Skip to content
Sign In Get Started

User guides

How to use GigXchange

Step by step, for every role

20 step-by-step guides and 7 guided walkthroughs for every role and every common scenario — from setting up your profile in 5 minutes to getting paid 5 days after a gig.

20Guides
7Walkthroughs
10Answers
Find an answerJoin free

Updated 23 October 2026

02 — Browse the guides

20 guides

Step by step

Show guides
Pick a guide
For artists, bands & DJs

The complete artist guide

Set up once, then let venues and promoters come to you. Most artists are live and discoverable within 5 minutes.

Who it's for: Solo artists, bands, DJs and performers looking for paid gigs.

01Create your free profile & EPKSign up as an Artist and spend 5 minutes adding photos, a short bio, your genres and your home city. Your public profile doubles as an electronic press kit you can share anywhere — one link, always up to date.
02Set your genres & fee rangePick your genres and set a fee range (for example £150 to £500) so venues filter you in, not out. Not sure what to charge? The free Rate Calculator and the GX Index of real UK fees give you a benchmark in under 2 minutes.
03Keep your availability currentMark which dates you are free. Venues searching for a specific night see you first, and you avoid double-bookings across the next 12 months.
04Browse & apply to open gigsOpen the Gig Directory, filter by city and date, and apply to any gig that fits. Your application lands with the poster as a booking request — it takes about 1 minute per gig.
05Negotiate and agreeMessage the venue or promoter and agree the fee. You can send up to 5 counter-offers, so nobody feels boxed in. Everything stays in one thread.
06Sign the contract & take a depositWhen you agree, GigXchange auto-generates a contract for both parties to sign. A deposit is then held securely via Stripe, so you are protected well before the gig.
07Play the gig & get paidAfter the show, mark the booking complete. The balance is released to your connected Stripe account 5 days after the gig date. No invoices, no chasing.
08Build your reputationLeave a 2-way review and collect ratings and followers. Standout members get a Member Spotlight feature that reaches thousands of venues across 100 UK cities.

03 — Walk through the app

7 walkthroughs

Screen by screen

What to tap, what you should see, and what to do if something looks off.

Press Kit · 5 steps · ~10 minBuild your EPKTurn your profile into a shareable electronic press kit with its own public link.
Set Planning · 5 steps · ~10 minSetlists & postersBuild a poster-ready setlist with live durations, then print, export or publish it.
Never Double-Book · 5 steps · ~5 minAvailability & calendarKeep one calendar bookers can trust — patterns, external sync and a shareable feed.
Promotion · 5 steps · ~5 minFlyer BuilderDesign a professional gig flyer in minutes — templates, brand colours, QR and export.
One Thread · 4 steps · ~5 minMessaging & offersChat, booking offers, files and availability — the whole negotiation in one thread.
Fast Fit · 4 steps · ~3 minSmart MatchDate, brief, budget — get a ranked shortlist of available acts and invite the best.
The Journey · 5 steps · ~5 minOffer to payoutFollow a booking end to end — offers, status, timeline and getting paid.

04 — Questions10 answersUser Guides FAQ

Yes. GigXchange is in open alpha and free for all 4 user types — artists, venues, agents and promoters. Create a profile, post gigs, apply and message at no cost.
Venues, promoters and agents post gigs; artists apply to them. Posting takes about 2 minutes and lists publicly in the UK gig directory across 100 UK cities.
Payments run through Stripe. A deposit is held securely when a booking is confirmed, and the balance is released to the performer 5 days after the gig date — see the full flow in how it works. GOV.UK covers invoicing and taking payment for self-employed performers.
A gig is an open listing looking for a performer — browse them in the gig directory. A booking is the agreed deal between two parties. An event is a public-facing listing with its own page that anyone can see.
Yes. Search performers on the profiles directory by genre and budget and send a direct booking offer from any profile — no gig post required, about 2 minutes.
Connect Stripe once, then mark each gig complete after you play — your balance is released 5 days after the gig date. Gigging income is self-employed earnings; GOV.UK explains working for yourself. More in the artist guide.
Open the confirmed booking and hit Publish as Event. In about 2 minutes it gets a public event page with its own web address and lists in the public directory.
Use the free Rate Calculator for a benchmark in under 2 minutes, then cross-check the GX Index of thousands of real observed UK fees across many cities. The Musicians’ Union also publishes recommended minimum rates.
Most members create a working profile in about 5 minutes. Adding photos, genres and a fee range is what gets you discovered — the artist guide has the full checklist.
Yes. Every confirmed booking gets an auto-generated contract both sides sign digitally, and the deposit is held via Stripe until the gig. You can also try the standalone contract generator for off-platform gigs.

