James McAulay
One of the questions we’re asked most often is about the cost of hiring live musicians. Most people hiring live music have never done it before, so it can be daunting to wade through prices and quotes online when you have no idea what things should cost.
In this guide, we’ll be shining a light on the prices you should expect to pay for over 30 different types of live music. We’ll break the guide into six sections:
Since starting Encore in 2014, our musicians have sent over 100,000 quotes to customers for all sorts of events, so we’ve got an excellent database of prices for different types of music.
For each type of live music, we’ll give you three prices:
Starting Price: this is the lowest price you can expect to pay for a professional performing at least one 45-minute performance. If you’re quoted a price below this, you may be dealing with amateur or student musicians, which can be risky.
Average Price: this is the average price for 2x 45-min sets. This data is based on over 100,000 quotes.
High-end Price: this is the highest quote you should expect to receive for a particular type of musician or band. If somebody gives you a quote above this price, be sure to ask for a breakdown of the fee.
Travel expenses
It’s also worth bearing in mind that these prices do not include travel expenses. The Musicians Union suggests that musicians should charge 45p per mile travelled, so if you’re hiring a soloist who is travelling a 100mi round trip, expect to pay roughly £45 in travel expenses.
Musicians under £350
With a budget of £350, you’re able to afford most types of solo instrumentalist or singer:
- Violinist
- Cellist
- Pianist
- Bagpiper
- Singing Guitarist
- Singing Pianist
- Saxophonist
- Electric Violinist
- Guitarist
- Organist
- Harpist
- Accordionist
- Solo Singer, or
- Most Solo Instrumentalists
Solo Violinist
How much does it cost hire a violinist?
Costs for a solo violinist range from £180 to £400, with an average price of £230.
- Starting Price: £180
- Average Price: £230
- High-end Price: £400
Hiring a solo violinist is a popular choice for wedding ceremonies and receptions, dinners and drinks receptions, and corporate events.
To learn more about hiring a violinist, read our Violinist Booking Guide.
To browse over 400+ available solo violinists in the UK, head to our Violinists Page.
Browse all Violinists →
Solo Cellist
How much does it cost to hire a solo cellist?
Costs for a solo violinist range from £180 to £400, with an average price of £230.
- Starting Price: £180
- Average Price: £230
- High-end Price: £400
Hiring a solo cellist is a particularly popular choice for wedding ceremonies, especially after Harry and Meghan hired Skeku Kanneh-Mason to perform at their royal wedding.
For advice and tips on hiring a cellist for your wedding, you may enjoy this this article: Wedding Cellist: Hiring Advice and Inspiration.
To browse over 180+ available cellists in the UK, head to our Cellists Page.
Browse all Cellists →
Solo Pianist
How much does it cost to hire a solo pianist?
Costs for a solo pianist range from £180 to £450, with an average price of £260. The cost will be lower if your venue already has a piano, as this means the pianist doesn’t need to bring their own portable stage piano.
- Starting Price: £180
- Average Price: £260
- High-end Price: £450
Hiring a pianist is a great choice for drinks receptions, wedding ceremonies and receptions, and laid-back events in bars and restaurants.
Thinking about hiring a pianist for your event, but not sure where to start? We’ve got you covered. Check out our comprehensive Pianist Booking Guide
To compare over 450 available pianists in the UK, take a look at our Pianists Page.
Browse all Pianists →
Bagpiper
How much does it cost to hire a bagpiper?
Costs for a bagpiper range from £150 to £250, with the average price being around £200. Bear in mind that bagpipers are particularly popular on New Year’s Eve (Hogmanay), Burns Night, and St Andrews Day, so prices tend to be higher during these peak times.
- Starting Price: £150
- Average Price: £200
- High-end Price: £250
Bagpipers are common at Scottish weddings, where the piper will often perform while the bride is arriving, or as the couple leave the church.
