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SOP templates for a DJ or entertainment business

Seven core SOPs for a DJ or entertainment company: inquiries, consultations, booking, event planning, the gig itself, reviews and commission reporting.

Owner
Owner or office manager
Runs
Set up once, reviewed each season
Updated
Download .md

A DJ or entertainment company sells a performance, but most of the work happens before and after it. These SOPs cover the core path from inquiry to post-event review, ordered by stage, with company procedures at the end. Replace the [bracketed] values with your own.

Lead acquisition: follow up on an inquiry

Purpose: Reach every inquiry while they are still comparing options.

  1. Log the inquiry in [CRM] with event date, type, venue, guest count and how they found you.
  2. Check date availability for performers and gear.
  3. Reply within [2 business hours] during office hours with availability, a short intro, and a link to book a consultation.
  4. Call if a phone number was given and there is no reply within 1 business day.
  5. Follow up at [2, 5 and 10 days]. After that, move the lead to the nurture list.

Lead nurture: run the consultation

Purpose: Understand the event and the client, and show how you would handle it.

  1. Review the inquiry and the venue before the call.
  2. Ask about the event’s feel, must-play and do-not-play music, key moments, timeline and who else is involved.
  3. Explain your process from booking to the day, briefly.
  4. Recommend a package based on what they told you, and explain why.
  5. Send a recap the same day with the recommendation and a quote.

Sales execution: book the event

Purpose: Confirm the date with a signed agreement and retainer so it is truly held.

  1. Send the agreement through [e-signature tool] with the date, times, package, price, payment schedule and cancellation terms.
  2. Hold the date as tentative for [5 days].
  3. Follow up at [2 days] and the day before the hold expires.
  4. On signature and retainer, mark the date booked in [CRM], assign a performer and send the welcome email with the planning timeline.
  5. Release the date if the hold expires without a signature, and tell the client.

Fulfillment: run the planning meeting

Purpose: Capture every detail the performer needs to run the event without calling the client on the day.

  1. Schedule the meeting [3 to 6 weeks] before the event.
  2. Work through the planning form: timeline, announcements and pronunciations, special songs, vendor contacts, venue rules and load-in details.
  3. Confirm the final timeline in writing and send it to the client for approval.
  4. Share the approved form with the assigned performer at least [7 days] before the event.
  5. Collect the final balance by the date in the agreement.

Fulfillment: gig day and gear check

Purpose: Arrive ready, set up safely and perform to the plan.

  1. Pack the rig the day before from the rig’s packing list and run the pre-gig check: power on every piece, test mics and batteries, check cables and spares.
  2. Confirm arrival time with the venue contact the day before.
  3. Arrive by the load-in time on the timeline. Dress to the company standard.
  4. Set up and sound check before guests arrive. Tape down cables in walkways.
  5. Check in with the coordinator or client contact about any timeline changes.
  6. Perform to the approved timeline and announcements.
  7. Load out, leave the space as found, and log any gear fault in [gear log] the same night.

Retention: after the event

Purpose: Thank the client, collect a review and keep the relationship for referrals.

  1. Send a thank-you within 2 days, with any photos or a link to the playlist if offered.
  2. Ask for a review on [review site] within [7 days].
  3. Note anything the client said, good or bad, in [CRM].
  4. Add the client to the past-client list for occasional, useful contact.

Company: report payments and commissions

Purpose: Pull payment and commission numbers the same way every period so everyone is paid correctly.

  1. Export payments received for the period from [CRM or payment tool] on [the 1st business day of the month].
  2. Match each payment to its booking and confirm the booking’s salesperson and performer.
  3. Calculate commissions and performer pay using the current commission plan at [link].
  4. Send the report to [owner] for approval, noting refunds, cancellations and adjustments.
  5. Pass approved amounts to payroll or accounts payable, and file the report.

Questions about this template

Why does a DJ company need SOPs if every event is different?

The music and the crowd change, but the business around the gig repeats: answering inquiries, booking, planning meetings, gear, load-in and getting paid. Writing those down means every performer delivers the same standard and the office runs the same whoever is in it.

How should a multi-op DJ company handle gear?

Give every rig a written packing list and a pre-gig check, and log any fault the moment it is found. The SOP below includes both.

Can performers follow these on their phone?

Yes. They are short numbered steps written to be read on site. In SOPCompass a performer can follow an SOP step by step and tick off each step as they go.

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