05 — Keep exploring

Go deeper

For artistsProfiles, gigs, getting booked and getting paid — the full artist playbook.
For venuesPost gigs, review applications and book the right acts for any night.
For agentsManage a roster and book on behalf of your acts in one place.
For promotersBuild the bill, book the room and run ticketed events.
Free toolsThe Rate Calculator, contract generator, setlist builder and more.
GX IndexBenchmark your fee against thousands of real observed UK gig rates.
Gig directoryBrowse open gigs across 100 UK cities and apply in about a minute.
How it worksThe big picture — from a posted gig to an artist getting paid.

Ready to put a guide into action?

Create a free profile in about 5 minutes and post or apply to your first gig today.

How it worksCreate free account
Live music on stage: a band under the lights
User Guides

How to use GIGXCHANGE

20 step-by-step guides and 7 guided walkthroughs for every role and every common scenario — from setting up your profile in 5 minutes to getting paid 5 days after a gig.

What do you need to get done?

Search every guide, walkthrough step and FAQ — answers open exactly where you need them.

Every answer stays on this page — free, no login needed

Last updated: 23 October 2026

Browse the guides

Choose a role for an end-to-end walkthrough, jump to a common scenario, or dive into a single feature. Everything stays on this page.

By role
By scenario
By feature
For artists, bands & DJs

The complete artist guide

Set up once, then let venues and promoters come to you. Most artists are live and discoverable within 5 minutes.

Who it's for: Solo artists, bands, DJs and performers looking for paid gigs.

  1. Step 1

    Create your free profile & EPK

    Sign up as an Artist and spend 5 minutes adding photos, a short bio, your genres and your home city. Your public profile doubles as an electronic press kit you can share anywhere — one link, always up to date.

  2. Step 2

    Set your genres & fee range

    Pick your genres and set a fee range (for example £150 to £500) so venues filter you in, not out. Not sure what to charge? The free Rate Calculator and the GX Index of real UK fees give you a benchmark in under 2 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Keep your availability current

    Mark which dates you are free. Venues searching for a specific night see you first, and you avoid double-bookings across the next 12 months.

  4. Step 4

    Browse & apply to open gigs

    Open the Gig Directory, filter by city and date, and apply to any gig that fits. Your application lands with the poster as a booking request — it takes about 1 minute per gig.

  5. Step 5

    Negotiate and agree

    Message the venue or promoter and agree the fee. You can send up to 5 counter-offers, so nobody feels boxed in. Everything stays in one thread.

  6. Step 6

    Sign the contract & take a deposit

    When you agree, GigXchange auto-generates a contract for both parties to sign. A deposit is then held securely via Stripe, so you are protected well before the gig.

  7. Step 7

    Play the gig & get paid

    After the show, mark the booking complete. The balance is released to your connected Stripe account 5 days after the gig date. No invoices, no chasing.

  8. Step 8

    Build your reputation

    Leave a 2-way review and collect ratings and followers. Standout members get a Member Spotlight feature that reaches thousands of venues across 100 UK cities.

Walk through the app

Guided, screen-by-screen walkthroughs of the key features — what to tap, what you should see, and what to do if something looks off.