If you’d like some advice on hiring a bagpiper, we’ve written a helpful guide for you with lots of handy tips. Check it out here: Bagpiper Booking Guide: How to Hire
Encore is home to the largest selection of highly-rated bagpipers in the UK. To find an available piper for your event, head to our Bagpipers Page.
Browse all Bagpipers →
Singing Guitarist
How much does it cost to hire a singing guitarist?
- Starting Price: £180
- Average Price: £280
- High-end Price: £400
It’s worth noting that these prices are based on fairly standard performances at private events and weddings, usually of two 45-minute sets.
A singing guitarist performing in a pub on a Friday or Saturday night may charge slightly less, and a singing guitarist performing for your wedding ceremony, drinks reception and evening party will naturally charge more than £400 to be hired out for the entire day.
Singing Guitarists are extremely popular due to their versatile nature. They can provide a laidback and low-key soundtrack to your drinks reception, or they can get all of your guests dancing on the tables and belting their lungs out to “Angels” by Robbie Williams towards the end of the night.
Singing Guitarists are popular all-year round, and particularly popular on weekends during wedding season and throughout December when being booked for Christmas parties and New Years Eve events.
Compare prices for over 150 singing guitarists in the UK here: Browse Singing Guitarists
Browse all Singing Guitarists →
Singing Pianist
How much does it cost to hire a singing pianist?
- Starting Price: £200
- Average Price: £300
- High-end Price: £450
The prices for singing pianists are very similar to the prices of singing guitarists, with a slight increase to account for the pianist usually providing their own stage piano and amplification.
Some singing pianists can also offer a ‘grand piano shell’, where they can transform a regular keyboard into a small grand piano by attaching a classy perspex shell to the instrument. Most pianists will charge more for this, so if you’re interested in this option, expect to pay an additional £50 to £150 depending on the quality and size of the shell.
Compare costs of singing pianists all over the UK here: Browse Singing Pianists
Compare Singing Pianist prices →
Solo Saxophonist
How much does it cost to hire a solo saxophonist?
- Starting Price: £200
- Average Price: £350
- High-end Price: £500
Browse prices, videos and reviews of over 200 UK-based saxophonists here: Browse Saxophonists
Solo Electric Violinist
How much does it cost to hire an electric violinist?
- Starting Price: £250
- Average Price: £360
- High-end Price: £500
Find an electric violinist for your event on our UK Electric Violinists page.
Solo Guitarist
How much does it cost to hire a solo guitarist?
- Starting Price: £170
- Average Price: £240
- High-end Price: £400
Compare the prices and reviews of over 600 amazing guitarists in the UK here: Browse UK Guitarists
Organist
How much does it cost to hire an organist?
- Starting Price: £160
- Average Price: £200
- High-end Price: £300
Organists may ask for a double fee if the service is being recorded.
Harpist
How much does it cost to hire a harpist?
- Starting Price: £220
- Average Price: £310
- High-end Price: £450
Encore is home to the largest selection of harpists in the UK. Find the perfect harpist for your event here: Browse 100+ UK Harpists
Accordionist
How much does it cost to hire an accordionist?
- Starting Price: £200
- Average Price: £300
- High-end Price: £500
Searching for a great accordion player to perform at your event? Browse all Accordion players here.
Solo Singer
How much does it cost to hire a solo singer?
- Starting Price: £250
- Average Price: £350
- High-end Price: £700
Encore is home to over 900 incredible singers based all over the UK. To find the perfect singer for your event, browse our Singers Page.
Musicians costing £350 to £750
With a budget of £350 to £750, you can afford a small band or a small classical ensemble, as well as a range of good DJs.
- DJ
- String Duo
- String Trio
- Jazz Duo
- Jazz Trio
- Small Ceilidh Band
- Pop Duo
- Pop Trio
- Steel Drummers
- Small Vocal Ensemble
DJ
How much does it cost to hire a DJ?
- Starting Price: £250
- Average Price: £400
- High-end Price: £800
Finding a great DJ is easy with Encore: Browse UK DJs.
String Duo
How much does it cost to hire a string duo?
