"What's your fee?" is the question that catches most DJs cold, and the panic answer is almost always too low. Pricing feels awkward because it's tied up with self-worth, and the scene doesn't exactly talk openly about numbers. But treating your fee as a guess, or being so grateful to be asked that you undercharge on reflex, quietly trains promoters — and yourself — to see your time as cheap. Knowing your worth starts with treating the fee as a real decision, not a flinch.

There's no fixed rate card in this scene, so work from what's actually in front of you. What kind of event is it, and what's the budget behind it — a promoter charging £15 a head at a 300-cap venue is a different conversation from a mate's free basement party. What's the slot, the exposure, the crowd? How much are you bringing: your own following that'll sell tickets, a specific sound they can't get elsewhere, years of experience? And what does it actually cost you to be there — travel, time, prep, gear? Add those up honestly and you'll have a floor you can defend, instead of a number you blurted out to fill the silence.

Playing for free or cheap has its place — building a name, a lineup you genuinely want to be on, a cause you care about — but make it a choice, not a default. Decide when exposure is worth it and when it's just someone getting your work for nothing. And when you do quote, say the number plainly and don't immediately apologise for it or start discounting before they've even responded. A promoter with a real budget respects a DJ who knows their rate; the ones who balk at any fee at all were rarely going to value you anyway. Your worth isn't a feeling you wait to earn permission for — it's a rate you set, hold, and grow as you do.