Putting Music On: the venue operator’s guide

Free guide for London pubs, bars and venues · 2026/27 season

Putting Music On: what a DJ night actually costs, and what permission you actually need

The licensing bill for a 100-person, 4-hour DJ night is about £37 + VAT – less than a round of cocktails. Most venue operators have never seen that number written down, because nobody publishes it in plain English. We did, with every figure linked to the tariff or law it came from.

Get the free 12-page guide – the permission rules, the real costs, the September-to-NYE season map with act-by dates, and a break-even worksheet that is allowed to tell you no. Every figure verified against primary sources on 19 August 2026.

[Form goes here – email required, first name and venue optional, explicit consent tick-box]

Do you actually need permission for a DJ night? Answer four questions.

Most operators believe a DJ night needs an extra licence. Most of the time it does not – the rule has been in place since 2015. Work down the ladder:

Question 1

Does the venue hold a normal on-licence (a premises licence authorising alcohol drunk on site)?

If no: The exemption does not apply. Entertainment needs authorising on a licence, or a Temporary Event Notice (£21) per event.

IF YES ↓

Question 2

Will the venue be open and selling alcohol under that licence during the event?

If no: A private hire with the bar shut is outside the exemption. Speak to your licensing team first.

IF YES ↓

Question 3

Is the audience 500 people or fewer?

If no: Over 500 takes you outside the exemption entirely. You need entertainment authorised on your premises licence.

IF YES ↓

Question 4

Does the music run only between 8am and 11pm?

If no: Check your premises licence – many London licences already authorise recorded music past 11pm, and if yours does, you simply trade under it. If not: a TEN for a one-off, or a licence variation.

IF YES ↓

All four yes? No separate entertainment permission needed. DJs and recorded music do not count as regulated entertainment under those conditions – Schedule 1, paragraph 12A of the Licensing Act 2003, read with section 177A. (Read the law itself.)

General information for England and Wales, not legal advice – licence conditions vary by premises, so check your own licence.

What’s in the full guide

The real costs: the two music-fee tariffs in plain English, with worked examples for 50, 100 and 200-person nights – and how billing actually works (no per-event paperwork).
The season map: September to New Year’s Eve with act-by dates – including why an NYE Temporary Event Notice realistically needs serving in November.
The break-even worksheet: four numbers that tell you honestly whether a music night pays. Some nights fail the test; the worksheet is allowed to say no.
Seven questions to ask before booking any DJ – us or anyone else – from insurance certificates to sound limiters.
Jargon, translated: TENs, SFE, wet-led, clear working days – every term, in human words.

Every number carries a clickable link to the tariff document or legislation it came from, and the guide states the date each figure was verified.

Who we are

Eclectic DJ Collective supplies vetted, insured, venue-experienced DJs across London – matched to your room and your crowd, not pulled off a list. This guide is free because the maths of a music night should be public. If you want a second opinion on your numbers before spending anything, ask us – that conversation is free too, and does not come with a hard sell.

Get the free guide