- Starting Price: £300
- Average Price: £400
- High-end Price: £700
The most common type of String Duo is Violin and Cello. Other line-ups include two Violinists, or two Cellists.
Browse UK String Duos here. Looking for a more unique classical duo? Compare the prices of hundreds of Classical Duos.
String Trio (Violin, Viola and Cello)
How much does it cost to hire a string trio?
- Starting Price: £480
- Average Price: £600
- High-end Price: £900
See the prices of hundreds of UK-based String Trios on our UK String Trios page.
Jazz Duo
How much does it cost to hire a jazz duo?
- Starting Price: £360
- Average Price: £440
- High-end Price: £800
Jazz Trio
How much does it cost to hire a jazz trio?
- Starting Price: £540
- Average Price: £660
- High-end Price: £1200
Small Ceilidh Band
How much does it cost to hire a small ceilidh band?
3 people:
- Starting Price: £450
- Average Price: £600
- High-end Price: £1200
4 people:
- Starting Price: £600
- Average Price: £800
- High-end Price: £1600
Pop Duo
How much does it cost to hire a pop duo?
- Starting Price: £340
- Average Price: £460
- High-end Price: £800
Pop Trio
How much does it cost to hire a pop trio?
- Starting Price: £510
- Average Price: £700
- High-end Price: £1300
Steel Drummers
How much does it cost to hire steel drummers?
- Starting Price: £200 per person
- Average Price: £260 per person
- High-end Price: £350 per person
Small vocal ensemble
How much does it cost to hire a vocal ensemble?
- Starting Price: £150 per person
- Average Price: £210 per person
- High-end Price: £350 per person
Compare outstanding vocal ensembles
Musicians costing £750 to £1,500
DJ Live
How much does it cost to hire DJ Live?
DJ + 1 musician
- Starting Price: £600
- Average Price: £800
- High-end Price: £1200
DJ + 2 musicians
- Starting Price: £900
- Average Price: £1200
- High-end Price: £1800
DJ + 3 musicians
- Starting Price: £1200
- Average Price: £1600
- High-end Price: £2400
Jazz Quartet, Quintet or Sextet
How much does it cost to hire a jazz band?
How much does it cost to hire a Jazz Quartet? (4 people)
- Starting Price: £720
- Average Price: £1100
- High-end Price: £2000
How much does it cost to hire a Jazz Quintet? (5 people)
- Starting Price: £900
- Average Price: £1400
- High-end Price: £2500
How much does it cost to hire a Jazz Sextet? (6 people)
- Starting Price: £1050
- Average Price: £1700
- High-end Price: £3000
Pop Band (4pc, 5pc or 6pc)
How much does it cost to hire a pop band?
4-piece line-up:
- Starting Price: £800
- Average Price: £1400
- High-end Price: £3000
5-piece line-up:
- Starting Price: £1000
- Average Price: £1650
- High-end Price: £3750
6-piece line-up:
- Starting Price: £1200
- Average Price: £2000
- High-end Price: £4500
Medium Ceilidh Band
How much does it cost to hire a medium-sized ceilidh band?
5 people:
- Starting Price: £750
- Average Price: £1000
- High-end Price: £2000
6 people:
- Starting Price: £900
- Average Price: £1200
- High-end Price: £2400
7 people:
- Starting Price: £1050
- Average Price: £1400
- High-end Price: £2800
String Quartet
How much does it cost to hire a string quartet?
- Starting Price: £640
- Average Price: £820
- High-end Price: £1600
Electric String Quartet
How much does it cost to hire an electric string quartet?
- Starting Price: £1000
- Average Price: £1600
- High-end Price: £3000
Barbershop Quartet
How much does it cost to hire a barbershop quartet?
- Starting Price: £640
- Average Price: £800
- High-end Price: £1400
Musicians costing £1,500 to £2,500
High-end Function Band
How much does it cost to hire a high-end function band?
