About Us

Unlike DJs and other types of vendors that have a fixed, off-the-shelf offering, there are many factors and variables that go into providing a quote for live music. Those factors include:  

• The instrument or ensemble you would like to hire (pricing and availability may vary); 
• The number of musicians you're seeking to hire.  Typically, one musician will be less expensive to hire than an ensemble or a full band. 
• The style or genre you're looking for, or the “feel” you're going for.  This is a very important factor that many clients don't think about!  Many clients assume that when they hire an instrumentalist, that instrumentalist can play in any style or genre, any repertoire, etc. But that's not the case; most instrumentalists actually specialize in a particular style, genre, or repertoire. Examples: We have excellent classical guitarists that play fingerstyle (aka “Spanish style”).  But you wouldn't want to hire that same classical guitarist to play a set of upbeat pop/rock songs. He/she wouldn't be a good fit!  If that leaves you feeling unsure, not to worry; that's where The Platinum Beat comes in!  We specialize in customizing and curating a live music program (and quote) that is tailored to your personal needs and preferences, which will include making style and genre-based recommendations.  
• Your budget. There is more flexibility on pricing for some instrumentalists and ensembles than for others, so it's very helpful to know if you have a hard limit on what you'd like to spend on live music.
• The number of hours you want them to play, the time of day of the event, and whether that particular musician or ensemble has a 2-hour minimum;
• The nature / type of your event. Why does this matter? It's because some events, by nature, have drastically longer time commitments than others, regardless of the actual play time. Example: A casual backyard barbecue, where a musician can show up only 30 minutes before starting to play, will typically be priced differently from a formal wedding, for which a musician or ensemble is typically expected to arrive many hours before the event actually begins; 
• The location of your event (if outside of the Greater Los Angeles area or the musician's home area, there may be a nominal travel fee or mileage expenses);
• If your event is outside of Southern California, or out-of-state (or country), in which case we would include travel expenses and per diem in the quote; 
• Whether you would like your musician or ensemble to prepare a custom arrangement for you, or learn custom songs not already on their song list (some musicians or ensembles will charge a nominal fee for custom arrangements or songs); 
• Whether you would like your musician or ensemble to attend an in-person rehearsal (not included in standard pricing, but can be negotiated); 
• Whether you want the musician or ensemble member to host/ emcee your event (for which there would be an additional charge); 
• Whether your event is on a holiday (e.g., Memorial Day weekend, or Thanksgiving, or Christmas), in which case a premium fee may be charged; or
• Whether you, your venue, or the circumstances of your event require that the musician/ensemble have amplification (if your musician/ ensemble will need to bring a sound system, an extra fee may apply);  and if so, whether you'd want the sound system to be used for the entire event (start to finish), not only during the performance. 

Don't know any or most of the above info yet?  No problem!  When you do, please reach out to us to discuss further (see next question/answer).  

Absolutely! If you are ready to book now, and have your budget and the key details of your event locked down (such as venue location, time/date, and how long you'd like the musician to play), feel free to reach out to schedule a free phone or Zoom consult with us.  We offer a free live music concierge service to all clients, and can recommend some wonderful options that will work with your budget. (Note: We can't provide this guidance solely via e-mail, though feel free to start the process by e-mailing us).  Please reach out to schedule a call or Zoom; we'd love to learn more about your event.   

We'll be happy to send you a quote! However, we can only do that once we've obtained all the relevant information from you (see prior answer for examples). The best way to gather that information, and to get both of our questions answered in real time, is to schedule a quick phone or Zoom consultation (free, no obligation, etc.). We can also provide real-time guidance, if desired, on which type(s) of musicians and ensembles may be right for your event.  Please reach out to schedule, we'd love to learn more about your event.    

It sounds like you're in the “exploration” phase of your search, meaning that you aren't sure what you want yet.  That's totally okay!  We would love to help you with that decision.  However, since we only provide custom quotes that we've tailored to your specific preferences and the details of your event, we can't provide a custom quote until you've made that decision (or at least, narrowed down your options to your top two choices).  Meanwhile, we hope that the pricing guide at the top of this page may give you the information you need for now!   

Sadly, no; we can't give you a custom quote without any of the pertinent information listed in the first answer on this FAQ. But once you've solidified this information and are ready to move forward, we'll be happy to help!  Meanwhile, we hope that the above price list may give you the information you need for now! 

Depending on your needs and what you're looking for, certainly, we can bundle professional sound/ AV, lighting and stage rental, and even a DJ's services with our live music quote.  Please contact us to discuss further!