{"id":2030,"date":"2020-04-25T09:40:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-25T08:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/?p=2030"},"modified":"2026-03-29T08:58:40","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T07:58:40","slug":"mu-live-rates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/mu-live-rates\/","title":{"rendered":"MU Recommended Live Rates"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>Last updated: March 2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading p1\"><strong>Musicians Union recommended live rates (updated 2nd May 2025) &#8211; rates per musician<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Casual engagements for groups performing in pubs\/clubs for up to 3 hours: <strong>\u00a3162.30<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Casual engagements for groups performing at functions of up to 4 hours: <strong>\u00a3216.40<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Overtime: hourly rate of <strong>\u00a354.10<\/strong>&nbsp;payable at time and a half, therefore <strong>\u00a381.15<\/strong> per hour (or part thereof)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Setting up time: The engagement is payable at the hourly rate from whatever time the musician is required to have his\/her instruments and equipment set up.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>This is&nbsp;taken from the <a href=\"https:\/\/musiciansunion.org.uk\/working-performing\/gigs-and-live-performances\/live-engagement-rates-of-pay\/national-gig-rates\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Musicians Union Website<\/a>:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"665\" height=\"1173\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screenshot-2025-05-27-at-14.38.38.png\" alt=\"Musicians Union National Gig Rates table showing recommended fees\" class=\"wp-image-6082\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screenshot-2025-05-27-at-14.38.38.png 665w, https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screenshot-2025-05-27-at-14.38.38-170x300.png 170w, https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screenshot-2025-05-27-at-14.38.38-581x1024.png 581w, https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screenshot-2025-05-27-at-14.38.38-370x653.png 370w, https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screenshot-2025-05-27-at-14.38.38-270x476.png 270w, https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Screenshot-2025-05-27-at-14.38.38-570x1005.png 570w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 665px) 100vw, 665px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>If musicians can agree on anything, it\u2019s that no-one should perform for free but typically there\u2019s always a musician out there who will perform for cheaper. Considering this how much should professional and aspiring professional musicians charge and how should they negotiate their desired fee?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading p1\"><b>Negotiate, don\u2019t just accept the first fee<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">It\u2019s sensible to rebuff a suggested fee, musicians should never settle for an asking price. By proposing a higher fee than the one originally offered it\u2019s likely that musicians will be able to settle on a reasonable fee that will suit their needs.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Considering this, Last Minute Musician Jonathan Scott says, <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Estimating what punters will pay is a dark art. You have to work that out then go slightly under so they think they&#8217;ve got a bargain. When it comes down to it, especially in hard times, it&#8217;s better to do a lot of cheaper (not cheap) gigs than not many well paid ones.<\/p>\n<cite>Jonathan Scott<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\">It is, of course, worth mentioning that if a musician demands too high a fee then it is likely to be rejected. Fees should be fair on both sides, after all a bar\/club has to pay its own overheads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading p1\">The amount charged for a performance should reflect:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Musicians qualifications and experience<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Duration of performance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The distance travelled to the gig<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The size of the band<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Have a standard rate and stick to it<\/b> <\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Unless the gig offered is for charity, it is recommended by the MU that gig rates should not waiver. A standard rate should take all costs into account, enabling the musician to earn a fair amount for their work.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\">It is also very important that musicians get all agreed payments in writing ideally, signed by both parties. This will avoid confusion at the end of a gig when receiving the fee from the promoter. This is not&nbsp;uncommon and some rogue promoters may attempt to deceive&nbsp;musicians into being paid a smaller fee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Last Minute Musicians Director of Music, Sarah-Jane Morris says <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>So often the client doesn\u2019t read the price guide or genuinely doesn\u2019t understand that this is our job that we have studied for years to accomplish. I always stick to the prices that our artists have given us.<\/p>\n<cite>Sarah-Jane Morris<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Ensure that all expenses are covered in the fee<\/b> <\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">It is only fair that musicians should not have to pay to travel to a gig. Along with added money for travel, it is often the case &#8211; although not mandatory &#8211;&nbsp;<\/span>&nbsp;that musicians are&nbsp;given free soft drinks and a hot meal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/register\/\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/wantgigs.png\" alt=\"register\" class=\"wp-image-2961\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading p1\">The musicians point of view<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Amidst arguments from some musicians claiming that amateur hobbyists are taking money away from professionals, many musicians throughout the UK will still perform for lesser fees &#8211; regardless of MU recommended fees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Musician Kit Packham said on the <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/lastminutemusiciansuk\" target=\"_blank\">Last Minute Musicians Facebook page<\/a>, \u201cThe Union was founded as a protection Union. One that protects us from unscrupulous employers and protect us from ourselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The gist of the MU\u2019s advice is still &#8216;don\u2019t sell yourself cheap\u2019 but when the market\u2019s flooded it\u2019s not easy to compete &#8211; even when your \u2018product\u2019 is top quality.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It seems as though everyone has a theory on how to improve a musician\u2019s rate of pay, including rather extreme plans to boycott music venues that do not pay a fair fee. One theory that seems to hold a certain amount of promise is the education of hobbyists as to how their actions are affecting self employed working musicians. