Terms of Service

Last updated: March 2026  ·  Effective: March 2026

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the GigNVenue platform ("Platform"), operated by GigNVenue ("GigNVenue," "we," "us," or "our"). By creating an account or using the Platform, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Platform.

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1. Platform Role

GigNVenue is a marketplace platform that facilitates connections between artists and bookers seeking performance venues ("Artists") and venue owners who list their spaces for live music events ("Hosts"). GigNVenue is not a party to any booking agreement entered into between an Artist and a Host.

The booking contract — including any performance terms, cancellation conditions, and obligations on the day of an event — is an agreement between the Artist and the Host. GigNVenue provides the infrastructure to initiate, confirm, and process these agreements, and manages the deposit on behalf of both parties, but is not responsible for either party's performance under the agreement.

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2. Accounts and Eligibility

To use the Platform you must:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Be legally capable of entering into binding contracts
• Provide accurate, complete, and current registration information
• Maintain the security of your account credentials and not share them with others

GigNVenue offers two account types: Artist/Booker accounts and Venue Host accounts. Each has its own dashboard and associated permissions. You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account.

GigNVenue reserves the right to suspend or terminate any account that violates these Terms, provides false information, or engages in conduct harmful to other users or the Platform.

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3. Artist and Booker Obligations

Artists and bookers using the Platform agree to:

• Provide accurate information in booking requests, including event type, expected attendance, and any specific production requirements
• Complete payment within 48 hours of receiving a booking approval. Failure to do so will result in the approval expiring and the date being released back to the venue's calendar
• Honor confirmed and paid bookings. Cancellation after payment is subject to the venue's cancellation policy
• Communicate through the GigNVenue messaging system prior to payment completion
• Settle the remaining venue balance (the nightly rate less the deposit) directly with the Host on or before the date of the event, as agreed
• Not submit fraudulent, speculative, or bad-faith booking requests
• Not send payment to a venue, host, or third party outside the GigNVenue platform. GigNVenue's protections — including deposit holding, platform dispute resolution, and chargeback eligibility — apply only to transactions processed through the Platform. Off-platform payments are made entirely at the Artist's own risk, and GigNVenue expressly disclaims any liability for funds transferred outside the Platform
• Conduct reasonable due diligence before booking. This includes reviewing the venue's listing and cancellation policy, reading available ratings and reviews, communicating through the Platform's messaging system before payment, and where feasible visiting the venue in person prior to the event date. GigNVenue does not independently verify the physical condition, safety, licensing, or operational status of any listed venue, and visiting a venue before committing to a paid booking is strongly recommended
• Not perform at any venue without a written performance agreement in place with the Host. GigNVenue recommends executing a formal performance contract directly with the Host before the event. The Platform does not provide, review, or enforce performance contracts beyond the booking confirmation terms described in these Terms

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4. Venue Host Obligations

Venue hosts using the Platform agree to:

• Provide accurate, complete, and up-to-date venue listings, including photos, capacity, amenities, nightly rate, and availability
• Respond to booking requests in a timely manner, generally within one to two business days
• Honor confirmed bookings for which payment has been received. Cancellation of a confirmed, paid booking by a Host may result in the deposit being returned to the Artist and may affect the Host's standing on the Platform
• Maintain a current cancellation policy as part of their venue profile, accepted by Artists at the time of booking
• Mark confirmed bookings as "played off" in the Platform promptly after the event has taken place, to trigger the release of the held deposit
• Not list venues they do not have the authority to book
• Acknowledge that the venue is at all times an independent legal entity. The Host is solely responsible for complying with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, permits, licenses, insurance requirements, and safety codes relating to the operation of the venue and the hosting of live events. GigNVenue does not verify, supervise, or assume responsibility for the Host's compliance with any legal or regulatory obligation
• Represent and warrant, at the time of listing and throughout any active listing period, that: (a) the venue holds all permits, licenses, and insurance required by applicable law for the operation of live events; (b) the Host is legally authorized to act on behalf of the venue; and (c) the Host has the legal authority to enter into booking agreements on behalf of the venue
• Upload only photos and images for which the Host holds all necessary rights, permissions, and licenses. Submitting images without proper authorization may constitute copyright infringement. GigNVenue may remove unauthorized content upon notice and reserves all related rights

Misrepresentation. Any false or misleading representation made by a Host in connection with a venue listing — including false claims about permits, licensing, insurance, ownership, or authority to act on behalf of a venue — may constitute fraud under applicable federal and state law and may expose the Host to civil liability and criminal prosecution to the fullest extent of the law. GigNVenue reserves the right to remove listings, suspend or terminate accounts, and report suspected fraudulent conduct to appropriate authorities.

