Live music for hotels
Live music for your hotel
Bar sets, dinners and weddings - post the date free, hear the act, sign the contract.
Book musicians for hotel bars, dinners, weddings and corporate events direct: live UK fees from the GX Index, the licence rules and a contract every time.
Updated 23 October 2026
01 — Live music for hotels
Where Hotels Book Live Music
GIGXCHANGE is where UK hotels book musicians for bars, dinners, weddings and events direct. 982 artists are on the platform, from solo pianists to wedding bands, alongside 70 venues across 79 cities. A hotel posts the date free, hears each act first, agrees the fee and the sets in the chat and signs a contract every time. On the live GX Index a wedding duo is typically £541 (189 fees) and a wedding 3 to 4 piece band £1,000 (1,615 fees). The booking fee is 5% on top only when you pay through GigXchange – 0% when you settle privately.
A hotel books more kinds of live music than almost any venue: a pianist in the bar on a Friday, a duo for a wedding drinks reception, a function band for a corporate dinner, a singer for Christmas. Most events teams handle it through a patchwork of agencies, old contacts and couples’ own suggestions - and the hotel carries the risk when an act turns up late or plays too loud for the room.
The hotels that get it right treat live music like any other supplier: a clear brief, a known fee, a contract and a backup.
On GigXchange that is the default. The events team hears every act before booking, agrees sets, volume and timings in writing, and keeps every booking - bar residencies, weddings and corporate nights - in one place. Fees are set from the live GX Index, and GX Gig Rescue covers a dropout on the day.
| 02Book live music in five stepsFrom an empty date to a signed booking | |
| 03Hotel feesSet a fair budget before you post | |
| 04Venues that host live musicThe venues in our directory | |
| 05Members across the UKThe acts and rooms near you | |
| 06The licence rulesEach with its official source | |
| 07Formats that workFour ways hotels use live music, from a bar residency to a wedding evening. | |
| 08Christmas and New YearParty nights, company dinners and New Year’s Eve - booked direct, each with its own contract. | |
| 09Choosing the right actWhat to check before you book, so the night goes the way you planned. | |
| 10Free tools for your hotelFree with a venue account. | |
| 12QuestionsWhat hotels ask before they book | |
| 13Keep exploringThe other guides and the longer reads |
02 — Book an act
5 stepsBook in five steps
| Step 01Post your gig, freeAdd the date, your budget, the genres you want and your house kit in about two minutes. Acts apply to you - or browse and invite them yourself. | |
| Step 02Hear them before you bookAct profiles carry the audio, video and reviews the act has added, so you can judge them before you ask. | |
| Step 03Agree it in the chatMessage the act directly, settle the fee, sets and kit, and the offer lands in the same thread. | |
| Step 04Sign the contractEvery booking makes a digital performance agreement, signed by both of you, with a full audit trail. | |
| Step 05Pay the act5% on top only when you pay through GigXchange – 0% when you settle privately. A protected payment holds the deposit with Stripe and releases it after the gig. | |
| If plans changeIf the act drops outGX Gig Rescue sends an urgent invite to available acts near you. The first to accept is booked. |
03 — Hotel fees
LiveThe price ladder
What does live music cost a UK hotel? In the GX Index the median fee is £250 (370 fees) for a solo bar set, £541 (189 fees) for a wedding duo and £1,000 (1,615 fees) for a wedding 3 to 4 piece band.
Median UK fees in the GX Index for the bookings a hotel makes: bar sets (pub and bar data), weddings and corporate events. Marker: the Musicians’ Union recommended minimum for functions (up to 4 hours, per musician, April 2026). A cell with fewer than 20 observations shows no figure.
- Bar set, solo £250 median · 370 observationsThe MU publishes no solo figure
- Wedding, solo £330 median · 109 observationsThe MU publishes no solo figure
- Wedding, duo £541 median · 189 observationsMU minimum £445.76
- Wedding, 3 to 4 piece £1,000 median · 1,615 observationsMU minimum £668.64 · for 3 players; 4 players: £891.52
- Corporate, solo £392 median · 191 observationsThe MU publishes no solo figure
- Corporate, duo No figure yetMU minimum £445.76
- Corporate, 3 to 4 piece No figure yetMU minimum £668.64 · for 3 players; 4 players: £891.52
You pay the act’s fee. 5% on top only when you pay through GigXchange – 0% when you settle privately.
| GuideWhat UK gigs payUK fees by event type. | |
| ToolRate calculatorA fair fee for your night. | |
| DataGX IndexEvery UK fee table, open data. |
04 — On GigXchange
70 venuesVenues that host live music
70 venues are on GigXchange - rooms across the UK booking for bar nights, dinners, weddings and events. Joining is free: list your hotel, post a gig and message acts at no cost. 5% on top only when you pay through GigXchange – 0% when you settle privately, and every booking comes with a contract you both sign. Where can a hotel book live music in the UK? On GigXchange, a hotel posts the date free - a bar residency, a wedding or a corporate event - hears the acts and books one direct, with live UK fees from the GX Index.
