Policies and Procedures:

Do you provide a contract? 

What forms of payment do you accept?

How far do you travel?

Who will show up to do our event?

Do you charge for set-up and teardown time?

Do you use a "tip-jar?"

Do you advertise at my event?

Do you take breaks?

Do we get to choose the music for our event?

Do you take requests?

What if you do not have songs or artists we want to hear?

What happens if our DJ gets sick or something?

When are the deposits and final payments due?

Should we feed the DJ?

Credentials:

Are you licensed to do business?

Do you have liability Insurance?

Do you have references available?

Are you a Full-Time or Part-Time DJ Service?

Performance:

How loud will the music be?

How many songs do you have?

How interractive is your performance style?

How much space do you need?

Pricing:

Do you meet or beat prices from other disc jockey services?

Why are your prices lower than a lot of other dj services?

You post your rates on your site.  Why don't a lot of other services do this?

Some services charge less for events on Sunday or during the week.  Why don't you?

How do you come up with your prices?

Why do you have minimums?

If I get a 4 or 5 hour Standard Package, I'm just paying for 4 or 5 hours of service, right?

Policies and Procedures:

Do you provide a contract?

Of course.  For our mutual protection, and just as importantly, your peace of mind, every event is booked using a contract that contains all pertinent event information: dates, times, services included, price, payments, etc. 

View our contract and our terms and conditions here.

What forms of payment do you accept?

We happily accept any of the following payment options:

1.  Cash.

Duh :)

2.  Check*. 

*We accept checks for the initial deposit on any event.  For our protection, our contract stipulates that we only accept cash at the event itself for the payment of the remaining balance, and if the remaining balance is to be paid by check, it must be paid at least 7 days prior to the event itself.  In practice however, we are pretty lax about this and will accept a check for final payment as well.  Our discretion will determine this in each case.

*Please make checks payable to "Sounds To Go." 

3.  Credit/Debit cards. 

We accept major credit cards online on our Rates page, and payment is done through Paypal.  You do NOT need a paypal account to process a payment, and the process is fast and secure.  There are no additional surcharges to you for this option, and you enter all of your own information online and get a receipt for your payment.  It's FAST and EASY!!!

How far do you travel?

We service the entire Sacramento region, and our normal rate packages include travel to any event located 30 miles or less (one way) from Roseville.  Currently, there is a $0.50/mi travel charge for events outside a 30 mi. radius.

Who will show up to do our event?

The DJ you meet during your pre-event consultations will be the DJ who shows up for your event.  We do not "sub out" events to other DJ's or contractors.  We do, however, have a select few highly trusted independent DJ services that we may refer you to if we are not available for your event, or who will substitute for us in the event of unforeseen circumstances.

Do you charge for set-up and teardown time?

As a rule, no.  Our packages are billed by the hour, and are billed as actual performance time.  Set-up and teardown times are included in our base rates.  Typically, for an audio-only event, it will take about 45 minutes to set up, and 30 minutes to tear down after an event.  The amount of time needed will of course be determined by whether or not additional services are included such as more extensive lighting, etc. 

There are certain circumstances that will act as exceptions to this rule, such as a venue or event location with only stair access, locations and/or events that require multiple tear-down and relocation of equipment setups, etc.  Details on these exceptions and the rates that accompany them can be found in our Terms and Conditions.  For the most part however, there is no additional charge for set-up and tear down of equipment.

Do you use a "tip-jar?"

No, we do not.   We charge a professional rate for professional services.  You will never see a "tip-jar" at your event, or find us soliciting or encouraging gratuities from you or your guests. If, however, you feel you received an exemplary performance at your event, and you decide of your own accord to offer a gratuity, you may do so freely.  It goes without saying that we wouldn't mind:)

Do you advertise at my event?

We are there to play a part in enhancing your event, not to overtly enhance or promote ourselves.  Our philosophy is that our performance and service at any event will speak for themselves.

We will always have business cards available at your event for interested guests, and if these are displayed, they will be in a discreet business card holder on our table, and will never be strewn about or distributed around your event site.  Also, and more importantly, you will never find signs or banners promoting our company name or services, and you will never hear us repeating our company name over the mic or actively promoting ourselves during your event (the exception of course being if it is a commercial or public event where this would be appropriate). 

The most you may expect in this regard is a brief introduction when we are greeting your guests for the first time and setting the tone for the rest of the event.  We may introduce ourselves as Sounds To Go mobile disc jockey service, and move swiftly into our announcements or the rest of your event.

