect different music genres have different club rules - when I see an inactive local chat, with peeps not even tuning into the DJ, a figure they are there to pick up women for a one nighter.  If I knew who they were, I would ban them   We have a social club with loyal patrons, not a meat market like some clubs with large silent audiences.

 

 

 

[Mother Mystic]

4 hours ago, Foggypebble Muircastle said:

You have tipped DJs 5k (that’s 20$) for playing your favorite bands?? I’m afraid I’ve never been as generous.

Usually I try to tip what I think would be the same amount someone would tip at a real life venue.

my music is close to nonexisten in sl. 😛 don't mind rarely being that generous once in a blue moon. just this week 3 of my favorite venues shut down due to lack of funds. soon i'll be running out of them if i don't get involved and support them

[Kimmi Zehetbauer]

On 10/8/2020 at 5:52 AM, FairreLilette said:

I have heard some great DJ's who play songs I've never heard, old blue's tunes mostly or underground kind of stuff, and that's about all the music I really like in SL.  I've heard "Pour Some Sugar On Me" enough to never have to hear it again, plus a lot of the same songs.  I do request once in a while and pay 100 lindens.  I tend to go to live music where it's fresh and I tip 200 linden per show approximately.  100 linden to the live artist and 50 linden to the host and 50 linden to the venue.   I am not a big tipper but I do support the theory "give what you can"...it all adds up.    

When my man DJed he would play a lot of stuff from we call the "vault."  Like little played album cuts or obscure Blues tunes. We have a very large library and one night someone requested a song she hadn't heard since in high school in the 70s.  My man dug it out and played it and got a good tip. She was very happy and said the song wasn't even on Youtube.

Although I owned a venue in SL for a bit, my man only DJed there once.  It was mostly a live performance spot. I've since sold the venue and taking an extended break from SL.

[Rowan Amore]

24 minutes ago, Eruka Nova said:

my music is close to nonexisten in sl. 😛 don't mind rarely being that generous once in a blue moon. just this week 3 of my favorite venues shut down due to lack of funds. soon i'll be running out of them if i don't get involved and support them

This is why I'd rather spend my Ls supporting a venue over djs and hosts.  There are always plenty of those around but a good place to go that has a nice group of people is much harder.  Not that I don't or won't tip the others but the venues often miss out.

[Da5id Weatherwax]

Halfway through all my sets I take a moment to remind folks about everyone else that made it possible for me to be standing up there performing...  The words I use vary constantly of course but its usually something like this.....

"Musicians, DJs, other performers, we don't make the music scene in SL happen on our own. You can't just turn up and start busking on a SL street corner, the grid doesn't work like that. Without the venue owners and their staffs, who all put in their time, their effort and often serious chunks of RL money there would be no music scene in SL at all. So I will direct your attention to (points out venues and hosts tipjars) but also ask that whenever you are around the grid and you come across a place with a performer of any kind up on stage, even if that performer is absolutely rubbish and you hate what they are doing, show what appreciation you can to the venue and its staff because that way you are supporting every performer on the grid and we'll all thank you for it."

[Foggypebble Muircastle]

20 hours ago, Eruka Nova said:

my music is close to nonexisten in sl. 😛 don't mind rarely being that generous once in a blue moon. just this week 3 of my favorite venues shut down due to lack of funds. soon i'll be running out of them if i don't get involved and support them

That’s too bad! What were the venues?

[Foggypebble Muircastle]

3 hours ago, Da5id Weatherwax said:

Halfway through all my sets I take a moment to remind folks about everyone else that made it possible for me to be standing up there performing...  The words I use vary constantly of course but its usually something like this.....

"Musicians, DJs, other performers, we don't make the music scene in SL happen on our own. You can't just turn up and start busking on a SL street corner, the grid doesn't work like that. Without the venue owners and their staffs, who all put in their time, their effort and often serious chunks of RL money there would be no music scene in SL at all. So I will direct your attention to (points out venues and hosts tipjars) but also ask that whenever you are around the grid and you come across a place with a performer of any kind up on stage, even if that performer is absolutely rubbish and you hate what they are doing, show what appreciation you can to the venue and its staff because that way you are supporting every performer on the grid and we'll all thank you for it."

At the venue I frequent, the hosts and djs get all their tips and you have to tip the house separately, and there is zero incentive to tipping the house— your name doesn’t appear in the local ‘thanks for tipping’ message like it does the host/DJ tip messages and the host/DJ don’t thank you or say anything.