Platform Comparison
Compare UK Live Music Booking Platforms
Honest side-by-side of 7 UK live music booking platforms. Commission rates, features, booking models, payment terms. No affiliate links, no bias.
7
Platforms
12
Features
May 2026
Updated
Last updated: 14 May 2026
Three Booking Models
The UK live music industry uses 3 distinct booking models across 7 platforms serving thousands of artists and venues in 49 cities. Understanding the difference matters more than comparing features.
Traditional Agency
Alive Network · Bands for Hire
The agency curates a roster of acts, you enquire, they recommend performers on your behalf and handle all logistics. Commission is approximately 20%, built into the quoted price. You don’t deal with the artist directly until after the booking is confirmed.
Best for: Hands-off bookers, weddings, corporate events. Trade-off: The artist’s relationship is with the agency, not you.
Curated Marketplace
Encore Musicians
Acts apply to join and Encore vets them. You browse, shortlist and enquire. Encore facilitates the booking and handles payment. 20% flat commission. Larger roster than traditional agencies but less hand-holding throughout the process.
Best for: Bookers who want choice and quality control. Trade-off: 20% commission. Encore owns the customer relationship.
Peer-to-Peer
GIGXCHANGE
All four roles — artist, venue, agent and promoter — connect directly. No gatekeeping, no roster approval process. 0–8% commission. Digital contracts on every booking, Stripe escrow payments, two-way reviews. Artists set their own prices.
Best for: Direct relationships, lower fees, emerging artists. Trade-off: Newer platform, smaller network (growing).
Feature Comparison
Side-by-side on the things that matter.
| Feature | GigXchange | Encore Musicians | Alive Network | Bands for Hire | GigPig | Last Minute Musicians | Gigmit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commission | 0–8% | 20% | ~20% (in price) | ~15–20% (in price) | Free (venue pays) | Subscription | Freemium |
| Who sets the price | Artist | Artist (floor set) | Agency | Agency | Artist | Artist | Artist |
| Digital contracts | Auto-generated | Agency terms | Agency terms | Agency terms | — | — | — |
| Escrow payments | Stripe | Platform holds | Agency invoices | Agency invoices | Invoicing | Direct (cash) | Direct |
| Two-way reviews | Yes | One-way (booker only) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Artist profiles | Public, indexed | On Encore | Limited | Limited | Yes (on GigPig) | Directory listing | Yes (on Gigmit) |
| Free to join | Yes | Vetted | By invitation | By invitation | Yes | No (subscription) | Freemium |
| Booking initiated by | Any role | Booker | Booker | Booker | Venue posts, artist applies | Booker contacts | Artist applies |
| Open mic directory | 1,247 sessions | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rate benchmarks | GX Index, 12k+ obs | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Genre pages | 72 city-genre pages | Category filters | Style filters | Style filters | Category filters | Category filters | Genre tags |
| UK-only focus | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Europe-wide |
All data verified May 2026 from each platform’s own public pages. Commission rates can change — verify directly with each platform.
Platform Profiles
What each platform does well and where it falls short.
GIGXCHANGE
Peer-to-Peer · 0–8%
Strengths
Lowest commission in the UK. Direct artist–venue relationships. Digital contracts + Stripe escrow on every booking. GX Index rate benchmarks. Free tools (calculator, setlist builder, contract generator). Open mic directory. Four-role marketplace.
Lowest commission in the UK. Direct artist–venue relationships. Digital contracts + Stripe escrow on every booking. GX Index rate benchmarks. Free tools (calculator, setlist builder, contract generator). Open mic directory. Four-role marketplace.
Limitations
Newer platform (2026). Smaller roster than Encore. Less brand recognition than Alive Network.
Newer platform (2026). Smaller roster than Encore. Less brand recognition than Alive Network.
Best for
Artists keeping more of their fee. Venues wanting direct relationships. Anyone priced out by 20% agency commission.
Artists keeping more of their fee. Venues wanting direct relationships. Anyone priced out by 20% agency commission.
Encore Musicians
Curated Marketplace · 20%
Strengths
Large UK roster (~5,000 acts). Quality-vetted. Strong wedding and corporate presence. Built-in messaging. Good search filters.
Large UK roster (~5,000 acts). Quality-vetted. Strong wedding and corporate presence. Built-in messaging. Good search filters.
Limitations
20% commission (highest here). Artists don’t control customer relationships. No public rate benchmarks. No digital contracts.
20% commission (highest here). Artists don’t control customer relationships. No public rate benchmarks. No digital contracts.
Best for
Bookers wanting a large shortlist of pre-vetted acts. Weddings and corporate where quality assurance trumps price.
Bookers wanting a large shortlist of pre-vetted acts. Weddings and corporate where quality assurance trumps price.
Alive Network
Traditional Agency · ~20%
Strengths
Established since the 2000s. Deep wedding industry relationships. Dedicated booking agents. Phone support. Fully managed logistics.
Established since the 2000s. Deep wedding industry relationships. Dedicated booking agents. Phone support. Fully managed logistics.
Limitations
~20% commission. No direct artist contact until booked. No public reviews. Roster by invitation only. Less pricing transparency.
~20% commission. No direct artist contact until booked. No public reviews. Roster by invitation only. Less pricing transparency.
Best for
Corporate clients and wedding planners wanting a white-glove, hands-off booking experience.
