HOW TO HIRE · EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT

How to hire a saxophonist in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

Saxophonists need no licence in the UK. Here is what the venue needs, what to ask and what the quote must say.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a saxophonist in five steps

  1. Ask how they playOver backing tracks, with your DJ, or as part of a band. Each needs different kit.
  2. Check the venue's volume rulesA saxophone cuts through a room; know the sound limiter level before you book.
  3. Watch live footageA real event, with the saxophonist moving through the crowd if that is what you want.
  4. Sort the sound systemWhose PA the sax plugs into — their own or the DJ's — agreed in writing.
  5. Book in writingSets, times, travel, any congestion charge and an illness plan.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

The law in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland sets no licence, register or qualification for saxophonists. A saxophone is loud and carries; footage from a real room and a host's reference tell you more than a showreel.

Get recent references and a written booking from the saxophonist before money changes hands.

Music licence and event licensing where the saxophonist plays

Live or recorded music played in public needs TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS, which replaced the separate PRS and PPL licences; playing without one infringes copyright and can lead to a claim for damages. At a hotel, pub or licensed function room the venue normally holds it, so the saxophonist does not need their own. In England and Wales, music or dancing at a place with no premises licence is a licensable activity and needs a Temporary Event Notice: under 500 people, given to the council at least 10 clear working days before. In Northern Ireland, live entertainment indoors, and open-air music on private land, needs a district council entertainment licence whoever performs; staging indoor entertainment without one risks a fine of up to £20,000. In Scotland, ask the venue or council what the event needs before the saxophonist is booked.

Ask the venue whether it holds TheMusicLicence before anyone charges you for one for the saxophonist. Ask the venue whether it is licensed for live entertainment, or who will give the notice or hold the licence for the saxophonist's performance. gov.uk →

Safe electrics and insurance for the saxophonist

The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require electrical equipment that could cause injury — the saxophonist's any backing-track PA, wireless microphone and in-ear monitors included — to be kept safe, though HSE says they do not make yearly PAT testing a legal duty. Venues often ask for a recent PAT record on any backing-track PA, wireless microphone and in-ear monitors and for public liability insurance anyway, at a level they set.

Send the venue the saxophonist's PAT record and insurance certificate a week before. hse.gov.uk →

Trader status and cancellation terms

When you book a saxophonist through a business, you are buying from a trader; the Consumer Rights Act 2015 says the service must show reasonable care and skill. Because regulation 28 of the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 excludes catering and leisure services booked for a set date or period, a change of heart after booking is usually governed by the saxophonist's own terms, not a statutory 14 days.

Before paying a deposit, find the clause on what the saxophonist keeps if you cancel or move the date. legislation.gov.uk →

VAT

A saxophone set is standard-rated at 20% when the saxophonist is VAT-registered. Saxophonists over the £90,000 registration threshold have to charge VAT and list it separately from the price.

Ask the saxophonist whether they are VAT-registered, and if so for the number and the 20% under the fee. gov.uk →

“Do you play over backing tracks, with a DJ, or both?”

A good answer: A clear answer, with footage of the saxophonist doing the format you want.

“Will you plug into our DJ's system, or bring your own PA?”

A good answer: A saxophonist who will talk to the DJ beforehand about channels, wireless frequencies and set times.

“Can you keep within the venue's sound limiter?”

A good answer: Yes, with experience of limited venues and a plan for quieter sets.

“How long are your sets, and when are the breaks?”

A good answer: Set lengths and timings that fit around speeches and the first dance.

“Do you walk among the guests?”

A good answer: If you want it, a wireless saxophonist who knows the venue's layout and keeps clear of trip hazards.

“Are congestion or clean-air charges in the fee for a city venue?”

A good answer: Listed on the quote, not added after.

“What if you are ill?”

A good answer: A named stand-in saxophonist or a refund, in writing.

