GigPig
GigPig operates a UK live music marketplace connecting 3,000+ hospitality venues across 22 cities with 20,000+ verified artists for bookings, calendar management, and automated invoicing, with planned expansion into Ireland in early 2026.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersManchester, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What GigPig does
GigPig is a UK-based live music marketplace that connects hospitality venues with verified musical artists, DJs, and entertainers for live performance bookings. Founded in 2022 in Manchester by Michael Forster, Kit Muir-Rogers, Andrew Garner, and Ed Francis — founders with over 30 years of combined live music experience — the company operates a cloud-based platform accessible via web and native iOS/Android apps. The platform consolidates artist discovery (a catalogue of 20,000+ vetted performers), booking, centralised multi-venue calendar management, automated HMRC-compliant invoicing, payment distribution to artists, and a Marketing API that synchronises upcoming gigs to venue websites in real time. The company has organised the Seed Sounds Weekender as a flagship community event and publishes a Live Music Index benchmarking industry economics. Underlying technical components include native mobile applications for both artists and venues, calendar integrations with Apple and Google calendars, a website plugin, and analytics dashboards for budget and revenue tracking.
The company operates a two-sided marketplace monetised entirely on the venue side. Artists access the platform for free; venues pay through one of three tiers — Pay-as-You-Go at £15 per gig, Standard at £199 per month covering up to 20 gigs, or Enterprise at £349 per month covering up to 60 gigs (reducing to approximately £5.82 per gig at full utilisation). GigPig claims venues save up to 70% versus traditional agency commission-based booking models and reduce administrative workload by an average of 8 hours per week. Named enterprise customers include Tokyo Industries, Albert Schloss (Mission Mars), New World Trading Company, Arc Inspirations, Brewdog, Victors, and Katie O'Briens, alongside a long tail of independent pubs, bars, and restaurants using the self-serve product. As of 2025 the platform has facilitated over 150,000 gigs across 22 UK cities, with over £24 million paid out to artists and £7 million in booking fees saved cumulatively by venues.
GigPig is venture-backed, having closed a £1.3 million seed round in May 2024 co-led by Haatch Ventures and Notion Capital, followed by an investment from Best Nights VC (the venture capital arm of Mast-Jägermeister SE) in 2025 explicitly tied to international expansion. The company is headquartered at 3 Oxford Court, Bishopsgate, Manchester, with plans to enter Ireland (Dublin and Belfast) as its first international market in early 2026. Distribution is hybrid — a self-serve product-led growth motion for SMB venues paired with direct enterprise sales to multi-site operator groups — supported by an SEO-driven content marketing engine built around city landing pages and an Insights blog.
GigPig firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- GigPig
- Legal name
- GigPig
- Website
- https://gigpig.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- GigPig operates a UK live music marketplace connecting 3,000+ hospitality venues across 22 cities with 20,000+ verified artists for bookings, calendar management, and automated invoicing, with planned expansion into Ireland in early 2026.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
GigPig industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Live Music Marketplace
- NAICS
- Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local Experiences & Event Services Marketplaces (Photographers, Caterers, DJs) (BPAMAHAK)
Keywords
Where GigPig is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Manchester
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
GigPig business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Venue Subscription - Pay as You Go: Venues pay a per-gig booking fee of £15. This is the most flexible option for venues that host occasional live music, with no monthly commitment. The fee covers the booking platform, invoicing, and calendar management.
- Venue Subscription - Standard Access: Monthly subscription at £199 for venues booking up to 20 gigs per month. Additional gigs beyond the 20-gig allowance are billed at £9.95 each. This tier offers better value-per-gig for regular live music venues.
- Venue Subscription - Enterprise Access: Monthly subscription at £349 for venues booking up to 60 gigs per month. At scale, booking fees can be as low as £5.82 per gig. Designed for multi-site operators and high-volume entertainment managers.
- Artist Access (Free): Artists access the platform for free to create profiles, browse venues, and receive gig offers. Artists set their own minimum fees and can charge higher rates for weekends and bank holidays. GigPig's platform is free for musicians, DJs, and entertainers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Pay as you go — £15 per gig, no monthly commitment |
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard Access — £199/month, up to 20 gigs per month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Enterprise Access — £349/month, up to 60 gigs per month |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
GigPig product offering
Product offeringCore offering
GigPig operates a UK-based online marketplace platform that connects hospitality venues (pubs, bars, restaurants, hotels) with over 20,000 verified live music artists, DJs, drag performers, and entertainers. Venues use the web platform or mobile app to discover talent, book gigs, manage calendars, automate invoicing, and promote shows via a marketing API, while artists join free to receive gig offers and receive automated payments.
Product overview
GigPig operates as a unified live music marketplace platform connecting hospitality venues with verified artists and entertainers. The core offering consists of the GigPig Platform for venue booking and management, complemented by the GigPig Artist App for musicians. Key integrated modules include the Marketing API/Website Plugin for website integration, Automated Invoicing System, Centralized Calendar Management, Gig Templates for repeat bookings, Artist Directory with 20,000+ verified profiles, What's On promotional page, Analytics Dashboard, and MIT Payment System. The platform serves both venues (pubs, bars, hotels, stadiums) and artists (solo performers, bands, DJs, entertainers) across the UK and expanding internationally.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Seed Sounds Weekender: A music event or festival organized by GigPig.
