Our Most Frequently Asked Questions
How do your Chicago DJs dress?
Black tuxedo, unless you'd prefer something else.- What kinds of music do you play?
Whatever you like. We have large collections of rock, R & B, swing, pop, hip hop, Latin, country, Big Band and alternative, plus ethnic favorites. - Do you play dinner and cocktail music, too?
Of course. We have everything from classical to cocktail piano to jazz instrumentals and vocals. Or we'll be happy to play something else if you'd like. - Can you provide music for a wedding ceremony?
Yes. We do that often. - If we have some of our own music on CD or MP3, can you play it?
Yes. - Do you take breaks, like bands?
No. We play non-stop, unless our clients want to make special presentations. - We're going to have a live dance band, in addition to a Chicago DJ. Can you do that?
We'd prefer not to. This one pops up a lot at class reunions. A popular garage band from high school decides to reassemble and give the old classmates a thrill. They practice one or two songs. But when they get a taste of applause, their egos take over, and they press on by butchering 5 or 6 other songs they didn't practice. While your Fourth Estate Audio DJ is interested only in serving the client, bands tend to be more interested in their own personal glory. They'll keep playing as long as a handful of people clap, even if the dance floor stays empty all night. Then, the DJ gets blamed for not playing enough music. Our more than 99% customer satisfaction rating has made us the envy of Chicago area DJ's. And we won't jeopardize it, over something beyond our control. You shouldn't hire a DJ if all you really want is a jukebox between a band's dance sets. Just burn some of your favorite music on a disc or an MP3 player, and let the band play it through their sound system. - What if the band just plays during cocktails and dinner?
That's fine. We do a lot of parties where a jazz band, or string quartet, or harpist plays during the early part of the evening. And we're happy to provide music if they need to take a break. - We're nervous about speaking on a microphone. Can your DJ handle our announcements and introductions?
Certainly. - Do you have a page with all your Chicago DJs' pictures, so we can pick our DJ?
No. You didn't pick your doctor based on his looks. And a professional DJ is no different. The "cutest" DJ may have musical tastes entirely different than yours. So he/she may not be a good fit for your party. Rest assured, you won't get some high school student, or an aging hippie with a pony tail and a Hawaiian shirt (I can hear you chuckling. You've seen him, haven't you?). We'll ask you the right questions to determine which of our music professionals is just right for you, your guests, and your event. Then, if you'd like to meet your Chicago DJ, we'll be happy to arrange it. - Do you subcontract your parties out to other DJ companies? Or do you use your own DJs?
Most of our DJs are employees of Fourth Estate Audio Inc. A couple of them have ambitiously decided to start their own companies after years in our employment, so now we pay them as subcontractors. But we're not brokers. We never hire strangers. We stick with people we've come to trust after years of excellent service. - Do you have a light show?
Yes, for a modest extra fee. You can see how it looks by clicking the video link at the left of this page. - Wow, you have everything! Will this cost us a fortune?
Of course not. Our fee for up to 5 hours of music is just $750 ($850 for events in downtown Chicago). Additional time is just $75 per half hour; and unlike other DJ companies, we don't jack up our prices for clients who book at the last minute. Here's a more thorough breakdown of our pricing.
Price / Service
$750 -- Up to 5 hours
$75 -- Each additional half hour
$100 -- Add for events in downtown Chicago
$125 -- Add for light show (no lighting with basic package)
$100 -- Add for events that require us to carry equipment up stairs
$100 -- Add for events that require setup to be finished 60+ minutes prior to performance
New Year's Eve pricing starts at $1100 for 5 hours
- If we book you for 5 hours, is the set-up time part of that 5 hours?
No. Travel and set-up are free. - Wait a minute. We just got a quote of $1500 from another DJ company. Are they better than you?
Certainly not. They simply charge extra for upgrades that most clients don't want or need. To learn more, just click the "Your Dream Wedding" link on the right of the page, then the "A $1500 DJ: Are You Kidding?" link on the left. - We've heard that some couples simply play their wedding reception music on an iPod. Is that a desirable alternative?
It depends. Click "Your Dream Wedding" on the right, then "iPod Instead of a DJ?" on the left, to see whether an iPod is right for you. - We're just starting to shop for a DJ. Can we meet with you?
