Fill Your Stage.
Book Direct.
Stop paying agencies 30% to find live music. Browse 325 artists across 37 cities, post gigs in 2 minutes, and book direct — auto-generated digital contracts, Stripe payments released within 7 days, and two-way reviews on every booking.
Venue Guides
How to Find Live Music for Your Venue
A 6-step guide covering where to source acts, what to pay, how to vet quality, and build a roster of regulars.
PromotionHow to Promote Live Music at Your Venue
Break-even maths, 7-channel playbook, cross-promotion agreements, and 4 KPIs to track weekly.
BookingHow to Choose a Band or Musician
What to look for, what to ask, and how to compare acts before committing — from a 16-year musician.
Last updated: 13 May 2026
Why Venues Choose GIGXCHANGE
Everything you need to keep your stage full, in one place
Browse 325 UK Artists
Search 325 artists across 37 cities by genre, location, budget, and capacity in under 2 minutes. Filter solo acts, duos, bands, and DJs to find exactly the right fit for your venue and your crowd.
Post Gigs & Get Applications
Post what you need — date, genre, budget, requirements — and let artists come to you. Review profiles, listen to samples, and pick the best act.
Contracts & Payments Handled
Every booking comes with an auto-generated digital contract. Deposits are held securely via Stripe and released when the gig is complete. No cash, no invoices.
How It Works
From signup to showtime — four simple steps
List Your Venue
Add your capacity, location, venue type, equipment, and the genres you book. Help artists understand what you're looking for.
Search or Post
Browse artist profiles with audio, video, and reviews. Or post a gig listing with your requirements and let artists apply directly.
Book & Sign
Send a booking request, agree terms, and sign a digital contract. Everything is documented — no back-and-forth emails or handshake deals.
Host & Pay
The artist turns up, plays the gig, and both sides confirm completion. Funds release automatically via Stripe. Simple, clean, done.
Built for Live Music Venues
Not a generic directory — a proper live music booking platform
Advanced Search Filters
Filter artists by genre, location, budget, capacity, equipment needs, and availability. Find exactly the right act in minutes, not hours.
Gig Posting
Post gig listings with your date, genre, budget, and requirements. Artists apply with their profile — review samples and pick the best fit.
Calendar Management
Manage your entertainment calendar in one place. Sync with Google Calendar or iCal — no double-bookings, no spreadsheets.
Reviews & Ratings
Rate artists after every gig and build your venue's reputation. Two-way reviews mean both sides are accountable and transparent.
Secure Payments
Deposits held securely via Stripe. Funds release automatically when both sides confirm the gig is complete. No cash, no invoicing, no chasing.
Emergency Cover
If an act cancels last-minute, GigXchange auto-notifies matching available artists in your area. Fill the gap fast, without the panic.
Discover artists directly by genre, location and budget, then keep the details that usually get lost in DMs together: fee, date, set length, arrival time, deposit, contract, messages and review trail.
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 Direct Booking Beats Agencies
Agencies work for big-budget events. Most venue nights aren't that.
Traditional UK booking agencies charge 20–35% on top of the artist’s fee and focus on weddings and corporate events. If you’re booking weekly pub nights, open mic hosts, or small festival stages — you’re on your own.
Not sure if you need a music license? Read our UK live music license guide first. Not sure where to start? Our guide on how to find live music for your venue walks through the full 6-step process. GigXchange lets you browse artists directly, post gigs and receive applications, and handle the entire booking with contracts and Stripe payments built in. The platform charges an 8% booking fee — see how artists use the platform on their side — a fraction of what agencies take. You pick the artist, agree the fee, and deal direct.
| GIGXCHANGE | UK Booking Agencies | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8% booking fee | 20–35% on top of artist fee |
| Contact with artist | Direct messaging | Via the agency |
| Artist selection | Browse hundreds, filter by genre | Agency picks for you |
| Contracts | Auto-generated, digital | Manual / varies |
| Payments | Stripe escrow, auto-release | Cash / invoice / varies |
| Cancellation cover | Emergency cover system | Call around yourself |
| Cost to list | Free | N/A — venues don't list |
Free Tools for UK Venues
Published for every venue and booker — no signup needed
Gig Rate Calculator
Live market percentiles by city, band size and event type. Know the going rate before you budget.
Open Mic Finder
1,100+ open mic nights across 120 UK cities. List yours free and reach musicians looking for stage time.
Contract Generator
UK-compliant performance agreement — 8 standard clauses, dual e-signatures, instant PDF.
Setlist Builder
See what an act actually plays before you book them. Shared setlists with duration and genre tags.
Outreach Templates
6 customisable pitch emails with auto-fill, logo upload and one-click copy-to-Gmail.
Member Spotlight
1,500-word editorial profiling your venue, press-kit PDF and Spotlight badge — free for active venues.
Finding & Hiring Local Bands
6 sources for finding UK musicians, plus a vetting checklist so you book the right act first time.
UK Live Music Licence Guide
Do you need a licence? TEN exemption, PRS, PPL — the 2026 rules explained for pubs and bars.
Venue FAQ
- UK Open Mic Finder — 1,100+ open-mic listings across 120 cities, plus 11,600+ gigs in the wider directory, list yours free
- 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 — see at a glance what an act actually plays before you book them
- 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
- How Much UK Live Music Actually Costs in 2026 — venue-side budget guide by gig type and band size, drawn from the GX Index
Booking-contract generator, setlist/stage-plot builder and venue-legitimacy checker are next.
- How to hire a covers band — what to ask, what to pay, and red flags to watch for
- Corporate event booking — timelines, riders, and getting the brief right
- Booking lead times — how far ahead to book by event type and season
- Band cancelled your event? — your rights, emergency cover and deposit recovery
- Deposit disputes — how the escrow process protects both sides
- Dealing with no-shows — what to do when the act doesn’t turn up
Fill Your Stage
325 artists across 37 cities, all in one place. Free to list, free to message, 5 minutes to set up — emergency cover within 48 hours if an act cancels.