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Considering that many \u2018weekend warriors\u2019 and hobbyists earn their living in another profession, they are&nbsp;happy to play for a lower fee and&nbsp;it is natural that, within the cut-throat capitalist market, a music venue is going to try and get their entertainment at the lowest cost possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading p1\"><b>Frequently asked questions about musician rates<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>How much should I charge per hour as a musician?<\/b><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The Musicians Union recommends a minimum hourly overtime rate of \u00a354.10, which gives a useful baseline. However, many working musicians in the UK charge between \u00a340 and \u00a3150 per hour depending on their experience, genre, location, and the type of event. A solo acoustic act might charge \u00a380\u2013\u00a3150 for a two-hour set at a pub, while session musicians can command higher rates for studio work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>How much should I charge for a 3 hour gig?<\/b><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the MU\u2019s recommended live rates, a musician performing a casual engagement at a pub or club for up to 3 hours should charge at least \u00a3162.30. For functions and private events, the recommended minimum for up to 4 hours is \u00a3216.40. These are per-musician rates, so a four-piece band should be charging at least four times this amount.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>How much do pub gigs pay in the UK?<\/b><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Pub gigs in the UK typically pay between \u00a3100 and \u00a3300 for a 2\u20133 hour set, though this varies significantly. Smaller venues may offer \u00a340\u2013\u00a3100, while established cover bands playing popular weekend slots can earn \u00a3350\u2013\u00a3500. The MU recommends a minimum of \u00a3162.30 per musician for up to 3 hours, but in practice many pubs pay below this threshold \u2013 which is why it\u2019s important for musicians to negotiate and know their worth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Useful free tools from Last Minute Musicians<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/free-tools\/contract-generator\/\">free contract generator for musicians<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/free-tools\/invoice-generator\/\">free invoice generator for musicians<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/free-tools\/\">More tools from Last Minute Musicians.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\">Related article: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/blog\/musicians-wages-the-great-debate\/\">Musicians wages &#8211; the great debate<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><strong>Do you provide a musical service? What do you think about the recommended minimum rates? Let us know in the comments below! <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"kk-star-ratings kksr-auto kksr-align-center kksr-valign-bottom\"\n    data-payload='{&quot;align&quot;:&quot;center&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;2030&quot;,&quot;slug&quot;:&quot;default&quot;,&quot;valign&quot;:&quot;bottom&quot;,&quot;ignore&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;reference&quot;:&quot;auto&quot;,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;count&quot;:&quot;40&quot;,&quot;legendonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;readonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;score&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;starsonly&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;best&quot;:&quot;5&quot;,&quot;gap&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;greet&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;legend&quot;:&quot;5\\\/5 - (40 votes)&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;20&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;MU Recommended Live Rates&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:&quot;100&quot;,&quot;_legend&quot;:&quot;{score}\\\/{best} - ({count} {votes})&quot;,&quot;font_factor&quot;:&quot;1.25&quot;}'>\n            \n<div class=\"kksr-stars\">\n    \n<div class=\"kksr-stars-inactive\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"1\" style=\"padding-right: 0px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 20px; height: 20px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"2\" style=\"padding-right: 0px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 20px; height: 20px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"3\" style=\"padding-right: 0px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 20px; height: 20px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"4\" style=\"padding-right: 0px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 20px; height: 20px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" data-star=\"5\" style=\"padding-right: 0px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 20px; height: 20px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    \n<div class=\"kksr-stars-active\" style=\"width: 100px;\">\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 0px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 20px; height: 20px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 0px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 20px; height: 20px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 0px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 20px; height: 20px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 0px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 20px; height: 20px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n            <div class=\"kksr-star\" style=\"padding-right: 0px\">\n            \n\n<div class=\"kksr-icon\" style=\"width: 20px; height: 20px;\"><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n                \n\n<div class=\"kksr-legend\" style=\"font-size: 16px;\">\n            5\/5 - (40 votes)    <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last updated: March 2026 Musicians Union recommended live rates (updated 2nd May 2025) &#8211; rates per musician This is&nbsp;taken from the Musicians Union Website: If musicians can agree on anything, it\u2019s that no-one should perform for free but typically there\u2019s always a musician out there who will perform for cheaper. Considering this how much should [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":312,"featured_media":4421,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[171],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2030","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advice-for-musicians"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Musicians Union (MU) Recommended Live Rates 2026<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What are the Musicians Union recommended live rates? Find the latest MU gig rates per musician for pubs, clubs, functions, overtime, and travel.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/mu-live-rates\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Musicians Union (MU) Recommended Live Rates 2026\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What are the Musicians Union recommended live rates? Find the latest MU gig rates per musician for pubs, clubs, functions, overtime, and travel.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/mu-live-rates\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"How To Get Gigs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-04-25T08:40:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-29T07:58:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/theMU.