Press Kit

Build your EPK

Turn your profile into a shareable electronic press kit with its own public link. 5 steps · ~10 min · Start the walkthrough ›
Set Planning

Setlists & posters

Build a poster-ready setlist with live durations, then print, export or publish it. 5 steps · ~10 min · Start the walkthrough ›
Never Double-Book

Availability & calendar

Keep one calendar bookers can trust — patterns, external sync and a shareable feed. 5 steps · ~5 min · Start the walkthrough ›
Promotion

Flyer Builder

Design a professional gig flyer in minutes — templates, brand colours, QR and export. 5 steps · ~5 min · Start the walkthrough ›
One Thread

Messaging & offers

Chat, booking offers, files and availability — the whole negotiation in one thread. 4 steps · ~5 min · Start the walkthrough ›
Fast Fit

Smart Match

Date, brief, budget — get a ranked shortlist of available acts and invite the best. 4 steps · ~3 min · Start the walkthrough ›
The Journey

Offer to payout

Follow a booking end to end — offers, status, timeline and getting paid. 5 steps · ~5 min · Start the walkthrough ›

User Guides FAQ

Quick answers to the questions new members ask most.

Yes. GigXchange is in open alpha and free for all 4 user types — artists, venues, agents and promoters. Create a profile, post gigs, apply and message at no cost.
Venues, promoters and agents post gigs; artists apply to them. Posting takes about 2 minutes and lists publicly in the UK gig directory across 100 UK cities.
Payments run through Stripe. A deposit is held securely when a booking is confirmed, and the balance is released to the performer 5 days after the gig date — see the full flow in how it works. GOV.UK covers invoicing and taking payment for self-employed performers.
A gig is an open listing looking for a performer — browse them in the gig directory. A booking is the agreed deal between two parties. An event is a public-facing listing with its own page that anyone can see.
Yes. Search performers on the profiles directory by genre and budget and send a direct booking offer from any profile — no gig post required, about 2 minutes.
Connect Stripe once, then mark each gig complete after you play — your balance is released 5 days after the gig date. Gigging income is self-employed earnings; GOV.UK explains working for yourself. More in the artist guide.
Open the confirmed booking and hit Publish as Event. In about 2 minutes it gets a public event page with its own web address and lists in the public directory.
Use the free Rate Calculator for a benchmark in under 2 minutes, then cross-check the GX Index of thousands of real observed UK fees across many cities. The Musicians’ Union also publishes recommended minimum rates.
Most members create a working profile in about 5 minutes. Adding photos, genres and a fee range is what gets you discovered — the artist guide has the full checklist.
Yes. Every confirmed booking gets an auto-generated contract both sides sign digitally, and the deposit is held via Stripe until the gig. You can also try the standalone contract generator for off-platform gigs.

Keep exploring

Go deeper on any part of the platform.

For artists Profiles, gigs, getting booked and getting paid — the full artist playbook. Read more For venues Post gigs, review applications and book the right acts for any night. Read more For agents Manage a roster and book on behalf of your acts in one place. Read more For promoters Build the bill, book the room and run ticketed events. Read more Free tools The Rate Calculator, contract generator, setlist builder and more. Open tools GX Index Benchmark your fee against thousands of real observed UK gig rates. See the data Gig directory Browse open gigs across 100 UK cities and apply in about a minute. Browse gigs How it works The big picture — from a posted gig to an artist getting paid. Learn more For artists Profiles, gigs, getting booked and getting paid — the full artist playbook. Read more For venues Post gigs, review applications and book the right acts for any night. Read more For agents Manage a roster and book on behalf of your acts in one place. Read more For promoters Build the bill, book the room and run ticketed events. Read more Free tools The Rate Calculator, contract generator, setlist builder and more. Open tools GX Index Benchmark your fee against thousands of real observed UK gig rates. See the data Gig directory Browse open gigs across 100 UK cities and apply in about a minute. Browse gigs How it works The big picture — from a posted gig to an artist getting paid. Learn more

Ready to put a guide into action?

Create a free profile in about 5 minutes and post or apply to your first gig today.

For ArtistsFor VenuesFor AgentsFor PromotersFor OrganisersFor Fans
Naumaan
Founder & Builder

Step-by-step guides for getting the most out of GigXchange, in plain English. Missing one you need? Tell me and I’ll write it.

Did you know? The UK is one of the world’s largest music markets, behind only the US and Japan.
Email me directly →