Before you write
- Find the person, not the inbox. Look for the name of whoever books the night you want: the venue's site, the event page, the promoter's own profile. An email that opens with their name and their night reads differently from one that opens “Dear Sir/Madam”.
- Pick one night. “Any chance of a gig?” asks them to do the work. “Your Friday warm-up slot” does not.
- Pick one mix. The one closest to that night's sound, recent, starting strong. A festival booker writing about bands gets a feel for an act in 30 to 90 seconds; “If two of the first three tracks are not what we expect, this usually leads to the end of the road.”[1]
- Have a press kit link ready. One page with your mix, photo, bio, rider and contact. If you do not have one yet, read what to put in a DJ press kit.
Subject lines that say what is inside
Warm-up for [night name], [month]? [Your name], [genre], [city] [Your name] for [night name]: [genre], mix inside Booking enquiry: [your name], [genre], available [dates]
The promoter should know what the email wants before opening it. No “Hi!!”, no “Quick question”.
1. The first email to a club promoter
Subject: Warm-up for [night name], [month]? [Your name], [genre], [city] Hi [first name], I've been to [night name] [twice / since the one with X]: [one specific thing you noticed, e.g. how the warm-up held back until 1am]. I'm [your name], a [city] DJ playing [genre, with a tempo or a mood]. I [play / run] [your residency, night or radio slot]. This mix is the closest to your warm-ups: [link to the mix]. It starts where I'd start in your room. Everything else (photo, bio, rider, contact) is here: [press kit link]. I'm free on [two or three dates]. If a warm-up slot opens, I'd like to play it. [Your name] [phone, only if you want calls]
Under 150 words. One mix, one press kit link, dates. The specific line at the top is the part you cannot copy: write it fresh for every promoter, and only if it is true.
2. The follow-up
No answer is not always a no: emails get buried. Send one follow-up, in the same thread so the first email is under it, after a week or two. Then stop.
Hi [first name], Coming back to this once, in case it got buried. Since I wrote, [one new fact: a new mix, a set you played, a date that opened]. Still free on [dates]. Mix and press kit are in the email below. [Your name]
3. Confirming an offer
When a promoter says yes, write down what was agreed before the night, in one email both of you can find later. A misunderstanding about set times or fees is easier to fix on a Tuesday than at the door.
Hi [first name], Great, thank you. To be sure we have the same picture: Date: [day, date] Venue: [name, address] Set: [start] to [end], [warm-up / main / closing] Fee: [amount, currency], paid [how, when] Travel and accommodation: [what is covered, or "none needed"] Guest list: [number] Booth: [what you need, or "as in my rider": link] Arrival and soundcheck: [time] Contact on the night: [name, phone] If anything here is wrong, tell me and I'll correct it. Can you send the artwork or the event link when it's ready? I'll share it. [Your name]
If you have a tech rider, link it here even if you sent it before. If you do not, there is a DJ tech rider template to copy.
4. After the gig
The next booking often starts the morning after. Keep it short and send it within a day or two.
Hi [first name], Thanks for Friday. [One true detail: the room at 1am, the sound, the staff.] I recorded the set: [link, if you did and the venue allows it]. Feel free to share it. I'd be glad to come back. [Your next free dates, or "I'll check in again in [month]."] [Your name]
5. Answering a wedding enquiry
A couple writes differently from a club, and asks different questions: price, availability, whether you will play their song. Answer those first.
Subject: Re: Wedding DJ for [date] Hi [names], Thank you for writing, and congratulations. [Date] at [venue] is [free / free for now: I'll hold it for 7 days]. What I'd do for you: [ceremony / aperitivo / dinner / party: the parts you cover], from [time] to [time], with my own sound, microphones and lighting. Price: [amount, what it includes, deposit and when the rest is due]. My press kit has photos, a set list sample and what couples and planners have said: [press kit link]. The next step is a 20-minute call to hear what music you love and what must never play. Does [two options] work? [Your name]
Planners and venues will ask for documents too, such as insurance and equipment lists; see the wedding DJ press kit guide.
Link, not attachment
Send links: a mix link that plays in the browser and a press kit link. Some festival portals ask for a PDF upload; BookedKit advises keeping that file under 5 MB and putting the link to your live page in it.[2] A 100 MB WAV attached to a cold email is a download nobody asked for.
What not to write
- The same email to fifty promoters with their names in BCC.
- Your follower count as the main argument.
- “I can play anything”. Promoters book a sound, not a range.
- Three mixes, “in case”. Choose.
- A fee in the first email to a club, unless they asked for one. Let the offer come with the slot.
On PRESS-KIT.CLOUD
You get one link to paste into all five emails: a public page at press-kit.cloud/epk/yourname with your mix playing (SoundCloud or Spotify), photos, bio, rider and booking email, and a PDF of the same page for portals that want a file. See it on an example first: Dez Calloway, an invented drum & bass DJ.
Sources
- Marc Secoy, festival organiser, writing about bands, “Here’s what Sonicbids promoters actually care about in your EPK”, Sonicbids blog, 6 June 2014
- BookedKit, “Should my press kit be a PDF or a link?” (a vendor of press kit pages, and a competitor of ours), 15 April 2026
All read on 2026-10-22.