Do you take breaks?

We are all human, and when nature calls, you have to answer!!!  Rest assured that from beginning to end, we will never let there be a pause or disruption in your service.

Do we get to choose the music for our event?

Of course!!!  We have had clients who have programmed their music from beginning to end, and others who have left us to program it all.  Most clients fall somewhere in between. 

During our pre-event planning process, we will use comprehensive music selection guides that will allow you to specify your "must hear" and "play if possible" songs.  You can also specify a "do NOT play" list for songs, genres, or artists you do not wish to hear. 

If you REALLY want to get down in the trenches and have a lot of control over the selections played, we can make available our entire music database so you, your family, and your friends can highlight favorite selections to your heart's content!!!

Do you take Requests?

Of course!!!  We will always ask you if you would like us to encourage requests from your guests.  This is the best way to ensure that everyone has the best possible experience at your event.

What if you do not have songs or artists that we want to hear?

Our musical library is very extensive, and is always growing, but there is always going to be something we won't have.

That is why we get your "must play" song selections ahead of time, so we can have them ready for your event.

Our policy regarding music is if you want something we don't have, we will get it for you at no extra charge.

You can always provide us with music selections of your own as well, but we actually prefer to procure your special requests ourselves if possible... this helps us ensure that our music library is always growing and is always as braod and diverse as possible.


What happens if our DJ gets sick or something?

Sometimes we wish DJ's were super-human and would never be affected by illness or injury. However, that is just a wish. If something were to happen to the DJ scheduled for your event we would notify you as soon as possible. We will make every reasonable attempt to find a suitable replacement for the same rate, and if possible, we will arrange a meeting with you and the "replacement DJ" before your event. We also will have all the information for your event on file - all the song lists, special instructions, and anything else pertaining to your event so the DJ will arrive informed and ready to go. If for any reason we cannot show up at your event, and cannot find a suitable replacement, any and all funds paid to-date will be refunded in-full. This is a condition in your contract for your protection.

When are the deposits and final payments due?

We require a minimum 50% deposit and signed contract to reserve the date. The final payment of the remaining balance is due either before, or on the day of your event. A signed contract is not indicative of a guaranteed date. It must be accompanied by a minimum 50% deposit to hold your date and guarantee service. Contracts and deposits are accepted and considered executed on a first-received, first executed basis. From time to time, we do offer certain incentives and discounts for clients who decide to pre-pay their event in-full at the time of contract signing (ask us!), but this is always optional.

Should we feed the DJ? 

You decide on this one.  Refreshments are greatly appreciated, and sustenance even more so.  Please do not feel obligated, and please NEVER add us to your headcount for the meal service (since at least one guest already counted will usually not show.) Our only request is that you let us know either way ahead of time so that we can plan accordingly.

Another important thing to note is that you will never see your DJ partaking of alchoholic beverages at your event.  You would think this one would be a given, but you'd be surprised how many stories we hear about other djs who were toasted at their events.

Don't get us wrong, it's not that we don't appreciate the hospitality of the offers, but come on peeps... we've got a JOB to do:)

Credentials:

Are you licensed to do business?

Yes. Sounds To Go is licensed to do business, has a fictitious name registration, carries liability insurance, and has bank and credit accounts in the business' name. What all this means to you is the assurance that we will be here for you tomorrow, and for your event whenever it may be. It also shows you that we take what we do seriously.

Do you have liability insurance?

Yes. Some commercial venues require independent vendors to carry a liability policy and we have one in effect at all times. We carry a $1 Million dollar liability insurance policy, and you can view our certificate of coverage here, and even print it if you need to submit it to a venue to verify coverage prior to your event.  You will need an Adobe Acrobat reader to view and print this certificate, and if you do not have one, you can download a reader here for free.

Do you have references available?

Yes. We have testimonials here on our site from satisfied customers that you can check out, and we also have plenty of personal references with contact information available should you wish to explore them prior to hiring our services.

Out of respect for our client's privacy, and respecting the nature of the events we do, we do not allow "drop-ins," i.e., allowing potential clients to "stop in" and "see us in action" at an event.  We would not invite complete strangers to your special event, so it follows that we would not invite you to anyone else's.  The exception, of course, is a public event such as a fund raiser or commercial event that is open to the public, and you may ask us if we have anything of the sort scheduled before your event.

Are you a full-time or part time dj service?