05 — Members across the UK
Tap a cityActs near your hotel
Scroll to zoom (hold Ctrl / two fingers)· tap a layer to switch · click a pin for details, a cluster for its area.
Booking in a city? London · Birmingham · Leeds · Glasgow · Sheffield · Manchester · Bradford · Edinburgh · Liverpool · Bristol · Leicester · Cardiff · every city guide
06 — The licence rules
Checked 20 October 2026What you need
Does a hotel need a licence for live music? In England and Wales a hotel licensed to sell alcohol needs no entertainment licence for live music between 8am and 11pm, for 500 people or fewer, and a private wedding for invited guests is not licensable unless guests are charged for the entertainment to make a profit (GOV.UK guidance) - TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS still applies to music in public.
| England and WalesNo entertainment licence, 8am to 11pmA hotel licensed to sell alcohol needs no entertainment licence for live music, amplified or not, between 8am and 11pm, to an audience of 500 or fewer. Unamplified live music needs none in those hours, anywhere. | |
| England and WalesA room outside your alcohol licenceA meeting or function room your premises licence does not cover is still a workplace. Amplified live music at a workplace needs no entertainment licence between 8am and 11pm, to an audience of 500 or fewer. | |
| England and WalesPrivate weddings and partiesAn event held in private - a wedding for invited guests, say - is not licensable unless guests are charged for the entertainment to make a profit. Paying the musicians does not change that. | |
| UKYou still need TheMusicLicenceThat is permission to hold the event, not copyright. Playing or performing music in public needs a music licence from PPL PRS. | |
| England and WalesOne-off events: a TENFor an event outside your licence: fewer than 500 people at all times, including staff, up to 7 days. Give the council at least 10 clear working days' notice (a late TEN: 5). One premises can have up to 15 a year, 21 days in total. | |
| England and WalesKeep the neighbours on sideYour council can act if noise becomes a statutory nuisance. Agree finish times and volume with the act in the contract. | |
| UKMartyn's Law: not in force yetThe 2025 Act covers premises expecting 200 to 799 people (standard tier) or 800 and over (enhanced). Count the people you expect in your largest event space. There is at least 24 months from Royal Assent before it applies. |
| Scotland and NILicensing (Scotland) Act 2005Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own licensing law - check with your council. | |
| ToolLicensing checkerTen questions, a plain-English verdict. |
07 — Formats that work
Pick your format
| Bar residencyA solo act or duo on the same night each week gives the bar a reason to stay. Agree the run of dates and the sets in the contract. | |
| Dinner setsA pianist, guitarist or string player at low volume while guests eat. Agree the volume and the set lengths up front. | |
| WeddingsA ceremony act and an evening band, each booked direct with its own contract. Wedding fees are on the price ladder. | |
| Corporate eventsFunction bands for awards dinners and conferences - load-in, sets and the finish written down. |
08 — Christmas
Book December
Party nights, company dinners and New Year’s Eve - booked direct, each with its own contract.
| Book December earlyChristmas dates go first - our lead-time guide says book Christmas by September. Post every date in one go and acts apply to you. | |
| Christmas party nightsParty and function bands for shared or ticketed party nights in the function room or ballroom. | |
| Company Christmas dinnersA function band or a dinner act for one company’s night. Corporate fees are on the price ladder above. | |
| New Year’s Eve past 11pmLive music after 11pm needs your premises licence to cover it, or a temporary events notice for a one-off event of fewer than 500 people, served at least 10 clear working days before. |
09 — Choosing the act
Before you book
| Hear the real thingAudio, video and two-way reviews on profiles, where the act has added them - venues review acts and acts review venues. | |
| Find acts by soundSearch by the sound your rooms suit - function, jazz, classical, covers, lounge, swing. | |
| Ask about coverMany venues ask acts for public liability insurance. Musicians’ Union members are covered to £10 million each with their membership. | |
| Agree the kitWho brings the PA, the stage space and the power - written into the contract so nobody guesses on the night. |
| Musicians' UnionNational gig rates | |
| UKHospitalityThe trade body for hospitality | |
| Institute of HospitalityThe professional body for hospitality |
10 — Free tools
7 toolsFor your hotel
| BookingPost a GigArtists apply to you | |
| CoverGX Gig RescueFill a dropout, fast | |
| ComplianceLicensing CheckerMusic licences, decoded | |
| ComplianceCompliance ChecklistEvery duty, one board | |
| ComplianceMartyn's Law ReadinessReady before 2027 | |
| PromotionEvents PosterYour what’s-on, in one click | |
| DiscoveryFind an ArtistRanked acts for your dates |
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 / 04
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 / 04
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 / 04
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 / 04
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.
