Get Booked. Get Paid.
No Middlemen.
Skip the traditional agency taking 20% of your fees. Create a free profile in 5 minutes, get discovered by UK venues across 37 cities, and scout 11,600+ live gigs in the directory by city, genre and fee — digital contracts signed in 1 minute, Stripe payments cleared within 7 days, two-way reviews on every booking.
Artist Guides
How to Get Gigs in the UK
Practical guide to getting gigs: 830+ grassroots venues, fees from £140, profile tips, outreach scripts and booking workflow.
PricingHow to Price Your Gig
A decision framework for setting your fee — MU rates, market percentiles from the GX Index, and when to accept a door split.
GuideHow Open Mics Work
What to expect, what to bring, etiquette, and how to turn open mic slots into paid bookings.
Last updated: 13 May 2026
Why Artists Choose GIGXCHANGE
Everything you need to build a gigging career, in one place
No Gatekeepers
Approach any venue directly. No agents required, no auditions, no waiting for someone to "discover" you. Your talent speaks for itself.
Zero Commission
What you agree is what you get. No 15–35% platform cut eating into your fee. GigXchange charges a small platform fee on confirmed bookings only.
Contracts & Payments Built In
Every booking comes with an auto-generated digital contract. Deposits are held securely via Stripe and released when the gig is complete.
How It Works
From signup to getting paid — four simple steps
Build Your Profile
Add your genre, location, pricing, availability, photos, audio, and video. Show venues exactly what you bring to the stage.
Get Discovered
Venues search by genre, location, budget, and capacity. Your profile works for you 24/7 — even while you sleep.
Book & Sign
Receive booking requests, negotiate terms, and sign a digital contract. Or browse open gigs and venues and apply directly.
Play & Get Paid
Show up, play your set, and funds are released automatically via Stripe. No chasing invoices, no cash on the night.
Built for Working Musicians
Not a generic directory — a proper live music booking platform
Media-Rich Profile
Upload photos, audio tracks, and video clips. Venues hear your sound and see your stage presence before they reach out.
Gig Directory
Browse open gigs posted by venues and promoters. Filter by city, genre, date, and fee. Apply with one click.
Reviews & Reputation
Build a verified track record with two-way reviews after every gig. Your reputation follows you and grows over time.
Calendar Sync
Import your Google Calendar or iCal feed. Your availability updates automatically — no double-bookings, no manual updates.
Direct Messaging
Chat with venues directly on the platform. Share files, discuss details, and keep everything in one thread per booking.
Smart Matching
AI-powered recommendations surface your profile to venues looking for exactly your genre, location, and price range.
Venues discover you directly through your profile and availability. From first enquiry to paid gig, GigXchange keeps the booking trail together: date, fee, deposit, contract, payment status, messages and review history.
What Do UK Gigs Actually Pay?
Real 2026 fee ranges from 3,696 observations in the GX Index
| Solo | Duo | Full Band | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pub / bar | £100–£250 | £200–£400 | £300–£700 |
| Wedding | £300–£700 | £500–£900 | £1,200–£2,500 |
| Corporate | £400–£800 | £600–£1,200 | £1,500–£4,000+ |
| Private party | £250–£500 | £350–£600 | £600–£1,500 |
| Festival (30–45 min) | £150–£400 | £200–£600 | £200–£800 |
Why Peer-to-Peer Beats Agencies
Traditional agencies work for big-budget events. Most gigs aren't that.
Traditional UK booking agencies charge 20% to 35% commission and focus on weddings and corporate events. If you’re playing pubs, bars, or small festivals — gigs that pay £150 to £600 per night — no commission-based agency is going to represent you at that level.
GigXchange is built for exactly those gigs. You keep 100% of your agreed fee. The platform charges an 8% booking fee to the transaction — not to you. You set your own price, choose your own gigs, and deal directly with the venue. No exclusivity contracts, no auditions, no waiting to be picked.
| GIGXCHANGE | UK Booking Agencies | |
|---|---|---|
| Commission | 0% on your fee (8% booking fee) | 15–35% of your fee |
| Contact with venue | Direct messaging | Via the agency |
| Exclusivity | None — book anywhere | Often required |
| Contracts | Auto-generated, digital | Manual / varies |
| Payments | Stripe escrow, auto-release | Cash / invoice / varies |
| Gig types | All — pubs to festivals | Weddings & corporate focus |
| Cost to join | Free | Audition / application |
Free Tools for UK Artists
Published for every working musician — no signup needed
Gig Rate Calculator
Live market percentiles by city, band size and event type. Know your worth before you quote.
Open Mic Finder
1,100+ open mic nights across 120 UK cities. Filter by day, fee or backline.
Contract Generator
UK-compliant performance agreement — 8 standard clauses, dual e-signatures, instant PDF.
Setlist Builder
Drag-reorder songs, auto-calc set duration, poster-ready design. Share by link or PDF.
Outreach Templates
6 customisable venue pitch emails with auto-fill, logo upload and one-click copy-to-Gmail.
Member Spotlight
1,500-word editorial, press-kit PDF, OG share card and Spotlight badge — free for members.
How to Get More UK Gigs
The 7-step playbook for independent artists — city-by-city scenes and 2026 fee context.
Getting Paid as a UK Musician
Invoicing, HMRC, the Late Payment Act — how to chase late venues and protect your income.
Artist FAQ
- UK Open Mic Finder — 1,100+ open mic listings across 120 cities, filter by day, fee or backline
- UK Gig Rate Calculator — live market percentiles by city, band size and event type
- Venue Outreach Email Templates — 6 customisable pitch templates with auto-fill, logo upload and copy-to-Gmail
- Setlist Builder — drag-reorder songs, auto-calc set duration, design poster-ready setlists, share by link or PDF
- Booking Contract Generator — UK-compliant performance agreement, 8 standard clauses, dual e-signatures, instant PDF
- GX Index — the full open UK live-music rate dataset, refreshed nightly
- UK Musician Earnings 2026 — data-backed report on what UK musicians actually earn (CC BY 4.0)
- UK Market Statistics — venues, fees and industry benchmarks
- What You Should Charge in 2026 — UK gig pay broken down by city, gig type and band size with real percentile data
- How to actually get gigs in the UK — the 7-step playbook for independent artists, with city-by-city scenes and 2026 fee context
Booking-contract generator and venue-legitimacy checker are next in the roadmap.
- How to set your gig price — a step-by-step framework for quoting confidently
- What to include in a gig contract — the 8 clauses every UK musician needs
- Venue cancelled your gig? — your rights, deposit recovery and next steps
- Handling a bad review — when to respond, when to ignore, and how to turn it around
- Dealing with no-shows — what to do when the other side doesn’t turn up
Your Next Gig Is Waiting
Free profile, 5 minutes to set up, no card needed. Join 407 artists across 40 cities on the UK’s peer-to-peer marketplace.
