How to get more tips as a DJ

August 20, 2026The SpecialRequest team3 min read

Most guests don't skip the tip because they don't want to give. They skip it because nobody carries cash anymore, and walking up to the booth with a five-dollar bill in the middle of a song feels awkward.

Make it easy, tie it to something they want, and say thank you out loud. Here's what works, from bars to private parties.

Tie tips to requests

A tip jar asks for a favor. A tip with a request is a fair trade: “play my song, here's something for you.” Guests are much more comfortable with the second one, and they give more when their song is on the line.

In SpecialRequest

Guests can add a tip to their request, by card, right from their phone, on the free plan. The amount is only put on hold, and it's charged only when the song is played and detected live, so nobody pays for a song they didn't hear. Tipped requests are highlighted in your list. Receive money

Put the QR code where people wait

Guests don't tip for what they don't see. The best spots are the ones where people stand around with their phone in hand:

At the bar, where the line gives everyone a minute to scan.
On the tables, at weddings and private parties.
On the front of your booth or on a screen, big enough to scan from a few steps away.

In SpecialRequest

Every event has its own QR code, and you can print a poster with it in a few taps. Guests land on a web page, with no app to install and no account to create.

Say it once, with a smile

One short line on the mic early in the night does more than any sign: “Requests are open, scan the code, and tips are always appreciated.” Say it once. Saying it every half hour gets old fast.

Set a minimum, not a price

A small minimum keeps joke requests away and sets expectations. In bars and clubs, many DJs make a tip mandatory for every request: the list stays short and serious (more in how to take song requests at a bar or nightclub).

Weddings are different: the couple already paid you. Keep tips optional there, or turn them off, and nobody feels like they're paying to have fun.

In SpecialRequest

Set a Minimum tip for each event, and turn on Mandatory tip if every request must come with one. Your weddings and your bar nights can each have their own settings.

Play the tipped songs (at the right time)

A tipped request deserves priority, but not at any cost. If a slow song gets a tip at the peak of the night, play it a bit later: the guest will understand if you tell them. What matters is that it gets played.

In SpecialRequest

Sort and filter your requests by tips to see them first. Keep the app open near the speakers, on your phone, tablet or Mac: song detection recognizes the song and marks it as played, and that's what collects the tip.

Thank people out loud

“This one's for Julie at table 4, thank you!” It takes three seconds, it makes Julie's night, and it reminds everyone else that requests are open. A thank-you on the mic is the best ad your tips will ever get.

Know what you keep

With SpecialRequest, the fee on each tip is 10% + $0.30, Stripe's payment fees included. On a $10 tip, you keep $8.70. Tips become available about 7 days after the show, and Stripe pays them out to your bank account.

Get started

1Open the Wallet tab in the app.
2Set up your Stripe account: your details, then the bank account for your payouts.
3Turn on tips in your event, with a minimum.
4Show your QR code where guests wait.
5Turn on song detection on the night, and keep the app near the speakers.

Tips and song detection are part of the free plan; DJ software sync comes with Premium. See pricing

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