4 people
- Starting Price: £1200
- Average Price: £1600
- High-end Price: £2600
5 people
- Starting Price: £1500
- Average Price: £2000
- High-end Price: £3200
6 people
- Starting Price: £1800
- Average Price: £2400
- High-end Price: £4000
7 people
- Starting Price: £2100
- Average Price: £2800
- High-end Price: £4500
String Octet
How much does it cost to hire a string octet?
- Starting Price: £1300
- Average Price: £1850
- High-end Price: £3200
Jazz Band (7pc, 8pc, 9pc, 10pc or 11pc)
How much does it cost to hire a solo violinist?
- Starting Price: £1300
- Average Price: £1850
- High-end Price: £3200
Small Choir
How much does it cost to hire a small choir?
To hire a small professional choir, you should expect to spend between £150 and £300 per singer, depending on the skill level of the choir and the length of time they are performing for.
Compare Choir prices →8 singers
- Starting Price: £1200
- Average Price: £1450
- High-end Price: £2400
12 singers
- Starting Price: £1800
- Average Price: £2150
- High-end Price: £3600
16 singers
- Starting Price: £2400
- Average Price: £2900
- High-end Price: £4800
The prices for choirs vary a lot depending on the skill level of the choir, and the type of event they are performing at:
Skill Level
The starting prices above are for choirs of professional or semi-professional singers who have been singing together for several years and who have usually been trained at a conservatoire or music college. These choirs will be audition-only, meaning the standard is very high and the singing is of a high quality.
If you choose to hire an amateur or student choir, then you may well receive lower quotes. However, you are increasing the risk of a bad or unprepared performance due to the lack of experience and training that these choirs have. If your event is important, we highly recommend hiring a professional or semi-professional choir.
Event Type
The prices above are for a performance at a private event or a wedding. If you are hiring a choir to sing at a funeral, however, then the price is likely to be lower due to the shorter length of the performance and the time of day that the choir will be performing (evenings and weekends tend to cost more due to the higher demand).
To compare prices and customer reviews for the best choirs in the UK, head to our UK Choirs for Hire page.
Browse all Choirs →
Large Ceilidh Band
How much does it cost to hire a medium-sized ceilidh band?
8 people:
- Starting Price: £1200
- Average Price: £1600
- High-end Price: £3200
9 people:
- Starting Price: £1350
- Average Price: £1800
- High-end Price: £3600
10 people:
- Starting Price: £1500
- Average Price: £2000
- High-end Price: £4000
Musicians costing £2,500 to £10,000
Large Swing Band (20 members)
How much does it cost to hire a solo violinist?
- Starting Price: £180
- Average Price: £230
- High-end Price: £400
Show Band
How much does it cost to hire a show band violinist?
8 members
- Starting Price: £2000
- Average Price: £2800
- High-end Price: £5000
10 members
- Starting Price: £2500
- Average Price: £3500
- High-end Price: £6000
12 members
- Starting Price: £3000
- Average Price: £4200
- High-end Price: £7000
Large Choir
How much does it cost to hire a choir?
20 singers
- Starting Price: £3000
- Average Price: £3600
- High-end Price: £6000
32 singers
- Starting Price: £4800
- Average Price: £5760
- High-end Price: £9600
60 singers
- Starting Price: £9000
- Average Price: £10,800
- High-end Price: £18,000
String Orchestra or Chamber Orchestra
How much does it cost to hire an orchestra?
24-piece String Orchestra
- Starting Price: £3600
- Average Price: £4800
- High-end Price: £10,000
40-piece Chamber Orchestra
- Starting Price: £6000
- Average Price: £8000
- High-end Price: £16,000
Musicians costing £10,000 to £100,000
Full Symphony Orchestra
How much does it cost to hire a symphony orchestra?
100 players
- Starting Price: £16,000
- Average Price: £22,000
- High-end Price: £40,000
Encore offers a bespoke orchestral booking service, where a member of our team will help you find and book the perfect orchestra to suit your musical, logistical and financial requirements.
To book your free consultation call, simply fill out the form below to send us a short email outlining your event and ideas. One of our team will then get back to you within 24 hours.
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