Yes. But first, spend more time on our web site. View our video clip. Call our references. Drop in on a live performance if you like. Play around with our online song list. As our video greeting says, "do your homework." If you're getting married, make sure your fiancee sees our site, too. Then, when you're ready to make your buying decision, call us for a face-to-face meeting. If you show up and start asking questions that are already answered on our web site, you're just wasting your time and wasting gas money. It's a little like the woman who goes to the mall to buy a pair of shoes, and finds the perfect pair at the perfect price at the very first store -- and then shops at 16 other stores, and forgets where she found the shoes she liked. When we meet with you, we'd like you to be prepared to hire us if we're "the right fit at the right price." Sound reasonable? 
We're just looking for the cheapest price. Do you give discounts?
Rarely. If you're only comparing hours and dollars, you must begin by assuming, incorrectly, that all DJs are exactly alike, and the cheapest one is the best value. Unfortunately, most people who "go cheap," and have a nightmare experience with their DJ, end up assuming (also incorrectly) that all DJs are equally bad. There are a few DJ companies in Chicagoland -- two in particular -- who get all their clients by offering dirt-cheap prices. And those clients learn too late just how awful a cheap DJ can be. Do your homework. Ask a DJ company to provide you with the names and phone numbers of its 30 most recent clients. If it refuses, RUN! You can also check them out with the Better Business Bureau (our BBB Rating is A+). Remember, if your DJ is bad, he's the only thing your guests will remember about your party, and all your careful planning will go to waste.- What do you charge for travel and setup?
Nothing, with two exceptions. If you require your Chicago DJ's equipment to be completely set up, and ready to play the first note of music, more than 60 minutes before his scheduled starting time, we charge an extra $100. Also, if we're required to carry all of our heavy equipment up and down a flight of stairs, we charge an extra $100. All of our basic service fees assume either ground level or elevator access. - How do you decide which DJ you assign to our party?
Each of our clients submits either a Wedding Reception Fact Sheet or a Party Fact Sheet. The form asks for some general guidance about the client's musical tastes. Typically, we assign a DJ with the same tastes, so he'll know a lot of songs that fit well with what the client has already requested, and he can ensure the appropriate pacing for the evening. Plus, he gets to listen to music he likes! And that means a more enthusiastic performance for you. - We'd like to pick all of our dance music, and not accept requests from our guests. Is that okay?
If that's what you'd like. But you can't hire us. Of the relative handful of dissatisfied clients we've had over our more than 40 years in this industry, practically all of them were couples who picked all of their music in advance. If you'd like your reception to be a concert just for the two of you, just burn a few CDs and rent a sound system. It's unfair to handcuff your DJ, then subject him to a whole evening of abuse from your guests if they don't like the music you chose, and you won't let him accept any of their requests. After enough of your guests complain about what a bad DJ you have, eventually you'll start to believe it, and blame him for the empty dance floor. If you'd like to choose your entire evening's music in advance, one of our competitors will be happy to take the abuse, and the blame. - We don't have Internet access. Can we still hire you?
Unfortunately, no. Our completely interactive web site lets you research your DJ (online video clip, performance schedule, telephone references), check our availability, hire us (online service agreement), pay us (online credit card processing), and direct us on exactly how you'd like your event to proceed (online party itinerary, wedding party roster, interactive music library). By using the web to share and receive information, you're able to hire your DJ with confidence without holding 5 or 6 hours of meetings, searching through books of songs, and filling out all your paperwork in longhand. Other DJ companies that don't have our technology must spend their time in those meetings, too, and charge you for that time. That's why so many of them charge twice as much as we do. If you hired us, and we did it all the hard way, as they do, we'd have to charge you twice as much, too. - Are you insured?
Of course. We carry a $4 million liability and personal injury policy, even though we've never had to file a claim (we're exceptionally careful about the placement of our speakers, cords and cables). We'll be happy to show you or fax you our Insurance Certificate upon request. Beware of any DJ who doesn't carry liability coverage. It's the first telltale sign that he's not serious about his business or his clients' safety. Another very important form of insurance: We keep a full set of backup equipment on site in case of equipment failure. - What is your policy on tipping?
It's an excellent way to reward a DJ who goes above and beyond, to make your party special (anything from $50 to $200 is appropriate). We don't put out a "tip jar," because it's tasteless. And we don't accept tips from your guests to play specific songs, because those songs may not be appropriate for your party. Tipping your DJ, if you choose, is your responsibility. It's just more professional that way. - Where did you get the name "Fourth Estate Audio?"
The "Fourth Estate" is a nickname for the news media (coined by the 15th century British parliamentarian Edmund Burke). And our founder and president, Jay Congdon, has been a newsman for most of his adult life. He's worked as a radio news anchor and reporter at Chicago stations WBBM, WMAQ, WKQX and WJMK, to name a few. He's also been a television news producer and writer. Now you know.
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