Engaging professional artists

We are delighted to be preparing to launch a new and exclusive Recommended Artist Guide, an online database of affordable professional artists to book specially by leisure-time music groups and promoters, with the launch of our new website in 2025. 

Replacing our previously printed Selected Artist Guide, Making Music members will be able to book the listed artists at specially quoted fees, while the artists will gain exposure and more opportunities for bookings. 

Long-running group of top freelance players to suit your venue, repertoire and budget.

Recruiting for a new musical leader is an important moment for a music group. This resource will take you through the process from defining the role to making an offer. Groups use different terms for their group's musical leader role, but in this resource we will use Music Director (MD).  

Contents:

Music agency providing live bands for every occasion. 

This agreement, reached between the Musicians' Union and Making Music in 2017, and updated in 2018, 2021, 2022 and 2023, provides guideline minimum rates for groups when engaging freelance professional musicians. We hope that this will provide a simple and effective aid to ensure that members are able to budget for, and professionals able to receive, a fair rate of payment.

We are very pleased to have renewed our agreement with the Musicians’ Union which is now in its sixth year.  

Map a Muso is a directory that matches professional performers based in your local area with your event.

Whether you're looking for soloists, conductors or extra musicians and singers for your concert, Map a Muso can help you find the performers you need.

Since launching in Spring 2023, our directory has grown fast to nearly 400 performers, from freelancers working for West End shows, to top orchestras and BBC choirs. Our mission is to make the music industry greener by connecting performers with gigs and concerts nearby.

Booking professional musicians can be financially challenging for many leisure-time groups. Making Music offers members specially reduced or subsidised rates to make booking and engaging artists more affordable.

Philip and Dorothy Green Young Artists subsidies

The Philip and Dorothy Green Young Artists (PDGYA) scheme enables young musicians at the start of their careers to gain vital performance experience across the UK, while Making Music members can engage some of the very best young musical talent at a reduced cost. 

Working with professional musicians is a great way for your group to develop musically, with great benefits for the professional as well. Here are our top tips to help your professional engagements run smoothly.

Below we've compiled the best practice tips that will enable the professional musician you’ve booked to give the very best of themselves, and it comes at no extra cost to your music group.

Initial contact

The intial contact with your proposed professional musician should include:

In this recording of our webinar, guest speakers discussed how the programming of living music creators can influence and diversify the repertoire of the future.

This event had a double focus: helping you understand more about the benefits and challenges of commissioning a music creator, and also exploring who you should commission and how to broaden your search and find the right music creator for your group.

We welcomed guest speakers: