HOW TO HIRE · EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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

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

  • Search and compare — no account needed
  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a solo musician in five steps

  1. Watch a live setUnedited footage of the solo musician at a real event, not a studio recording.
  2. Check the venue's rulesIts music licence, sound limiter and finish time.
  3. Agree the setsHow many, how long, when they fall and what fills the breaks.
  4. Ask for PAT and insuranceMany venues want both; get copies before the day.
  5. Book in writingDate, hours, requests, travel, meal and the price of an extra set.

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 solo musicians. One performer carries the whole room, so live footage and recent hosts tell you most.

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

Music licence and event licensing where the solo musician 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 solo musician 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 solo musician is booked.

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

Safe electrics and insurance for the solo musician

The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require electrical equipment that could cause injury — the solo musician's the PA, loop pedal and amplifiers 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 the PA, loop pedal and amplifiers and for public liability insurance anyway, at a level they set.

Get the venue's requirements first, then copies of the solo musician's PAT record and cover. hse.gov.uk →

Trader status and cancellation terms

When you book a solo musician 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 solo musician's own terms, not a statutory 14 days.

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

VAT

Live solo performance is standard-rated at 20% when the musician is registered. Solo musicians with more than £90,000 of taxable turnover must register for VAT, charge it, and itemise it on every quote and invoice.

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

“Can I see a live video from a recent gig?”

A good answer: Real footage of the solo musician in a room with people talking, not a polished studio track.

“What do you play, and do you sing?”

A good answer: A clear description from the musician — singing guitarist, pianist, violinist — and a set list to look at.

“Do you use backing tracks or a loop pedal?”

A good answer: An honest answer from the musician, so you know what is live and what is recorded.

“How many sets and how long?”

A good answer: Set lengths and times the musician will fit around your day, and playlist music between sets.

“Can you play under the venue's sound limiter?”

A good answer: A solo musician who has worked limited rooms and adjusts volume.

“Will you learn a song for us?”

A good answer: Yes, with a deadline and any charge stated.

“What happens if you are ill?”

A good answer: A named stand-in or a refund, in the booking.

Getting the quote right

  • The date, venue and set times for the solo musician
  • Sets, length, PA and background playlist — what is included
  • Song requests and any learning charge
  • Travel and any overnight stay as separate lines
  • The musician's VAT number, if registered, and VAT under the set fee
  • Deposit, balance date, cancellation terms and the price of an extra set
  • Who actually attends: the musician you heard, or a deputy — and whether the deputy is employed or subcontracted

Walk away if

  • No live footage of the solo musician, only studio tracks
  • No written terms or no illness clause
  • No PAT record or insurance when the venue needs them
  • Vague about backing tracks when you asked for live
LOW
£100
TYPICAL
£360
HIGH
£1,500

What a solo musician costs: £100–£1,500 per booking

Solo musicians quote per booking by sets or hours, with travel and extra sets added; a singing instrumentalist or a well-known name sits higher. Solo Musician 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

Solo musicians 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. Arrive and set upThe solo musician arrives with time to set up quietly in the agreed spot.
  2. Sound checkA short check within the venue's limiter.
  3. Background setsGentle music during drinks or dinner, under conversation.
  4. Evening setsLivelier sets on the agreed times, requests played if agreed.
  5. Pack downKit cleared on time, balance settled as agreed.

Loop pedal
A device that records and repeats a phrase so one musician can layer parts live.
Backing tracks
Recorded accompaniment played under a live performer.
Set
One block of live music, often around 45 minutes.
PA
The speakers, mixer and microphones the musician brings.
Sound limiter
A venue device that cuts power above a set volume.
Playlist
Recorded music between sets so the room is not silent.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the bookingIt records the solo musician's sets and fee.
Note what happenedStart and finish times and any requests missed.
Ask about footageIf the musician filmed part of the event, agree how they may use it.
Leave the reviewTell the next host how the solo musician did; Locufy reviews come only from real bookings. If something went wrong, the make-it-right step comes first: the solo musician is asked to put it right before the review goes live.

STEP 1Put it to the solo musician in writingWrite down what went wrong — short sets, a late start, requests not played — and what would put it right, then send it by email or message. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (section 49) the solo musician 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 solo musician 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 solo musicians. 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 solo musicians to Trading Standards.
STEP 4Money the solo musician will not returnA claim against a solo musician 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 solo musician: questions people ask

No licence or register exists for solo musicians anywhere in the UK. The music licence (TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS) and any entertainment licence belong to the venue or the event, not the solo musician.

Neither is a legal duty for the solo musician: HSE says the law requires safe equipment, not an annual PAT test, and no law sets insurance. Most venues ask for both, so check what yours wants from the solo musician.

£100 to £1,500 per booking, typically around £360. For the factors behind the range, open the solo musician price guide; for real prices, search your area above.

For a small room or a drinks reception, often yes; for a big dance floor most people add a DJ. Ask the musician what they recommend.

Some do, some play entirely live. Ask, and watch footage of what you are booking.

The contract should say whether a stand-in is offered or your deposit is returned.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in events & entertainment

How to hire: Acoustic DuoHow to hire: Wedding SingerHow to hire: Live BandHow to hire: Pianist for HireHow to hire: HarpistHow to hire: SaxophonistHow to hire: String QuartetHow to hire: Party DJAll 701 hiring guides →

Solo musicians near you

Solo musicians in LondonSolo musicians in ManchesterSolo musicians in BirminghamSolo musicians in GlasgowSolo musicians in BelfastAll solo musicians 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