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December 18, 2023Where do you even start when it comes to live music for your pub? ...
You need to carefully consider a whole host of factors when hosting live music at your venue. There's a variety of licenses and regulations to consider, alongside marketing techniques - which we'll cover in this post.
Adding live music to your pub can be a game-changer, enhancing the overall patron experience and boosting your business in various ways. In this blog post, we'll delve into key aspects such as licensing requirements, music selection, the impact of live performances, and the best times to host events. First, let’s dive into the importance of live performances and the impact they have on your venue …
Why is Live Music Important
Live music is an effective tool for boosting your sales. Countless studies highlight the positive economic impact on venues for hosting a live music event – with APRA AMCOS’s study highlighting that 83.3% of patron spend at venue-based live music performances came from food and beverage – amounting to just over £800m. Aside from generating more direct sales for your business, there are a few other benefits to consider:
Extended Patron Dwell Time:
Live music extends patron dwell time at a pub by offering entertaining and social experiences, creating a vibrant atmosphere that encourages longer stays, and often being part of events with specific durations, enticing patrons to arrive early or stay later for a complete experience.
Community Building:
In 'Onto It’s Medias' study, 82% of respondents believe venues with live music offer a more welcoming environment. Live music helps to evoke emotions and improve the atmosphere, allowing patrons to bond and associate your pub with a good time.
Increased Foot Traffic:
Live music also provides an excellent opportunity to attract more customers. It provides you with materials to improve your social media marketing and can help create an atmosphere that attracts a higher proportion of passing foot traffic.
Enhanced Atmosphere:
Surveys by PPL and PRS indicate that 93% of UK venues agree that playing music creates a better atmosphere. In a study by Onto it Media, 80% of the venues believe that music relieves tension and awkward silences. This enhanced atmosphere can help to build a pub’s reputation, market your pub through word-of-mouth advertising and increase patron dwell times.
So, we’ve seen some of the benefits of live music – but what goes into running an effective live music event? Well, luckily, we’ve broken down everything you need to know …
Licensing & Legal Factors
To play live music you need a PPL PRS license – this is a Phonographic Performance Limited Performing Rights Society license. This license is required by anyone who plays copyrighted music in a public space – returning the royalties to the artists. To get a PPL PRS license, you must contact the Performing Rights Society. They will then provide you with a license that’s valid up to a certain amount of people – say 100 people, which must be renewed annually.
If you play recorded music, it’s likely you already have a PRS license for your venue. But, you must also have a premises license that covers the option for having live music. If you didn’t get the option for live music when you initially applied for a premises license, you may need to apply again for this option.
If you can’t play live music with your current license. You can look at using a TEN or temporary event notice. A TEN permits you to hold a small public event of up to 499 people involving licensable activities, without any further authorisation. You can be given up to 50 TENs in a single year as an individual if you have a personal license to sell alcohol, and a single premise can have up to 15 TENs applied for in one year.
There are also other legal factors to consider when hosting a live music event. One such consideration is noise management. New laws require that no music is played on the premises which exceeds 85db(A) when measured at the source of the music, however, this does not apply to live music performances. But you should try to be considerate of your surroundings when hosting live music events, as the council has the right to issue an abatement notice which requires you to stop or restrict the noise. The Live Music Act 2012 allows for amplified live music to be played to an audience of less than 500 people up to 11 pm.
You should also consider the space and capacity available at your venue, alongside the amount of bouncers you are required to keep your venue safe.
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How do I source high-quality live music for my pub?
Finding high-quality live music for your venue involves multiple methods. You can attend local events and festivals to discover emerging talent firsthand. Alternatively, you may want to tap into local talent networks and connect with musicians, bands, and booking agents in your area. This includes utilising live music agencies that specialise in artist representation and bookings – an example for the South West would be the following http://www.greatwesternentertainments.co.uk/. By combining these methods, you can curate a dynamic and appealing live music lineup for your venue, catering to diverse tastes and ensuring memorable experiences for your patrons.
Other Considerations
Quality Sound and Equipment:
Before running an event, you should ensure you have access to high-quality sound and equipment. Speak to your live performer and see if this comes with their gig. Or maybe you have to hire some equipment yourself. If you are looking for more regular live music events, then you could look at purchasing some of the equipment yourself. Check out Wire Realm’s guide to see what gear you might need to get hold of. You must also ensure the band / musician has adequate time to perform sound checks and warm up.
During a live music event, the rate of alcohol consumption is lowest while the band/artist is playing and highest before the event as people are arriving. Therefore, allow ample time for people to get into the venue and start drinking.
When is the best time to host a live music event for a pub?
When scheduling your live music event, you want to try and ensure that it doesn’t occur at the same time as the gig of a similar act where there could be some crossover between crowds.
Also, try and avoid national holidays or nights of the week where people are less likely to be out – although you can also host live music on these quieter nights to give more appeal to your pub.
It’s worth testing the pull of live music against previous weeks to see how much additional business music brings – often finding the right day comes down to testing and feedback. Often, Thursdays can be a good night to see the impact of live music on your pub.
As for timing, we recommend that the live music starts between 7 to 8 pm, giving your patrons adequate time to drink beforehand, although this should also be tested. You might also find it more valuable to play live music later on in the night to retain customers at your pub and allow crowds to build further.
Effective advertising and promotion
To successfully organise a captivating live music event, it's crucial to employ a diverse range of promotional techniques. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram serve as powerful tools for generating anticipation. Craft engaging posts, share artist profiles, and utilize targeted ads to reach your desired audience. Encourage attendees to actively participate by checking in and sharing event-related content, fostering a sense of community buzz.
In addition to digital promotion, traditional methods like eye-catching flyers remain effective. Strategically distribute them in high-traffic areas, partner businesses, and community boards to ensure broad visibility. Collaborate with local affiliates, be they businesses or influencers, who resonate with your venue's atmosphere. Their endorsement can significantly broaden your event's reach, and offering incentives like discounts strengthens these partnerships.
You can also consider leveraging special offers or promotions tied to the music event. This could be an early-bird or bundled ticket option to boost sales, discounted drink packages, meal deals, or exclusive merchandise bundles. These strategies collectively enhance the event's appeal, ensuring a memorable experience that attracts and retains patrons.
Choose the right genre
Introducing a variety of music genres on designated days contributes to a positive atmosphere shift. Programming specific genres during off-peak hours allows venues to draw diverse crowds. Often-overlooked genres such as punk, hip-hop, and metal can cultivate loyal audiences, effectively boosting activity during slower periods. Key considerations for success include maintaining consistency, clear promotional efforts, practising patience, and leveraging existing venue strengths.
Capture the moment & gather feedback
Live music also provides an excellent opportunity to attract future customers. You should try to get hold of high-quality footage of everyone enjoying themselves, which you can re-distribute on social media and will contribute to making future live music nights more important.
It’s also important to try and gather feedback from those who attended, especially if it was your first live music event. You can also use this feedback to iterate and improve your future events and gauge what you need to do differently next time.
Hopefully, this guide helped to inform you a little more about running live music for your pub. As always, it’s important to test the impact of live music on your venue and seek constant feedback to ensure that live music events are cost effective.
If there are any points you want us to dive deeper into then just leave a comment.
