How to Start Gigging and Touring in the UK: A Practical Guide

A step-by-step map of playing live and touring, with links to the guides and free tools for each step.

Playing live is how most musicians build an audience, and for many it is the main income. It is also where a lot of the business gets messy: fees agreed over a text message, expenses that eat the profit, royalties nobody reported and tours that lose money.

You do not need an agent or a tour manager to do this well. Whether you are playing your first open mic in Belfast, a pub circuit in Yorkshire or a run of dates across Scotland, the same basics apply, and sorting them early makes every gig easier.

This page is the map. Each step below links to the guides and free tools on Music Manager Resource that go into detail. It is general information, not legal or financial advice, and fees and rules change, so check official sources such as the Musicians' Union and PRS before you rely on a detail.

1. Get ready to play live

A good live set is rehearsed, paced and played with confidence. Practise the full set standing up, with the gear you will use on the night, and learn how to deal with nerves rather than hoping they go away. If you are starting a band, agree early how decisions, money and commitments will work.

• Starting Out in a Band: The Do's and Don'ts Nobody Tells You
• Band vs Solo Artist: Difficulties & Benefits
• Nerves Are Not the Problem: What to Do About Stage Fright
• How to Improve Stage Presence: Stop Performing, Start Connecting
• Things Young Musicians Get Wrong in the Practice Room
• Setlist Creator
• Tempo Finder
• Guitar Tuner

2. Get your first gigs

Start with open mics and your local scene, ask for support slots, and send short, specific messages to venues and promoters that suit your sound. It also helps to know which places are worth your time and what kind of booking you are walking into.

Be realistic about the first rungs. A weeknight support slot or an open mic is a normal starting point, and weekend headline slots usually go to acts that can bring a crowd. Film a short live clip as early as you can, because a booker would rather watch you play than read a description of your sound.

• How to Get Your First Gigs as a Band or Solo Artist in the UK
• What Makes a Bar a Legitimate Music Venue? A Practical Checklist for Independent Artists
• From Pub Gigs to Premium Bookings: How to Position Yourself as a Cover Artist
• The Cover Gig: School, Trap, or Both?
• Networking: It's Not What You Know, It's Who You Actually Are
• The Follow-Up: How to Contact Someone After They've Shown Interest in Your Music
• Press Kits That Actually Get Read: What Journalists and Bookers Want
• Electronic Press Kit (EPK) Builder

3. Agree the money and put it in writing

Know your costs, quote a fee that covers them and agree the details before you play: the fee, any deposit, times, equipment and what happens if either side cancels. Then invoice properly and chase late payment calmly.

The Musicians' Union publishes recommended minimum rates and offers contract advice to its members, which makes a useful benchmark when you are not sure what to ask for. Many pubs and small venues pay less than those rates, so decide in advance the lowest fee you will accept, and what extras you expect to be covered, such as travel and set up time.

• What Should You Charge for a Gig? Fees, Deposits and Getting It in Writing (UK)
• What Goes on a Music Invoice and Why Getting It Wrong Can Cost You
• Is a Client Ghosting You? Here Is What You Can Actually Do About It
• What Is a Contract? A Conversational Guide to Music Industry Agreements
• Invoice Generator for Musicians
• Session Musician Contract
• Band Agreement Generator

4. Get paid for performing your songs

If you play your own songs, you may be owed performance royalties, but PRS can only pay for gigs it knows about. Register your songs, then report your setlist after each show. Small amounts add up, and without a setlist there is nothing to pay.

• How to Get Paid When You Play Live: Reporting Your Setlists to PRS
• How to Register with PRS for Music
• What Is a PRS Tunecode? How to Find It and Why It Matters
• How a Stream Becomes Money: Where UK Music Royalties Come From

5. Plan shows and tours

Touring on a budget is mostly arithmetic and logistics: what each date costs, what it earns, how far apart the dates are and what you need to take. Work out your break-even point before you commit, and keep a record of expenses as you go.

Heading abroad adds paperwork. Check what you need well before you leave, including whether you need a carnet for your equipment.

• DIY Touring on a Budget: Booking Agents, Guarantees, and Rider Basics
• The Break-Even Point: How to Know When Cancelling a Show Is the Right Financial Decision
• International Touring Paperwork: What You Need to Know Before You Leave the UK
• Itinerary Generator
• Tour Expense Tracker
• Carnet Tour Tracker
• Stage Plan Generator
• Channel List

6. Fill the room and build a following

A gig is only as good as the audience for it. Tell people early and more than once, collect contact details so you can invite them to the next one, and build the habit of staying in touch. Merch can help, but only if you choose what you sell with care.

• Why Your Mailing List Is the Most Important Thing You Are Not Building
• Building a Real Fanbase Without Buying Followers
• Social Media Content Strategies That Don't Feel Like Selling Out
• Posting Every Day and Still Getting Nowhere: What Your Social Media Is Really Telling You
• Stop Wasting Money on Merch That Doesn't Sell: A Practical Guide for Independent Artists
• QR Code Generator

7. Look after yourself on the road

Late nights, loud rooms and long drives wear musicians down. Protect your hearing and your voice, plan rest, and be honest about what you can take on. Burnout and performance anxiety are common, and both have practical fixes.

• Protecting Your Hearing: The Thing Nobody Tells You Until It Is Too Late
• The Working Musician's Guide to Vocal Health on the Road
• Why doing this all yourself is a pathway to burnout
• Can You Still Gig, Record and Tour After Having a Baby? Here Is the Truth
• Capo or Transpose? A Practical Guide for Gigging Musicians
• Mental Health and Wellbeing Support
• How to Self-Manage Your Music Career (UK Guide)

Start small. Get one gig booked, agree the fee in writing, report the setlist afterwards and note what worked. Each gig makes the next one easier. If you want somewhere to begin, the free Starter Pack has checklists for registering your music and planning your next steps.