- 01 / 04
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 / 04
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 / 04
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 / 04
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.
12 — Questions11 answersLive music for hotels FAQ
13 — Keep exploring
Go deeper
| Live Music for PubsPub fees and the licence rules. | |
| Live Music for Care HomesDaytime formats and the licence rules. | |
| Live Music for ClubsClub nights and the certificate rules. | |
| Live Music for Holiday ParksSeason bookings and the rules. | |
| Live Music for BoatsSailings, sets and the rules. | |
| Hire a wedding bandWhat to ask and what to agree. | |
| Find an artistRanked acts for your date and budget. | |
| Book a corporate event bandFrom the brief to the night. | |
| GX Index ratesEvery UK fee table, open data. | |
| GigXchange for venuesEverything a venue account does. |
| How cancellations work | |
| The booking fee | |
| GX Gig Rescue | |
| What UK gigs pay |
Live music for your hotel
Book musicians for hotel bars, dinners, weddings and corporate events direct: live UK fees from the GX Index, the licence rules and a contract every time.
Last updated: 23 October 2026
Where Hotels Book Live Music
GIGXCHANGE is where UK hotels book musicians for bars, dinners, weddings and events direct. 982 artists are on the platform, from solo pianists to wedding bands, alongside 70 venues across 79 cities. A hotel posts the date free, hears each act first, agrees the fee and the sets in the chat and signs a contract every time. On the live GX Index a wedding duo is typically £541 (189 fees) and a wedding 3 to 4 piece band £1,000 (1,615 fees). The booking fee is 5% on top only when you pay through GigXchange – 0% when you settle privately.
A hotel books more kinds of live music than almost any venue: a pianist in the bar on a Friday, a duo for a wedding drinks reception, a function band for a corporate dinner, a singer for Christmas. Most events teams handle it through a patchwork of agencies, old contacts and couples’ own suggestions - and the hotel carries the risk when an act turns up late or plays too loud for the room.
The hotels that get it right treat live music like any other supplier: a clear brief, a known fee, a contract and a backup.
On GigXchange that is the default. The events team hears every act before booking, agrees sets, volume and timings in writing, and keeps every booking - bar residencies, weddings and corporate nights - in one place. Fees are set from the live GX Index, and GX Gig Rescue covers a dropout on the day.
Book live music in five steps
From an empty date to a signed booking, without an agency. The full walkthrough is the booking journey.
Post your gig, free
Add the date, your budget, the genres you want and your house kit in about two minutes. Acts apply to you - or browse and invite them yourself.
Hear them before you book
Act profiles carry the audio, video and reviews the act has added, so you can judge them before you ask.
Agree it in the chat
Message the act directly, settle the fee, sets and kit, and the offer lands in the same thread.
Sign the contract
Every booking makes a digital performance agreement, signed by both of you, with a full audit trail.
Pay the act
5% on top only when you pay through GigXchange – 0% when you settle privately. A protected payment holds the deposit with Stripe and releases it after the gig.
If the act drops out
GX Gig Rescue sends an urgent invite to available acts near you. The first to accept is booked.
Hotel fees, live
Median UK fees in the GX Index for the bookings a hotel makes: bar sets (pub and bar data), weddings and corporate events. Marker: the Musicians’ Union recommended minimum for functions (up to 4 hours, per musician, April 2026). A cell with fewer than 20 observations shows no figure.
What does live music cost a UK hotel? In the GX Index the median fee is £250 (370 fees) for a solo bar set, £541 (189 fees) for a wedding duo and £1,000 (1,615 fees) for a wedding 3 to 4 piece band.