When do 99% of dj'd events occur?  That's right... on the weekends!  So if we're going to be completely honest with ourselves, the only real difference between the "part-time dj" and his mythical-mystical counterpart the "full-time dj" is going to be in the price of services, plain and simple.  The "full-time dj" is looking to your wedding fees to pay not only his dj business expenses, but his mortgage, two car payments, and his boat payment on top of that!  The "part-time" dj, however, is not looking to you for his livelihood and can therefore provide incredible service and quality at a more affordable (read reasonable) rate.

Instead of focusing on what your dj is doing when they're not mixing it up, look at how busy their dj schedule itself really is.  If they are a true professional provider, they will be able to show you a very densely-filled calendar for the months ahead, and may even have events booked out a year or more in advance, because they have a lot invested in advertising, and/or a good amount of repeat and referral business.  THESE are your "full-time dj's."  Those individuals who are making every effort to make themselves available and take on dj events during the seasons and on the days that people traditionally hire dj's!

So are we a "Full-Time" dj service?  Yes.  Is this "all that we do?"  No.  What does this mean?  That we can provide you with a superior level of service and quality entertainment at a reasonable rate whenever and wherever you want it! 

If you're looking at another service that places an emphasis on the fact that they are "full-time," ask yourself if you can truly discern a difference in the type or quality of services they are offering, or does it look like they are simply telling you this in an effort to scare YOU into paying a higher rate for a "full-time" service?

Performance:

How loud will the music be?

One of the biggest pet peeves of clients regarding other DJ services is that at some event(s) they attended in the past, the DJ that was playing was just too loud.  We try our best at all times to ensure that the volume level is appropriate.  

During the cocktail and dinner hours the music will be set at a comfortable level to facilitate normal conversation.  Background music should be just that - in the background.

When it's time to dance, if necessary, and if possible, the speakers will be adjusted to give the dance floor the maximum sound while the rest of the room can still engage in conversation. 

Of course, at any time, if YOU feel that the music is too loud - or too quiet - let us know and adjustments will be made.  It is your event after all !!!

How Many Songs do you have?

In our cd-based library, we have thousands of songs spanning just about every concievable genre and era that you could reasonably expect to hear or have available at any given event.  During our pre-planning sessions we find out exactly what artists, songs, and genres you and your guests will like or expect, and they will always be on-hand for your event.

Don't be so quick to let impressive claims about a dj's music library sway your decision.  Nevermind that these are almost always inferior-sounding mp3's... we'll save that topic for another place and time.  There are actually a HANDFUL of services that use lossless digital file formats, but the fact of the matter is that most do not.

Don't get us wrong - having a large and diverse music selection is essential to being a dj in the first place, but many of the libraries boasted by "digi-dj's" end up being iirelevant to any given event.  Why?  While they most likely do have as many sound files as they say they do, you should ask to see a listing or sample of their library to see exactly what the large number consists of.  Many times, they consist of complete albums by artists that have not just the one or two hits you like or want, but all the other filler-cuts no one will EVER want to hear!  Often-times they may have live-albums, compilations, and greatest-hits albums that all duplicate selections like crazy.  Given a library like this, it's easy to see how they can boast such rediculously large numbers.

So yeah...  100,000+ songs on their hard-drives...  but how many USABLE tracks do they really have?  i.e. ones that you and your guests would actually want to hear or be played at your event, or at ANY event for that matter?  After you take out all the album-filler songs, duplicates, and live-cd's, you can easily cut that library down to a 10th of it's original size! 

And look at it this way:  If you take any professional wedding dj and list all of the songs they play at every wedding the do for a year, you will find that not one dj will ever even play 5000 unique/different indivual songs during that time.  They just CAN'T!  Even assuming the best-case scenario of 80 songs played per-reception, to play 5000 songs, the dj would have to do at least 62 weddings that year without repeating a SINGLE SONG ONCE!  So really...  100,000+ songs?  When you look at it this way, it almost becomes comical!