Products and services
- GigPig Marketplace Platform UK's largest online marketplace connecting over 3,000 hospitality venues (pubs, bars, restaurants, hotels) with 20,000+ verified live music artists, DJs, drag performers, and entertainers. Venues subscribe via Pay-as-you-go (£15 per gig), Standard (£199/month up to 20 gigs), or Enterprise (£349/month up to 60 gigs) tiers to discover talent, book gigs, manage calendars, automate HMRC-compliant invoicing, and process payments. Artists join free to receive gig offers.
- GigPig Artist Mobile App Native iOS and Android mobile application enabling live music artists to create profiles, manage multiple acts under one login, receive and respond to gig enquiries, view a 48-hour reminder of upcoming bookings, and receive push notifications for daily summaries and last-minute gig alerts.
- GigPig Marketing API and Website Plugin API and website plugin that automatically syncs upcoming GigPig bookings to a venue's own website, keeping the 'What's On' page continuously updated without manual effort and converting venue site visitors into bookings.
Quantifiable outcome
- Venues save up to 70% on booking costs compared to traditional booking agency models
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use GigPig
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
GigPig technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
GigPig partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Genre MusicminorGenre Music offers managed booking solutions and music consultancy services in partnership with GigPig. They provide centralised gig booking and music solutions for venues, including brand consultancy, curated residencies, tailored playlists, and global guest DJ bookings, extending GigPig's offering beyond its self-serve platform.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
GigPig competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- FixTheMusic: UK-based marketplace for booking live musicians, DJs, and bands for events including weddings and corporate functions. Directly competes with GigPig in connecting performers with hospitality and event buyers, and overlaps in artist-side acquisition.
- Encore Musicians: UK live music booking platform offering verified bands, musicians, and DJs for weddings, parties, and corporate events. Comparable marketplace model with vetted artist catalogue and venue/event-side demand, similar geographic focus to GigPig.
- Last Minute Musicians: UK marketplace for booking musicians for weddings, parties, and events. Similar two-sided marketplace structure with artist profiles, reviews, and venue/event buyer search, overlapping with GigPig's hospitality live music use case.
- Gigmit: European live music booking marketplace headquartered in Germany, connecting artists with venues and event organizers across DACH and broader EU. Directly comparable marketplace model to GigPig and a relevant comparable as GigPig expands into Ireland and Europe.
- Musicians Inc: UK agency and booking platform offering live musicians and bands for weddings, corporate events, and parties. Operates an overlapping artist catalogue and venue/event buyer base to GigPig, though more agency-led than self-serve marketplace.
- Function Band: UK platform for booking function bands, wedding bands, and party bands. Directly comparable in target customer (events and venues) and verified artist supply, though more focused on private functions than hospitality seed music.
Broad incumbents
- Bark.com: UK-headquartered global services marketplace where professionals (including musicians, DJs, and entertainers) receive leads from consumers and businesses. Competes more broadly across many service categories but overlaps with GigPig on the music and entertainment vertical.
- Thumbtack: US-based local services marketplace connecting consumers with professionals across hundreds of categories including event entertainment and DJs. Comparable marketplace business model and venue/consumer-side demand, though broader and US-centric.
Emerging players
- Sofar Sounds: Global intimate live music platform producing curated concerts in venues worldwide. Adjacent in the live music space with strong artist relationships but operates its own venue events rather than a hospitality booking marketplace, making it a thematic rather than direct competitor.
- Songkick: Global live music platform for concert discovery and ticketing. Adjacent in the live music ecosystem with artist-side data and audience reach, but focused on ticketed touring concerts rather than the hospitality seed music segment GigPig serves.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
GigPig social profiles
Digital presenceGigPig financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
GigPig leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
GigPig funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
GigPig M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about GigPig
What does GigPig do?
GigPig operates a UK-based online marketplace platform that connects hospitality venues (pubs, bars, restaurants, hotels) with over 20,000 verified live music artists, DJs, drag performers, and entertainers. Venues use the web platform or mobile app to discover talent, book gigs, manage calendars, automate invoicing, and promote shows via a marketing API, while artists join free to receive gig offers and receive automated payments.
Is GigPig a public or private company?
GigPig is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was GigPig founded?
GigPig was founded in 2022. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is GigPig based?
GigPig is headquartered in Manchester, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does GigPig make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Venue Subscription - Pay as You Go is the primary driver. The others are venue Subscription - Standard Access, venue Subscription - Enterprise Access and artist Access (Free).
Who are GigPig's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are FixTheMusic, Encore Musicians, Last Minute Musicians, Gigmit, Musicians Inc and Function Band. Broad incumbents are Bark.com and Thumbtack. Emerging players are Sofar Sounds and Songkick.
Does GigPig have an API?
Yes. GigPig offers a Marketing API that allows venues to showcase live gig listings directly on their own website. The API automatically syncs upcoming gigs to the venue's website, with booking updates instantly reflected. This enables venues to keep their 'What\'s On' page up-to-date without manual effort. Additional API capabilities mentioned include calendar management, analytics dashboard access, and invoicing features. The platform also offers a website plugin for seamless integration.
What industry is GigPig in?
GigPig's product category is Live Music Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAHAK, Local Experiences & Event Services Marketplaces (Photographers, Caterers, DJs). Its NAICS code is 7114 and its SIC code is 7900.