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jon Fellowes\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@howtogetgigs\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@howtogetgigs\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\\\/how_to_get_gigs\\\/mu-live-rates\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\\\/how_to_get_gigs\\\/mu-live-rates\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Jon Fellowes\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\\\/how_to_get_gigs\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d093b03bbbea7f331629c8479e81028a\"},\"headline\":\"MU Recommended Live Rates\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-04-25T08:40:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-29T07:58:40+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\\\/how_to_get_gigs\\\/mu-live-rates\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1017,\"commentCount\":9,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\\\/how_to_get_gigs\\\/mu-live-rates\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\\\/how_to_get_gigs\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/04\\\/theMU.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Advice for musicians\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\\\/how_to_get_gigs\\\/mu-live-rates\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\\\/how_to_get_gigs\\\/mu-live-rates\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\\\/how_to_get_gigs\\\/mu-live-rates\\\/\",\"name\":\"Musicians Union (MU) Recommended Live Rates 2026\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\\\/how_to_get_gigs\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\\\/how_to_get_gigs\\\/mu-live-rates\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\\\/how_to_get_gigs\\\/mu-live-rates\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\\\/how_to_get_gigs\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/04\\\/theMU.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-04-25T08:40:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-29T07:58:40+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\\\/how_to_get_gigs\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d093b03bbbea7f331629c8479e81028a\"},\"description\":\"What are the Musicians Union recommended live rates? Find the latest MU gig rates per musician for pubs, clubs, functions, overtime, and travel.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\\\/how_to_get_gigs\\\/mu-live-rates\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\\\/how_to_get_gigs\\\/mu-live-rates\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\\\/how_to_get_gigs\\\/mu-live-rates\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\\\/how_to_get_gigs\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/04\\\/theMU.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\\\/how_to_get_gigs\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/04\\\/theMU.jpg\",\"width\":900,\"height\":600,\"caption\":\"The Musicians Union\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\\\/how_to_get_gigs\\\/mu-live-rates\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"How To Get Gigs\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\\\/how_to_get_gigs\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"MU Recommended Live Rates\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\\\/how_to_get_gigs\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\\\/how_to_get_gigs\\\/\",\"name\":\"How To Get Gigs\",\"description\":\"HOW TO GET GIGS\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\\\/how_to_get_gigs\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\\\/how_to_get_gigs\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d093b03bbbea7f331629c8479e81028a\",\"name\":\"Jon Fellowes\",\"description\":\"Freelance Journalist \\\/ Last Minute Musicians Publisher &amp; Press Liaison\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Musicians Union (MU) Recommended Live Rates 2026","description":"What are the Musicians Union recommended live rates? Find the latest MU gig rates per musician for pubs, clubs, functions, overtime, and travel.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/mu-live-rates\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Musicians Union (MU) Recommended Live Rates 2026","og_description":"What are the Musicians Union recommended live rates? Find the latest MU gig rates per musician for pubs, clubs, functions, overtime, and travel.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/mu-live-rates\/","og_site_name":"How To Get Gigs","article_published_time":"2020-04-25T08:40:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-03-29T07:58:40+00:00","og_image":[{"width":900,"height":600,"url":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/theMU.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Jon Fellowes","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@howtogetgigs","twitter_site":"@howtogetgigs","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/mu-live-rates\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/mu-live-rates\/"},"author":{"name":"Jon Fellowes","@id":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/#\/schema\/person\/d093b03bbbea7f331629c8479e81028a"},"headline":"MU Recommended Live Rates","datePublished":"2020-04-25T08:40:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-29T07:58:40+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/mu-live-rates\/"},"wordCount":1017,"commentCount":9,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/mu-live-rates\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/theMU.jpg","articleSection":["Advice for musicians"],"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/mu-live-rates\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/mu-live-rates\/","url":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/mu-live-rates\/","name":"Musicians Union (MU) Recommended Live Rates 2026","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/mu-live-rates\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/mu-live-rates\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/theMU.jpg","datePublished":"2020-04-25T08:40:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-29T07:58:40+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/#\/schema\/person\/d093b03bbbea7f331629c8479e81028a"},"description":"What are the Musicians Union recommended live rates? Find the latest MU gig rates per musician for pubs, clubs, functions, overtime, and travel.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/mu-live-rates\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/mu-live-rates\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/mu-live-rates\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/theMU.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/theMU.jpg","width":900,"height":600,"caption":"The Musicians Union"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/mu-live-rates\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"How To Get Gigs","item":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"MU Recommended Live Rates"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/","name":"How To Get Gigs","description":"HOW TO GET GIGS","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/#\/schema\/person\/d093b03bbbea7f331629c8479e81028a","name":"Jon Fellowes","description":"Freelance Journalist \/ Last Minute Musicians Publisher &amp; Press Liaison"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2030","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/312"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2030"}],"version-history":[{"count":95,"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2030\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6214,"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2030\/revisions\/6214"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2030"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2030"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminutemusicians.com\/how_to_get_gigs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2030"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}