Bottom-line is, there are only TWO types of songs that a dj needs in their library:  songs that will make decent backround music when your event calls for it, and songs that will fill a dance floor.  If we're being honest, most songs by most artists across most genres don't really fall into EITHER of those two categories!  So in the end, after you strip away the non-essentials, dulicates, and obscurities, these guys are still left with what is actually an average/typical-sized dj library consisting of low-quality mp3 files and tens of thousands of songs that will never be played through their system at a clients event.  Ever!  Not quite as impressive when we look at it that way, is it? :)

As with equipment and everything else, what "the other guys" don't get is that it's not about "bigger+more=BETTER," it's about overall quality.  It's not about having the MOST songs, it's just about having the RIGHT songs.  Your typical 4-5 hour wedding reception is going to see your dj play maybe 60-80 songs the whole night.  Given the number of popular classics and current songs that are quite common and popular at weddings at any given time, doesn't it now seem that 150,000+ songs is irrelevant to the overall success of any given reception?  Sure, they may actually "have" that off-the-wall request by your 14 year old nephew who is into shoe-gaze stoner rock - but if they're a truly professional dj, it's pretty much a given they won't actually PLAY it at your wedding anyway!  So much for their "huge library!"  Is it nice in "Hypothetical Land" to be able to accomodate every odd-ball request that comes to the dj table?  Sure.  Is it likely that these selections or the majority of their "large-as-iTunes" library will be appropriate for your event?  Not a chance.

They will say having such a huge library allows them to meet any requests people make, which is all fine and good - a dj should be able to accomodate most requests coming in from any given group, but we need to rememer that not all requests SHOULD be played at any given event!  Some requests just don't go with the flow, atmosphere, or demographic of an event, and if they are truly a professional, the dj will know that this is true, and will decide there are a few, or maybe even many requests that just won't get played any given night, even if they DO have the song on-hand.  And that's okay!  When you hire a professional, you are hiring someone who is not just going to push play on every song that gets requested, but someone who will use their own discretion based on their experience to keep things flowing smoothly and successfully while staying true to the musical guidelines YOU have laid out!

Another thing to consider is the accessibility of your dj's music library.  With Sounds To Go, all of our music is catalogued in an easy-to-read database that we can easily print out or email to you, and it can be sorted by artist, song title, genre, decade, or even the YEAR of the song itself!  These sorted lists are even available for you and your guests to look at and make requests from at your event!  Just ask the other guys for an up-to-date printed and sortable listing of all their music and let's see what you get:)  Of course you're gonna get a brush-off about how the size of their library prohibits such a listing, and because they are always adding so much to their library all the time it's impossible to keep a current listing... blah blah blah.  They'll always try to spin their lack of organization and quality as if it somehow comes out in your favor, but now you know better.  And more importantly, you know that with Sounds To Go, there IS an alternative!

Sounds To Go invests countless hours of time, and hard-earned money to bring you a 100% legally-purchased cd-based library to make your event all it can be, and our organizational methods and attention-to-detail make it outright fun for you and your guests to find and select selections for your special event!

How interactive is your performance style?

We are relatively low-key, and actually try to be on the mic as little as possible.  Of course, we will make sure you and your guests are having a good time, and that your event keeps moving according to schedule...  That's just what we do!!!

We're not game show hosts or stand-up comedians, and we are not at your event doing an "act," so you will not find us trying to fill any of these roles... only trying to create and maintain the atmosphere you desire in the most professional manner possible.

Bottom line:  We prefer to let the music do the talking, and try our best to make sure that the focus stays where it should be at all times...  on you and your guests.  In the end, however, it is up to you to decide how much of a "presence" you want from the person you hire, and we will do our best to accommodate your desired level of interactivity.

How much space do you need?

We are fully self-contained, and if we are using our standard/basic setup, we take up very little room.  We need room for our 6' banquet table, our (2) speaker stands (figure a 4' x 4' footprint on each) and a few feet behind the table to work in.  We bring speaker cables that allow us to space out our speakers to suit the acoustics of the venue and the needs of the event, so our setup is very flexible.  We can be shoved into a corner to save space, or we can set up along a wall or the front of a stage to maximize sound coverage.  Ultimately, its up to you, the layout of your venue, and the nature of your event to determine where and how we set up.  We are always able to provide our insights and suggestions if you are not sure about the best location for your dj.  Just ask... we would love to help !!!

While the temptation is there to think you are paying a fee for "4 or 5 hours of service" (or whatever you contracted for), this is really only the tip of an iceberg, and the success of this actual performance segment will be determined by the rest of the time and effort your dj puts into your event ahead of time.  

Our goal here is simply to alter the overall perception of what is involved in any given event.  We want to stress the amount of overall planning that takes place prior to each event, and let you know how much value we place on this part of our job.

We hope that once you see the scope and nature of the "behind the scenes" services we offer for each event, you will see the tremendous amount of value and "bang for the buck" that Sounds To Go has to offer when compared to many other services.