Independent operation. Hosts control their own venue rates, availability calendars, listing content, and uploaded images using GigNVenue's platform as a tool. GigNVenue does not direct, supervise, or participate in the day-to-day operation of any listed venue. Following booking confirmation and Artist payment, the contractual and operational relationship between the Artist and the Host — including any performance agreement, rider negotiation, direct coordination, and settlement of the remaining venue balance — continues entirely between those parties without involvement from GigNVenue.

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5. The Booking Process

The GigNVenue booking process operates as follows:

• Request: An Artist submits a booking request for a specific date at a specific venue, including event details and any notes for the Host
• Review: The Host reviews the request. The Platform may present multiple requests for the same date; the order in which the Host considers these is managed by the Platform at its discretion
• Approval: If the Host approves the request, the Artist receives a notification and a payment prompt in their dashboard
• Payment: The Artist has 48 hours to complete payment. Payment constitutes the Artist's agreement to the venue's cancellation policy and all applicable booking terms
• Confirmation: Upon payment completion, the booking is confirmed. The date is locked on the venue's calendar. Any other pending requests from the same Artist for the same date at other venues are automatically cancelled
• Event: The event takes place. The remaining balance is settled between Artist and Host directly
• Completion: The Host marks the booking as played off in the Platform. The held deposit is released to the Host within 24 hours

Post-confirmation direct relationship. Once a booking is confirmed and payment has been processed, the contractual and operational relationship between the Artist and the Host continues directly between those parties, without further involvement from GigNVenue. This includes but is not limited to: negotiation and execution of any performance agreement, rider, or technical requirements; production and logistics coordination; and direct settlement of the remaining venue balance. GigNVenue's role after confirmation is limited to holding the deposit and administering the completion, cancellation, or dispute process described in these Terms. GigNVenue is not a party to any performance agreement between Artist and Host and accepts no liability arising from the direct relationship between them.

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6. Payments, Fees, and Deposits

Artist booking fee

Artists pay a 5% booking fee on the confirmed nightly rate of the venue at the time of payment. This fee is non-refundable once payment is completed. The booking fee covers secure payment processing via Stripe, platform operations, and support services.

Venue booking fee

Venue hosts pay a 5% booking fee on the confirmed nightly rate, deducted from the deposit release upon the Host marking a show as played off. No upfront fee is charged to Hosts; the venue booking fee is only applied when a show successfully completes. Combined, the artist and venue booking fees (5% each, totaling 10%) constitute GigNVenue's sole source of revenue.

Deposit

Artists pay a 20% deposit on the confirmed nightly rate at the time of payment. The deposit is held securely by GigNVenue via Stripe and is not the property of either the Artist or the Host until released. The conditions for release or return of the deposit are governed by the venue's cancellation policy and Section 8 of these Terms.

Remaining balance

The remaining 80% of the nightly rate (the venue balance) is settled directly between the Artist and the Host on or before the day of the event, outside of the GigNVenue platform. GigNVenue is not a party to this transaction and accepts no liability for disputes arising from it.

Payment processing

All payments on the Platform are processed by Stripe. By completing a payment, you agree to Stripe's terms of service. GigNVenue does not store payment card information.

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7. Cancellation Policy

Cancellation before payment

Artists may cancel a pending booking request at any time before payment is completed at no cost. The cancellation is recorded in the Artist's booking history.

Cancellation after payment

Once payment has been completed, cancellation terms — including whether the deposit is refundable, partially refundable, or non-refundable — are governed by the Host's cancellation policy, which the Artist reviewed and accepted as part of completing payment. The 5% booking fee is non-refundable in all cases.

Host-initiated cancellation

If a Host cancels a confirmed, paid booking, the Artist's deposit will be returned in full. GigNVenue reserves the right to take further action against a Host who cancels confirmed bookings, up to and including removal from the Platform.

Automatic cancellation

Booking approvals expire if payment is not completed within 48 hours. Upon expiration, the date is released on the venue's calendar and the approval is void. Additionally, upon successful payment for a confirmed booking, any other pending requests submitted by the same Artist for the same date at other venues are automatically cancelled. Cancelled requests of this type are noted in the Artist's booking history.