Corporate clients and wedding planners wanting a white-glove, hands-off booking experience.
Bands for Hire
Traditional Agency · ~15–20%
Strengths
UK-focused agency. Good wedding band selection. Clear pricing on listings. Established function band relationships.
UK-focused agency. Good wedding band selection. Clear pricing on listings. Established function band relationships.
Limitations
Smaller roster than Encore or Alive. No direct artist contact. Phone/email booking process. No rate benchmarks or tools.
Smaller roster than Encore or Alive. No direct artist contact. Phone/email booking process. No rate benchmarks or tools.
Best for
Bookers wanting a straightforward UK function band agency at slightly lower commission.
Bookers wanting a straightforward UK function band agency at slightly lower commission.
GigPig
Marketplace · Free for artists
Strengths
UK’s largest venue-booking marketplace. 18,000+ artists. Venues post dates, artists apply. Free for artists. Good for regular pub/bar gig work. Invoicing handled by platform. £1.3M seed funding.
UK’s largest venue-booking marketplace. 18,000+ artists. Venues post dates, artists apply. Free for artists. Good for regular pub/bar gig work. Invoicing handled by platform. £1.3M seed funding.
Limitations
No digital contracts. No escrow payments. No rate benchmarks. Venue-centric (artists apply, don’t initiate). No open mic or directory features.
No digital contracts. No escrow payments. No rate benchmarks. Venue-centric (artists apply, don’t initiate). No open mic or directory features.
Best for
Artists wanting regular pub and bar gigs at volume. Venues filling weekly live music slots.
Artists wanting regular pub and bar gigs at volume. Venues filling weekly live music slots.
Last Minute Musicians
Directory · Subscription
Strengths
Established UK directory. Artists pay a subscription to be listed. Venues browse and contact directly. Zero booking commission. Good for passive lead generation. Low overhead.
Established UK directory. Artists pay a subscription to be listed. Venues browse and contact directly. Zero booking commission. Good for passive lead generation. Low overhead.
Limitations
No booking tools. No contracts. No payment handling. No reviews. Artist pays regardless of whether they get booked. Listings-only, not a marketplace.
No booking tools. No contracts. No payment handling. No reviews. Artist pays regardless of whether they get booked. Listings-only, not a marketplace.
Best for
Established acts wanting passive enquiries without commission. Venues who prefer to contact artists directly by phone/email.
Established acts wanting passive enquiries without commission. Venues who prefer to contact artists directly by phone/email.
Gigmit
Marketplace · Freemium
Strengths
Strongest European festival and promoter network. Artists apply to open slots. Good for getting on festival lineups. International reach beyond the UK. Free basic tier.
Strongest European festival and promoter network. Artists apply to open slots. Good for getting on festival lineups. International reach beyond the UK. Free basic tier.
Limitations
Not UK-focused. Limited pub/venue gig coverage. No digital contracts. No payment handling. Premium features behind paywall. Less relevant for UK grassroots circuit.
Not UK-focused. Limited pub/venue gig coverage. No digital contracts. No payment handling. Premium features behind paywall. Less relevant for UK grassroots circuit.
Best for
Artists targeting European festival slots and promoter connections.
Artists targeting European festival slots and promoter connections.
Commission Breakdown
What each platform takes from your booking fee.
0–8%
GIGXCHANGE
Artist keeps 92–100%
£1,000 booking
Artist receives £920–£1,000
Artist receives £920–£1,000
20%
Encore Musicians
Artist keeps 80%
£1,000 booking
Artist receives £800
Artist receives £800
~20%
Alive Network
Commission built into quoted price
Booker pays £1,200
Artist receives ~£1,000
Artist receives ~£1,000
~15–20%
Bands for Hire
Commission built into quoted price
Similar structure to Alive Network.
Slightly lower range.
Slightly lower range.
Who Should Use What
Our honest recommendation based on your situation.
Artists
I’m an artist looking for gigs
GIGXCHANGE — lowest commission (0–8%), free tools (rate calculator, setlist builder, contract generator, outreach templates), direct relationships with venues and promoters. No roster gatekeeping.
Venues & Weddings
I’m booking a wedding band
Encore or Alive Network for a hands-off experience with vetted acts. GIGXCHANGE if you want to save on commission and build a direct relationship with the artist.
Agents
I’m a booking agent
GIGXCHANGE — roster management, direct client access, digital contracts on every booking, and the GX Index for benchmarking fees across the UK market.
Promoters
I’m a promoter building a lineup
GIGXCHANGE — multi-act booking, integrated ticketing, contract generation for every booking on the lineup, and a grassroots gig directory with 8,650+ listings.
Accuracy & Sources
Our commitment to accuracy
This comparison is written by a working UK musician who has used several of these platforms. We are one of the 7 platforms listed. That bias is declared upfront — and we hold ourselves to the same scrutiny as every competitor on this page.
- •All data verified May 2026 from each platform’s own public pages
- •Commission rates can change — verify directly before booking
- •Zero affiliate links — we earn nothing from linking to competitors
- •Where a competitor is stronger, we say so explicitly
- •Last updated: 13 May 2026
- •When things go wrong: cancellations, deposit disputes, no-shows, bad reviews.
- •Practical guides: hiring a covers band, corporate booking, gig pricing, contracts.