- Bar set, solo £250 median · 370 observationsThe MU publishes no solo figure
- Wedding, solo £330 median · 109 observationsThe MU publishes no solo figure
- Wedding, duo £541 median · 189 observationsMU minimum £445.76
- Wedding, 3 to 4 piece £1,000 median · 1,615 observationsMU minimum £668.64 · for 3 players; 4 players: £891.52
- Corporate, solo £392 median · 191 observationsThe MU publishes no solo figure
- Corporate, duo No figure yetMU minimum £445.76
- Corporate, 3 to 4 piece No figure yetMU minimum £668.64 · for 3 players; 4 players: £891.52
You pay the act’s fee. 5% on top only when you pay through GigXchange – 0% when you settle privately. What UK gigs pay · Work out a fee for your hotel · Every GX Index fee table · The Musicians’ Union national gig rates
Venues that host live music
70 venues are on GigXchange - rooms across the UK booking for bar nights, dinners, weddings and events. Joining is free: list your hotel, post a gig and message acts at no cost. 5% on top only when you pay through GigXchange – 0% when you settle privately, and every booking comes with a contract you both sign. Where can a hotel book live music in the UK? On GigXchange, a hotel posts the date free - a bar residency, a wedding or a corporate event - hears the acts and books one direct, with live UK fees from the GX Index.
Browse the UK venue directory · What a venue account does · List your hotel free
Members across the UK
Artists, venues, agents and promoters on GigXchange, by city - the acts you can book near your hotel.
Scroll to zoom (hold Ctrl / two fingers)· tap a layer to switch · click a pin for details, a cluster for its area.
Booking live music in a city? London · Birmingham · Leeds · Glasgow · Sheffield · Manchester · Bradford · Edinburgh · Liverpool · Bristol · Leicester · Cardiff · every city guide
The licence rules
The rules a hotel meets, each with the official page it comes from. Checked 20 October 2026.
Does a hotel need a licence for live music? In England and Wales a hotel licensed to sell alcohol needs no entertainment licence for live music between 8am and 11pm, for 500 people or fewer, and a private wedding for invited guests is not licensable unless guests are charged for the entertainment to make a profit (GOV.UK guidance) - TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS still applies to music in public.
Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own licensing law - check with your council. Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005. Not sure which applies? Licensing checker · Compliance checklist · Martyn’s Law check
Formats that work
Four ways hotels use live music, from a bar residency to a wedding evening.
Bar residency
A solo act or duo on the same night each week gives the bar a reason to stay. Agree the run of dates and the sets in the contract.
Dinner sets
A pianist, guitarist or string player at low volume while guests eat. Agree the volume and the set lengths up front.
Weddings
A ceremony act and an evening band, each booked direct with its own contract. Wedding fees are on the price ladder.
Corporate events
Function bands for awards dinners and conferences - load-in, sets and the finish written down.
Christmas and New Year
Party nights, company dinners and New Year’s Eve - booked direct, each with its own contract.
Choosing the right act
What to check before you book, so the night goes the way you planned.
The organisations behind hotel music: Musicians' Union · UKHospitality · Institute of Hospitality
Free tools for your hotel
Free with a venue account.
Post a Gig
List an open slot in two minutes — genres, budget, house kit — and take applications from gig-ready artists with verified reviews attached.
GX Gig Rescue
Broadcast an urgent booking invite to up to 25 available acts near you — last-minute specialists first, first to accept is booked.
Licensing Checker
Ten plain-English questions produce a two-part verdict — permission and copyright — with an indicative cost and official gov.uk / PPL PRS sources.
Compliance Checklist
Eight questions build a checklist of only the duties your venue owes — ten areas, law first, every item linked to its official source, PDF export.
Martyn's Law Readiness
The 2025 Act reaches every 200+ venue from ~2027. Six questions give your tier, your duties as a tickable list, and a first-draft procedures PDF.
Events Poster
Your upcoming programme becomes a designed poster — ticket QRs on every listing, status badges, your branding. Print, post or publish to your profile.
Find an Artist
Pick the empty date, set a 60-second brief, and invite up to 5 ranked best-fit acts — fit scores, fee bands and kit tags attached.
Also free: a booking contract generator · a gig rate calculator · act outreach templates
See it in action
A look inside GigXchange Mainstage, the members app your hotel books in: find the acts, agree the date and fee in the chat, track every booking. Scroll: the phone follows you through the app.
- 01 / 04
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 / 04
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 / 04
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 / 04
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.
- 01 / 04
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 / 04
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 / 04
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 / 04
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.
Live music for hotels FAQ
What hotels ask before they book.
More answers: How cancellations work · The booking fee · GX Gig Rescue · What UK gigs pay
Your next night, booked
Post a gig free and book the act direct.