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8. Deposit Release and Refund

The 20% deposit held by GigNVenue is released or returned according to the following conditions:

• Successful show: Upon the Host marking the booking as played off in the Platform, the deposit is released to the Host within 24 hours, net of the 5% venue booking fee retained by GigNVenue at that time
• Artist cancellation after payment: The deposit is handled according to the Host's cancellation policy, which was accepted by the Artist at payment
• Host cancellation of confirmed booking: The deposit is returned to the Artist in full
• Disputed outcome: If the status of a show is disputed — for example, if a Host does not mark a booking as played off and an Artist contends the show took place — GigNVenue will review available evidence and make a determination at its reasonable discretion. GigNVenue's determination in such disputes is final

GigNVenue reserves the right to withhold deposit release pending investigation of any dispute, chargeback, or suspected fraudulent activity.

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9. Dispute Resolution

In the event of a dispute between an Artist and a Host arising from a booking, both parties agree to first attempt to resolve the dispute directly through the GigNVenue messaging system. If direct resolution is not possible, either party may contact GigNVenue support to request assistance.

For disputes involving the deposit, GigNVenue will review the matter and issue a determination within a reasonable time. Evidence that may be considered includes platform records, message history, booking terms, and any documentation provided by either party.

GigNVenue's role in disputes is limited to determining the disposition of the held deposit. GigNVenue is not a mediator, arbitrator, or legal representative of either party and does not assume liability for losses beyond the held deposit amount.

Any legal dispute arising from these Terms or the use of the Platform that cannot be resolved through the above process shall be subject to binding arbitration under the rules of the American Arbitration Association, conducted in the state of [STATE], and governed by the laws of that state. Both parties waive the right to a jury trial and to participate in class action proceedings.

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10. Prohibited Uses

You agree not to use the Platform to:

• Submit fraudulent, speculative, or bad-faith booking requests
• List venues you do not have the legal authority to book
• Arrange or solicit payments for bookings outside the GigNVenue platform in order to circumvent fees
• Harass, threaten, or abuse other users through the messaging system
• Post false, misleading, or defamatory content in listings, profiles, or messages
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to another user's account or to Platform systems
• Scrape, copy, or redistribute Platform content without authorization
• Use the Platform for any purpose that violates applicable federal, state, or local law

GigNVenue reserves the right to remove content and suspend or terminate accounts that violate these prohibitions, without prior notice.

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11. Intellectual Property

The GigNVenue name, logo, and all Platform content created by GigNVenue — including design, text, graphics, and software — are the property of GigNVenue and are protected by applicable intellectual property laws.

By submitting content to the Platform (including profile photos, venue photos, bio text, and messages), you grant GigNVenue a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use, display, and distribute that content solely for the purpose of operating and promoting the Platform. You represent that you have the right to grant this license. With respect to any images or photos submitted — including venue photos, artist promotional photos, and profile images — you represent and warrant that you own all necessary rights to those images or have obtained all required permissions and licenses from the rights holders. Submitting photos without proper authorization may constitute copyright infringement, and you agree to indemnify GigNVenue against any claims arising from unauthorized image submissions.

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12. Disclaimers

The Platform is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, express or implied. GigNVenue does not warrant that the Platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of harmful components.

GigNVenue does not endorse, guarantee, or assume responsibility for any listings, venues, artists, or bookings facilitated through the Platform. We are a marketplace — the quality, safety, and accuracy of listings and the performance of bookings is the responsibility of the respective Host or Artist.

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13. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, GigNVenue's total liability to you for any claim arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Platform shall not exceed the greater of (a) the amount of fees paid by you to GigNVenue in the twelve months prior to the claim, or (b) one hundred dollars ($100).

In no event shall GigNVenue be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages — including lost profits, lost revenue, or lost data — arising out of or relating to your use of the Platform, even if GigNVenue has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

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14. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless GigNVenue and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses — including reasonable legal fees — arising out of or in connection with your use of the Platform, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any rights of another person or entity.

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15. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of [STATE], without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any dispute not subject to arbitration under Section 9 shall be resolved exclusively in the state or federal courts located in [STATE], and you consent to personal jurisdiction in those courts.

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16. Changes to These Terms

GigNVenue may update these Terms from time to time. When we make material changes, we will notify users via email or a prominent notice on the Platform, and we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Your continued use of the Platform after changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms.

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17. Contact

For questions about these Terms, please contact us:

• Support page: gignvenue.com/contact
• Email: legal@gignvenue.com

This document is a working draft prepared for legal review. It does not constitute legal advice and should be reviewed and finalized by qualified legal counsel before publication. Bracketed placeholders ([STATE]) must be completed prior to publication.