Last updated: April 2026
What is a house concert?
A house concert is a live music performance hosted in somebody’s private home, usually in the living room. Audiences are typically 20 to 50 people, the atmosphere is acoustic and intimate, and the performer is paid through a mix of a guaranteed fee and a “passing the hat” collection. They’re especially popular in the folk, acoustic, singer-songwriter and vocalist and jazz scenes, and are sometimes called “house shows”, “house gigs” or “living room concerts”.
A house concert is exactly what it sounds like; a gig in somebody’s home. Popular among folk singers and acoustic musicians, house concerts offer an opportunity for lesser known musicians to play intimate, unique gigs for existing fans and often their friends. They also offer a great opportunity for covers acts to pick up extra, unusual gigs!
Whether you’ve played lots of house gigs, or are just venturing out in researching the concept, in this blog we will examine how to go about getting house concerts, and what the advantages are.m
Use social media to find suitable hosts
Musicians looking to play original music at house concerts should use social media to their advantage.
If you have an established social medial presence, by reaching out to your fans and giving them an opportunity to host a gig in their own living room, you are breaking down the barrier between the musician and the audience.
A house show allows fans to get involved in the show’s creation and, thanks to its unique characteristics, will likely mean that fans will post about the gig on social media, inviting their friends and ensuring that the gig is a success.
There are also several websites and Facebook communities that are dedicated to putting artists in touch with regular house concert hosts.
Find out more about using Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as a musician!
Covers acts can also market themselves as being able to play house concerts, if they have a set up that’s flexible enough.
Last Minute Musician Kit Packham, who plays Saxophone in One Jump Ahead says,
I’ve done a few house concerts. A sax/vocal & piano duo at a house in Blackheath and 2 parties for the same group of friends at a house in Bosham near Chichester. I also played with a doo-wop rock’n’roll band at a house party in Holland, way back around 1980 and am still in touch with the sisters who organised it!
Kit Packham
Platforms for booking house concerts
Beyond social media, a handful of dedicated platforms now connect touring musicians with house concert hosts around the world. Sofar Sounds runs secret, pop-up gigs in living rooms and unusual spaces across the UK, US, Europe and beyond, with artists applying through the site and being booked by local city teams. Side Door is a booking and ticketing platform that lets artists create a free profile and connect directly with hosts in the UK, Europe and North America, taking a small cut of ticket revenue. Concerts In Your Home is a longer-running US-focused network built specifically around the folk and acoustic house concert scene. Joining one or more of these, alongside your own social channels, can open doors to rooms you would never find through cold outreach.
What do house concerts pay?
Fees vary widely, but in the UK most house concerts land somewhere between £150 and £400 for a solo performer or duo, with bigger acts and experienced touring artists commanding more. On top of that, it’s common to agree on a guaranteed minimum, then add a “passing the hat” collection from guests and, in some cases, a share of CD and merch sales. Selling £100 to £200 of merch at an engaged house concert is very achievable. Most hosts will also throw in dinner before the show and a spare bed for the night, which keeps costs on tour down dramatically. For more on pricing your time, see our guide to getting well paid gigs. Fees quoted here are indicative guides only. Always agree specifics directly with the host before the date.
Touring on a budget
Many folk musicians choose to perform at house concerts over a traditional venue. This is not only because the folk scene lends itself to such intimate settings, but also because house concerts are likely to also offer the artist sleeping arrangements, food and a suitable fee.
It is also not uncommon for a donations bucket or hat to go round at a house concert on top of an already agreed fee.
For those touring on a budget, the logistics of organising somewhere to sleep and healthy food to eat can be extremely difficult.
A house concert will usually offer all of these, provided by a genuine admirer of a musician’s craft.
John Madden, who organises house concerts in Cheltenham says:
It’s very important that musicians are treated well. “We do guarantees for all the acts – usually two to three. Plus dinner before the show and overnight stay if they’re travelling from far away
John Madden
Loading ...Poll Results: Would You Play a Stranger’s House Concert?
The result is overwhelming: 96% of the working musicians who voted said they would happily perform at a stranger’s house concert, with just one voter saying it depends and nobody outright refusing. If you’re a gigging musician weighing up your first house gig, the community verdict is clear: give it a go.
Attracting a core fan base, in a relaxed way
Whether you’re an original artist or a covers musician, playing house concerts can be a great way to build up a fan base.
For musicians such as Maja, a jazz singer who often plays house concerts, they can even make sometimes make the experience of playing music much more enjoyable.
“Last Dec a family invited me to sing some Polish christmas carols during their special family Christmas Eve to play traditional Polish carols. We were fed & hugged and some people had tears in their eyes”
Unlike a conventional gig at a venue, at a house concert the audience are part of the show.
The lack of a backstage creates a relaxed environment which renounces any rockstar status and in turn can help build bridges between musician and spectator.
Like promoters at gigs, if you play a successful house show then expect to be invited to another house to perform in the future!
One more tip: bring a mailing list signup sheet to every house concert. With the audience sitting a few feet away and paying full attention, conversion rates are far higher than at a typical venue gig, and an engaged email list is the single most valuable asset an independent musician can own. For more ideas, see our 60 band promotion tips.
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Have you ever played a house concert? Let us know in the comments below!
