Fill Your Stage.
Book Direct.
Stop paying agencies up to 25% to find live music. Browse 754 artists across 74 cities, post gigs in 2 minutes, and book direct — auto-generated digital contracts, Stripe deposits released automatically 5 days after the gig, and two-way reviews on every booking.
Last updated: 9 September 2026
Why Venues Choose GIGXCHANGE
Everything you need to keep your stage full, in one place
Browse 754 UK Artists
Search 754 artists across 74 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.
See it in action
A look inside GigXchange Mainstage — the members app where artists, venues, agents and promoters manage bookings, messaging, events and payments. Scroll: the phone follows you through the app.
- 01 / 06
Your dashboard
The moment you log in, everything that matters is in front of you — what's booked, what you've earned, and what needs you next. No digging through tabs.
- Bookings at a glanceConfirmed, pending and upcoming gigs in one view — so nothing slips through the cracks.
- Earnings, trackedSee deposits held securely and payouts released, with a running total you can trust.
- Live activity feedNew messages, offers and event updates surface the second they happen — you're never the last to know.
- 02 / 06
Explore the scene
Find the right artists, venues and open gigs across the UK from one place — filtered by what actually matters to you: location, genre, date and budget.
- Search that fits youFilter by role, city, genre and availability to surface only the people and gigs worth your time.
- Smart Match suggestionsThe strongest matches rise to the top, so the right connection finds you — not just the loudest.
- Open gigs, liveBrowse gigs that need filling and apply in a tap — no cold outreach, no gatekeepers.
- 03 / 06
Bookings, end to end
Offer, negotiate and confirm a gig in a single thread — every date, fee and deposit agreed in one place and held to.
- One thread, start to finishThe whole deal lives in one conversation — no lost emails, no he-said-she-said.
- Negotiate with clarityCounter-offers, dates and fees are structured and tracked, so both sides always know where they stand.
- Held securelyThe deposit is held safely until the gig is done — performers get paid, bookers get peace of mind.
- 04 / 06
Messaging
Agree the details before you commit. Direct, real-time conversations with venues, artists, agents and promoters — with bookings built right in.
- Talk first, book secondSort the awkward questions — sound, timings, fee — before anything's signed.
- Bookings inside the chatTurn a conversation into a confirmed offer without ever leaving the thread.
- Share availability & filesSend your calendar, riders and posters in-line, so everyone's working from the same page.
- 05 / 06
Your profile & EPK
Your shop window to the whole UK scene — a profile and electronic press kit that does the selling for you, on the public web and inside the app.
- Built to be foundYour profile is a public page engineered for search and AI discovery — so people find you without you chasing them.
- A press kit that travelsMusic, photos, stats and past gigs in one shareable EPK that makes booking you an easy yes.
- Always currentUpdate once and it's live everywhere — no stale links, no outdated one-sheets.
- 06 / 06
Setlists
Build a polished setlist in minutes and share it with the room — songs, keys and running order, ready for the night.
- Drag-and-drop running orderReorder songs in a tap and see the whole set take shape, page by page.
- Share it anywhereSend a clean, branded setlist to the band, the venue or the sound engineer in one tap.
- Reuse and adaptSave sets per act or venue and tweak the running order for the next gig without starting over.
- 01 / 06
Your dashboard
The moment you log in, everything that matters is in front of you — what's booked, what you've earned, and what needs you next. No digging through tabs.
- Bookings at a glanceConfirmed, pending and upcoming gigs in one view — so nothing slips through the cracks.
- Earnings, trackedSee deposits held securely and payouts released, with a running total you can trust.
- Live activity feedNew messages, offers and event updates surface the second they happen — you're never the last to know.
- 02 / 06
Explore the scene
Find the right artists, venues and open gigs across the UK from one place — filtered by what actually matters to you: location, genre, date and budget.
- Search that fits youFilter by role, city, genre and availability to surface only the people and gigs worth your time.
- Smart Match suggestionsThe strongest matches rise to the top, so the right connection finds you — not just the loudest.
- Open gigs, liveBrowse gigs that need filling and apply in a tap — no cold outreach, no gatekeepers.
- 03 / 06
Bookings, end to end
Offer, negotiate and confirm a gig in a single thread — every date, fee and deposit agreed in one place and held to.
- One thread, start to finishThe whole deal lives in one conversation — no lost emails, no he-said-she-said.
- Negotiate with clarityCounter-offers, dates and fees are structured and tracked, so both sides always know where they stand.
- Held securelyThe deposit is held safely until the gig is done — performers get paid, bookers get peace of mind.