Getting the quote right

  • The date, venue and set times the saxophonist will play
  • The format: solo with tracks, with your DJ, or with the saxophonist's own DJ partner
  • PA and wireless kit — whose, and any charge
  • Travel, parking and city charges such as a congestion charge, as separate lines
  • The saxophonist's VAT number, if registered, and VAT under the fee
  • Deposit, balance date and cancellation terms
  • Who actually attends: the saxophonist you heard, any DJ partner, and whether they are employed or subcontracted

Walk away if

  • No live footage of the saxophonist at a real event
  • No plan to coordinate with your DJ
  • No written booking or no illness clause
  • No PAT record or insurance when the venue asks
LOW
£150
TYPICAL
£380
HIGH
£558

What a saxophonist costs: £150–£558 per booking

Saxophonists quote per booking for an agreed number of sets; a sax-and-DJ package costs more than sax alone, and travel and city charges are added. Saxophonist price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Saxophonists near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. Set up with the DJThe saxophonist arrives, connects to their own PA or the DJ's mixer and checks the wireless microphone.
  2. Sound checkA short check within the limiter before guests are in the room.
  3. Reception setRelaxed playing over tracks during drinks if booked.
  4. Dance-floor setsShort, high-energy sets with the DJ at the agreed times.
  5. Pack downKit cleared without disturbing the DJ's set, balance settled as agreed.

Backing tracks
Recorded accompaniment the saxophonist plays over.
Sax and DJ
A format where the saxophonist plays live over the DJ's mix.
Wireless mic
A clip-on microphone that lets the saxophonist move around the room.
Sound limiter
A venue device that cuts power above a set volume.
Set
A block of live playing, often 20 to 45 minutes for a sax.
Dep
A deputy musician who covers if the booked player cannot.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the bookingIt records the saxophonist's sets, format and fee.
Note the setsStart and finish times, and anything agreed that did not happen.
Check extra chargesCity charges or extra time billed should match the quote.
Leave the reviewTell the next host how the saxophonist did; Locufy reviews come only from real bookings. If something went wrong, the make-it-right step comes first: the saxophonist is asked to put it right before the review goes live.

STEP 1Put it to the saxophonist in writingWrite down what went wrong — short sets, a late start, no coordination with the DJ — and what would put it right, then send it by email or message. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (section 49) the saxophonist owed you reasonable care and skill, and if an event cannot be repeated the remedy is money off, which can be the full fee.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right step on LocufyRate the saxophonist below four stars and you are asked whether to send the problem to them first; we follow it through, then your review is published.
STEP 3Free consumer adviceThere is no ombudsman or regulator for saxophonists. If the trader will not engage, Citizens Advice (0808 223 1133) covers England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland (0808 800 9060) covers Scotland, and Consumerline (0300 123 6262) covers Northern Ireland; each can pass a complaint about saxophonists to Trading Standards.
STEP 4Money the saxophonist will not returnA claim against a saxophonist can go to court without a solicitor: up to £10,000 on the small claims track in England and Wales, up to £5,000 under simple procedure in the sheriff court in Scotland, and up to £5,000 in the small claims court in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a saxophonist: questions people ask

Not personally. TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS and any entertainment licence attach to the venue or the event; the saxophonist just plays.

The law wants the saxophonist's kit kept safe; HSE is clear it does not demand a yearly PAT test, and insurance is not compulsory. Venues, though, often ask for both.

£150 to £558 per booking, typically around £380. For the factors behind the range, open the saxophonist price guide; for real prices, search your area above.

Not legally, but the DJ's mixer and set list are involved. Put the two in touch well before the day.

It can be. Ask the venue's limiter level and whether the saxophonist can play softer sets.

Usually several short sets through the evening rather than one long one; agree the pattern in writing.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in events & entertainment

How to hire: Wedding DJHow to hire: Party DJHow to hire: Live BandHow to hire: Solo MusicianHow to hire: Acoustic DuoHow to hire: Wedding SingerHow to hire: Pianist for HireHow to hire: Mobile DiscoAll 701 hiring guides →

Saxophonists near you

Saxophonists in LondonSaxophonists in ManchesterSaxophonists in BirminghamSaxophonists in GlasgowSaxophonists in BelfastAll saxophonists on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — licence to play live or recorded music
  2. gov.uk — Temporary Events Notice
  3. gov.uk — entertainment licence (Northern Ireland)
  4. HSE — portable appliance testing FAQs
  5. Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28 — contracts the cancellation right does not cover
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  7. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  8. mygov.scot — make a court claim for money
  9. nidirect — small claims process
  10. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue (England)
  11. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  12. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register