Frequently Asked Questions

GigStage connects your live show with the people in the room. Your audience scans your QR code to see the songs you have made available, send live song requests, send shoutouts, and support you with tips while you stay in control of the show.

GigStage is free to sign up with no subscription and no upfront GigStage fee. GigStage earns 5% only on successful audience payments. Stripe processing fees are separate.

GigStage is currently available to performers in Canada and the United States. Stripe account setup through GigStage is also currently supported for Canadian and U.S. artists. Additional countries are coming soon.

Your first and last name are used to create your GigStage account. Your artist or band name comes next, and that is the name used on your Artist Page.

No. Audience members scan your QR code and use GigStage in their phone browser. No app download and no audience account are required.

No special GigStage hardware is required. You need a compatible phone, tablet, or computer and a reliable internet connection to manage your Live Gig.

Once your setup and Stripe status are ready, run a quick test before your first real show: 1. Start a Live Gig. 2. Scan your permanent QR code and confirm your Artist Page switches into Live Gig mode. 3. Choose a song and confirm the tip choices appear. 4. Select a tip amount and confirm Stripe Checkout opens — you do not need to complete the payment. 5. End the Live Gig when you are finished. Pro tip: If you can, use two devices for your test — one as the artist running the Live Gig Dashboard, and one as the audience scanning your QR code and trying the request flow. It gives you the closest feel to a real show.

Yes. Your Song List. Their Requests. You decide which songs are active and requestable, and the crowd only sees the songs you make available.

Yes. When you start a Live Gig, you can use your full Song Library or choose one of your saved setlists for that show.

Yes. GigStage supports CSV and Excel song-list imports. New songs from an import are added to your library as active and requestable, and duplicates are ignored.

No. Start with just 3 songs to get going. If your full list is ready, you can add it during signup. Otherwise, finish signup and add the rest later manually or with a CSV or Excel upload.

GigStage groups requests for the same song together so you can see how much demand a song is getting without filling your queue with duplicate cards.

From the Live Gig dashboard you can pause and resume requests, skip a request for now, mark songs as played, identify songs played earlier, and keep an eye on requests, shoutouts, tips, and the live event feed as the night moves along.

GigStage includes an automatic end safeguard for forgotten Live Gigs. The current safeguard ends an active Live Gig after six hours when the setting is enabled.

Yes. Free song requests are optional and are turned off by default. If you want to accept song requests without a tip, you can enable them anytime in Settings. We recommend leaving free requests turned off to encourage more tipped requests and increase tip opportunities during your shows.

Shoutouts let audience members send a message during your Live Gig for birthdays, celebrations, dedications, or just a little crowd interaction. The shoutout is sent to your Live Gig dashboard, where you can see it and choose whether to mention it during the show. You can allow or disable audience shoutouts in Settings.

Audience payments are processed securely through Stripe. Paid song requests, paid shoutouts, and standalone tips can appear in your Live Gig activity, and your connected Stripe account handles the payment and payout flow.

No. Stripe sends payouts to the bank account connected to your Stripe account. GigStage does not hold artist earnings.

Stripe handles the banking and identity-verification part of payment setup. You enter that information directly in Stripe's hosted setup rather than into GigStage.

Stripe securely handles payments from your audience and sends those payouts to you. To accept paid requests, shoutouts, and tips through GigStage, you need a connected and payment-ready Stripe account.

Stripe needs the bank account where you want your audience request and tip payouts sent.

The choices depend on how you actually operate. If you perform independently and do not have a separate registered business, the individual, sole proprietor, or unregistered option Stripe shows may be the closest fit. If you operate through a registered company or other legal entity, choose the option that matches it. For industry, look under Entertainment and recreation, then choose Musicians, bands, or orchestras if that accurately describes your work.

Stripe may ask for a public page that helps show who you are and what your music work involves. Use your artist or band website if you have one. If not, your published GigStage Artist Page can be used.

If it accurately describes your shows, you can use this as a starting point for the product description: “I perform live music at venues and events. During my performances, audience members can use GigStage to request songs, send shoutouts, and leave tips or paid requests. Payments are for live entertainment services and audience interaction during my shows.” For statement descriptors and other public details, use an artist, band, or business name your audience will recognize, plus contact information you are comfortable sharing with customers.

No. GigStage does not require you to upgrade Stripe Radar, contribute through Stripe Climate, or opt into Stripe Tax. For many artists, Services is the closest primary product type if Stripe asks what you sell. Stripe may also offer included baseline fraud protection. Choose the Stripe options you are comfortable with and that match how you operate.

Stripe may ask you to set up two-step authentication and may email you for identity or account verification. If scanning the authenticator QR code feels awkward, look for Stripe's Use your phone option. After setup, keep an eye on your Stripe status inside GigStage and on your email. Stripe review can take a little time. If Stripe says everything is complete but GigStage still shows the old status after a refresh, sign out and sign back in to reload your account status.

No. Every artist has one permanent GigStage QR code and public artist link. Print it once and keep using it from show to show.

Between gigs, your permanent QR code opens your public Artist Page. When you start a Live Gig, the same page becomes the audience gateway to the live experience, including the features you have made available for that show.

Yes. Your Artist Page has a permanent public link that you can share on social media, websites, posters, signs, business cards, and other promotional material.

Yes. GigStage includes downloadable marketing templates built around your permanent QR code and artist link, including tabletop, poster, and retractable-banner formats.

Yes. You can update your request preferences, shoutout settings, Live Gig preferences, account security, song library, setlists, profile information, and supported payment settings as your setup changes.

Use Contact GigStage from your artist Settings or visit the public Support page. Include enough detail for us to identify the account, transaction, or issue, but never send passwords or complete payment-card details.