How to find gigs as a new artist: a working musician's playbook
Nobody hands new artists gigs. You build them, one open mic, one support slot, one venue relationship at a time, until the diary starts filling itself. The good news is the path is well-trodden, and the musicians earning a real living from live work in 2026 mostly followed the same one.
This is that path, laid out step by step: where the gigs actually are, what each type pays, how to pitch so venues say yes, and how to turn one gig into three.
Start where everyone starts: open mics
Open mics don't pay, and that's fine, you're not there for money. You're there for three things: stage hours, footage, and contacts. Every town has at least one weekly open mic, and the person running it is almost always a gigging musician who knows every bookable venue within twenty miles.
Treat each one like a showcase. Play your two or three strongest songs (not your newest), get someone to film a clip on a phone, and talk to the host afterwards. A huge share of first paid gigs come from an open mic host saying 'you should talk to the landlord at the Red Lion'. Go to the same nights repeatedly, familiarity is how scenes work.
Support slots: borrow someone else's audience
Once you have 25–30 minutes of solid material, chase support slots. Local acts a rung or two above you need openers constantly, and promoters would rather book a reliable unknown than an unreliable name.
The pitch is simple: message the headline act or promoter, link one good live clip, and say you'll promote the show to your own followers. Support slots at small venues typically pay £0–£75 in 2026, the real payment is playing to a room of strangers who came out for live music and are ready to follow someone new. Have your socials on a card or a QR code at the merch table, because the follow happens that night or never.
The function circuit: where the money is
Original showcases build your name; functions pay your rent. Weddings, corporate events, birthday parties and pub covers nights are the backbone of nearly every full-time musician's income. A solo covers act charging £150–£220 per pub gig can play three a week; a wedding booking pays a solo act £250–£500 for a single day. If you can join or form a function band, a 4-piece splits £1,200–£1,800 per wedding.
The entry requirements are different from the original-music world: a repertoire of 30+ crowd-pleasers, reliability, decent gear, and the ability to read a room. You don't need to be the best singer in town, you need to be the one who turns up on time, sounds professional, and makes the event easy. If weddings appeal, our breakdown of what wedding bands charge in the UK shows exactly what the market pays and why.
Original gigs build your name. Function gigs pay your rent. The smart move is running both in parallel.
Pitch venues directly (most musicians never do)
Most pubs and bars that host music are booked by one busy person who dreads finding acts. Make their decision effortless and you'll be surprised how often the answer is yes. The direct pitch that works:
- Pick 10–15 venues within 45 minutes that already host live music, you're not trying to convince anyone to start.
- Visit or email with three lines: who you are, one live video link, and a specific ask ('do you have any dates in May?'). Nobody opens attachments from strangers.
- Name your rate confidently. For a new solo act, £150–£180 for two 45-minute sets is a credible 2026 starting point.
- Mention what you bring: your own PA, public liability insurance, and, crucially, a local following you'll actively invite.
- Follow up once after a week, politely. Then move on and re-approach in a couple of months. Bookers' needs change constantly.
One booked gig, played well, beats fifty emails. Landlords talk to each other, and 'they filled the room and were zero hassle' is the strongest marketing you will ever have. It's worth knowing what venues themselves are told to look for, our landlord's guide to booking pub music is effectively the other side of your pitch.
Your profile is your CV: build a simple EPK
Before any of the pitching works, you need somewhere to point people. Not a fancy website, a simple electronic press kit (EPK) that answers a booker's three questions in under a minute: what do you sound like, what do you look like live, and are you reliable?
- One great live video. Phone footage is fine if the sound is clean. This single asset closes more bookings than everything else combined.
- A short bio, two sentences on what you play and where you've played. No life story.
- Three or four photos, at least one performing.
- Your repertoire or set list for covers work, bookers want to imagine the night.
- Reviews and past bookings. Even two genuine quotes from venues change how seriously you're taken.
Use platforms, but use them properly
Alongside direct pitching, get yourself listed where bookers are already searching. On Jamma Music you create a verified artist profile, video, repertoire, rates, and venues, couples and event organisers come to you. Every completed booking earns a review on your profile, which compounds: the act with fifteen five-star reviews gets the enquiry before the act with none, every time.
Agree the fee and any deposit in writing before the night, so you're never chasing a landlord for cash at midnight: on Jamma the offer and the acceptance stay in the conversation under one booking reference, and Premium artists pay zero commission, you keep the full fee you quote. Artists on Jamma also get a JamJar QR tip jar to display at gigs: punters scan and tip by card in seconds, which routinely adds meaningful money to small-fee gigs. We've collected field-tested tactics in how to get more tips at gigs.
Turn every gig into the next three
The artists whose diaries fill up treat every performance as a marketing event. At every gig: announce where you're playing next, put a QR to your profile and socials where people can see it, capture 30 seconds of video, and, most importantly, talk to the person who booked you before you leave. 'Shall we get another date in the diary?' asked on the night converts far better than an email a fortnight later.
Then keep a simple spreadsheet: every venue, every contact, every fee, when to follow up. Gigging is a numbers game played over months, and the musicians who win are rarely the most talented, they're the most consistent.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get my first paid gig with no experience?+
Play open mics to build stage time and footage, then pitch small venues directly with one good live video and a clear rate. A new solo act asking £150–£180 for two 45-minute sets is credible in 2026. Support slots for local acts are the other classic first step.
How much do new artists get paid for gigs in the UK?+
Open mics are unpaid, support slots typically £0–£75, pub covers gigs £150–£220 for a solo act, and wedding or function work £250–£500 for soloists, rising to £1,200–£1,800 split between a 4-piece function band.
Do I need an EPK to get gigs?+
You need the contents of one: a strong live video, a two-sentence bio, a few photos and, for covers work, a repertoire list. A platform profile with verified reviews, like a Jamma Music artist profile, does the same job and lets bookers find you.
How many venues should I contact?+
Pitch 10–15 suitable venues at a time, follow up once each, and re-approach every couple of months. Expect low reply rates at first, one well-played booking generates word of mouth that outperforms any volume of cold emails.
Can I really earn extra from tips at gigs?+
Yes, with a card-based tip jar. Almost no one carries cash, so a JamJar QR code on stage lets the crowd tip by card in seconds. On busy nights it can add a meaningful percentage on top of a modest gig fee.