- 04 / 06
Messaging
Agree the details before you commit. Direct, real-time conversations with venues, artists, agents and promoters — with bookings built right in.
- Talk first, book secondSort the awkward questions — sound, timings, fee — before anything's signed.
- Bookings inside the chatTurn a conversation into a confirmed offer without ever leaving the thread.
- Share availability & filesSend your calendar, riders and posters in-line, so everyone's working from the same page.
- 05 / 06
Your profile & EPK
Your shop window to the whole UK scene — a profile and electronic press kit that does the selling for you, on the public web and inside the app.
- Built to be foundYour profile is a public page engineered for search and AI discovery — so people find you without you chasing them.
- A press kit that travelsMusic, photos, stats and past gigs in one shareable EPK that makes booking you an easy yes.
- Always currentUpdate once and it's live everywhere — no stale links, no outdated one-sheets.
- 06 / 06
Setlists
Build a polished setlist in minutes and share it with the room — songs, keys and running order, ready for the night.
- Drag-and-drop running orderReorder songs in a tap and see the whole set take shape, page by page.
- Share it anywhereSend a clean, branded setlist to the band, the venue or the sound engineer in one tap.
- Reuse and adaptSave sets per act or venue and tweak the running order for the next gig without starting over.
How It Works
From signup to showtime — four simple steps
Click or tap the deck to advance. The corner button opens it full screen.
Ready to fill your stage?
Free to list — 2 minutes to set up.
Built for Live Music Venues
Not a generic directory — a proper live music booking platform
Advanced Search Filters
Find the right band, duo or DJ for your venue in minutes — filter UK artists by genre, location, budget, capacity, backline and availability, not hours of emails.
Gig Posting
Post your date, genre, budget and requirements and let UK artists apply to you — review profiles, audio and video, then pick the best fit.
Calendar Management
Run your whole entertainment calendar in one place, synced with Google Calendar or iCal — no double-bookings, no spreadsheets.
Reviews & Ratings
Rate every act after the gig and build your venue’s reputation — two-way reviews keep both sides accountable and transparent.
Secure Payments
Deposits held securely via Stripe and released automatically 5 days after the gig — no cash on the night, no invoicing, no chasing.
Emergency Cover
If an act cancels last-minute, GigXchange auto-alerts matching available artists near you — fill the slot fast and keep the night on, without the panic.
Licensing Checker
Answer a few quick questions and see exactly which UK music licences your venue needs — from TheMusicLicence to a Temporary Event Notice — each linked to the official source. No more guessing.
Compliance Checklist
An interactive licensing, health & safety, sound and payments checklist to tick off before every event — each step linked to official gov.uk and industry guidance, so nothing gets missed on the night.
Team & Multi-Site Management
Run your venue as a team and manage multiple sites from one account — invite staff by email, set who can do what, and switch venues without separate logins.
Payments Insights
See what you’ve spent on entertainment over any period, how it’s trending, who you book most and your busiest months — answers without a spreadsheet in sight.
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 4,000+ 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 15–25% 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 is free to use, with a 5% fee only for protected payments — 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 | Free — optional 5% protected-payment fee | 15–25% 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, 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
Know the going rate before you budget — live UK gig percentiles by city, band size and event type, benchmarked against Musicians’ Union minimums.
Flyer & Events Poster
Design gig flyers from on-brand templates or auto-build a poster of your upcoming events in one click — ready to post to socials in seconds.
Contract Generator
Generate a UK-compliant gig contract in under 2 minutes — 8 standard clauses, deposit terms, dual e-signatures and an instant PDF.
GX Index
The GX Index — the UK’s open live-music rate dataset, updated monthly, so you can benchmark what acts cost before you budget (CC BY 4.0).
Member Spotlight
A 1,500-word editorial profiling your venue, a press-kit PDF and a Spotlight badge — free music PR for active venues.
Finding & Hiring Local Bands
6 proven sources for finding UK musicians, plus a vetting checklist so you book the right act first time.
How to Promote a Live Music Night
A practical playbook for filling your room — the channels, timing and cross-promotion that actually sell tickets to a local live music night.
UK Live Music Licence Guide
Do you need a licence? TheMusicLicence, PRS, PPL and TEN exemptions — the 2026 rules explained for UK pubs and bars.
Venue FAQ
- UK Open Mic Finder — 1,300+ open-mic listings across 91 cities, plus 8,400+ gigs in the wider directory, list yours free
- UK Gig Rate Calculator — live market percentiles by city, band size and event type
- 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, updated monthly
- 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
- 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 protected-payment process protects both sides
- Dealing with no-shows — what to do when the act doesn’t turn up
Fill Your Stage
754 artists across 74 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.