My DJ Hiring Platform Makes $100K/Month
Who are you and what business did you start?
Hello! I’m Ed Southall, and I run FixTheMusic, a platform that helps people hire professional musicians, bands and DJs for private events across the UK and Europe. We operate as a curated marketplace, connecting wedding couples and corporate event planners with outstanding performers, while also giving talented artists a reliable way to secure high-quality bookings.
What makes FixTheMusic special is our emphasis on transparency, ease of use and exceptional talent. We streamline the entire booking process so clients can discover and book brilliant acts within minutes, while musicians benefit from fair, straightforward opportunities. Today we bring in around $100K per month.
Live music that makes the moment magical.
How do you come up with the idea for FixTheMusic?
The idea for FixTheMusic came to me on a train about ten years ago, while chatting with a friend about all the new “Airbnb-style” platforms emerging. As a lifelong musician, who also worked as a lawyer in London, I realised there wasn’t a proper marketplace for booking live performers. I remember the ‘aha’ moment vividly. Other ideas I’d explored, like launching a British seaweed crisp company, needed far more capital and had no clear route to early profitability. This one matched my background perfectly: I’d studied music, played professionally and understood the challenges freelance musicians face. I validated the idea by building a simple MVP, promoting it in Facebook wedding groups and using musician communities to fulfil early enquiries: proof that real demand existed.
How did you build the initial version of FixTheMusic?
- Edward Southall built FixTheMusic by developing a simple MVP to validate the idea, promoting it in Facebook wedding groups and utilizing musician communities to fulfill early enquiries.
- The first version of the product did not have a public website or online payments, with everything being handled by email and bank transfer for the first sale which came within a couple of weeks.
- Southall focused on organic SEO and Instagram for growth, while running targeted PPC campaigns on Google for specific types of musicians, realizing the importance of focusing on niche searches for higher conversion rates.
- He learned the power of persistence, the importance of focusing on the higher end of the market, and the value of real customer feedback early on in the building process.
How did you launch FixTheMusic and get initial traction?
We didn’t do a big launch. FixTheMusic simply went live, and I started by searching Facebook wedding groups where couples asked for recommendations. I would comment “Try FixTheMusic” and wait to see if they filled in our enquiry form. To my surprise, they did. We then used musician Facebook groups to match those enquiries, which helped us build both sides of the marketplace at once. Early reactions were very positive, and people told us the site filled a real gap.
One lesson was that simple, manual outreach can be very effective and that early traction does not require a big marketing budget.
Our first sale came within a couple of weeks: a string quartet for an Army Christmas ball. We did not even have a public website or online payments, so everything was handled by email and bank transfer. It taught me that I enjoyed the hustle and that there was real demand if we could capture it.
What was the growth strategy for FixTheMusic and how did you scale?
Our main growth strategy has been organic SEO. We focused on it from day one, consistently creating high-quality pages for specific types of musicians and events. Instagram has also been important, as it is such a visual platform and widely used in the wedding world. By regularly posting content, tagging venues and planners, and sharing performances from our artists, we have steadily increased our visibility.
One specific tactic that has worked well is running very targeted PPC campaigns on Google. Rather than broad ads, we focus on niche searches for particular types of bands or musicians. These users are already looking for exactly what we offer, so the conversion rate is strong. In contrast, more general Facebook ads have been harder to convert because booking a musician is rarely an impulse decision. This taught us to put our budget where the intent already exists.
For aspiring entrepreneurs, my main advice is to start quickly and speak to real customers as early as possible. They will show you what truly matters, what to improve and, importantly, what does not need your attention yet. Getting real feedback early saves enormous time and helps you build something that genuinely solves a problem.
What were the biggest lessons learned from building FixTheMusic?
At the start, I made the mistake of trying to build the business with several friends, only to realise that very few people have the resolve to commit fully when things get tough. One of the best decisions we made was focusing on the higher end of the market. By curating only high-quality bands and positioning FixTheMusic as an exclusive platform, we built trust early and avoided competing on price.
A few similar platforms launched in the UK around the same time, completely independently. Although it created competition, the timing actually helped. It educated musicians about online bookings and made the market more receptive to what we were offering.
The biggest lesson I learned was the power of persistence. I spent hours manually building profiles, uploading images and writing copy. None of it was glamorous, but those small efforts compounded. Many entrepreneurs switch ideas too quickly. If something shows early traction, keep going and stay focused.
What platform/tools does FixTheMusic use?
Discover Similar Business Ideas Like FixTheMusic
More about FixTheMusic:
Who is the owner of FixTheMusic?
Edward Southall is the founder of FixTheMusic.
When did Edward Southall start FixTheMusic?
2015
How much money has Edward Southall made from FixTheMusic?
Edward Southall started the business in 2015, and currently makes an average of $1.2M/year.
