The best AirGigs alternatives in 2026 are Tonivo, SoundBetter, Fiverr, Vocalizr and Musiversal, plus free Discord and Reddit communities. Which one fits depends on what you want: a paid session player or vocalist on a deadline, a monthly subscription to live sessions, or someone to message and make music with. If you want to browse profiles and message people for free, Tonivo is built for exactly that.
AirGigs is a marketplace for hiring recording, mixing and mastering professionals who work from their own studios. You can buy a session vocal, a guitar part, drums, strings, a mix or a master, all done remotely, and the files come back to you through the site. It works well for plenty of people, but it isn't the only way to get a part recorded. So here's an honest rundown of the other options, what each one is for, and what it costs.
One thing first: Tonivo is ours. We've tried to be fair to everyone else on this list, and every price below was checked on the company's own website in November 2026. Prices change, so check again before you pay for anything.
If you're mainly looking to hire a mixing or mastering engineer, our sister post on the best SoundBetter alternatives covers that side in more detail.
How AirGigs works
Sellers list services, such as a vocal topline or a bass part, and you buy the one you want. AirGigs says payment is made through PayPal and held until the gig is completed. Buyers pay a service fee of 4.7%, with a minimum of $5, and AirGigs says that fee is non-refundable. Sellers pay a commission on each confirmed order. Some sellers switch on an optional 100% Guarantee, which means you can get a refund if you're not happy with the work. Without it, a refund for simply not liking the result isn't offered.
Tonivo
What it is: a place to find producers, artists, vocalists and engineers and message them directly. You browse profiles and message people instead of swiping, so you can see what someone makes, what they're into and who they're looking for before you say hello.
Who it suits: anyone who wants to find people to make music with, in any genre. Producers looking for a vocalist, artists looking for a beat, writers looking for an engineer to finish a track. It's on the web, iOS and Android, and it's built in the UK.
Price: free. There's no paid tier and no paywall on messaging, so you can message anyone from day one.
The honest catch: we're newer than most of the names on this list, so the community is smaller. If you want to see who's on there before signing up, have a look at producers, artists and engineers on Tonivo. You can also get the app on the App Store or Google Play.
SoundBetter
What it is: a marketplace for hiring music professionals, such as mixing and mastering engineers, singers, songwriters, producers and session musicians. You can post a job or contact someone directly, agree a price and pay through the site.
Who it suits: people who want the same kind of paid, remote hire as AirGigs, but would rather talk to the pro and agree a custom price than buy a fixed listing.
Price: SoundBetter says it's completely free to post a job and to hire someone through the site. The professionals set their own rates, and SoundBetter takes a commission from them. Usually you fund the full amount upfront and it's released to the pro when you mark the job complete. Some premium providers offer a 50/50 option instead, where you pay half at the start and half at the end.
Fiverr
What it is: a huge general freelance marketplace with a music and audio section. You'll find session singers, instrumentalists, mixing engineers, producers and voiceover artists, all selling fixed-price packages.
Who it suits: people on a tight budget who want lots of choice and don't mind sorting through a lot of listings to find someone good.
Price: each seller sets their own price. On top of that, Fiverr's own terms say buyers pay a service fee of 5.5% of the purchase, plus a small order fee of $3.50 on orders under $200. Fiverr holds your payment until the order is completed, and sellers receive 80% of the purchase amount.
The trade-off is quality. Because anyone can list, the range runs from excellent to not very good, so listen to samples and read reviews before you buy.
Vocalizr
What it is: a marketplace that connects vocalists and producers. You can post a gig or a contest for a vocal, and singers can find producers to work with. It also gives you a shared online space to work on the project together.
Who it suits: producers, especially in dance and electronic music, who specifically need a vocal and want a site built around singers rather than every kind of session player.
Price: a standard account is free. Vocalizr's help pages say the Access Pass (which used to be called PRO) costs $11.99 a month or $115 a year. Commission is charged on paid gigs and contests, and the rate depends on whether you have the Access Pass, so check the fees page before you post.
If a vocal is what you're after, our guide on how to find a singer for your beat walks through the whole process.
Musiversal
What it is: a platform for booking professional session musicians for live recording sessions. You pick a musician from their roster, book a time on their calendar and join the session, so you can give feedback while they play. The files are ready to download shortly after.
Who it suits: people who record often and like being in the session, rather than sending a brief and waiting for files to come back.
Price: Musiversal's help centre lists one plan, Unlimited, at $249 a month, which you can cancel or pause at any time. It runs a waitlist, and new members are invited once a month, so you might wait a few weeks to get in.
Discord and Reddit communities
What they are: free online communities where musicians already hang out. Most DAWs, genres and scenes have a Discord server, and subreddits like r/WeAreTheMusicMakers are full of people sharing work and looking for collaborators.
Who they suit: people who are happy to put in some time. These places reward you for joining in, giving feedback and being around for a while before you ask anyone for anything.
Price: free.
The catch is that none of them were built for hiring or finding a collaborator, so it's more manual, and there's no protection if you pay someone and it goes wrong.
Quick comparison
| Platform | Best for | Cost to you |
|---|---|---|
| Tonivo | Finding and messaging collaborators | Free, no paid tier |
| AirGigs | Buying remote session parts, mixes and masters | Seller's price plus a 4.7% service fee (minimum $5) |
| SoundBetter | Hiring a pro at a custom price | Pro's rate, free to post and hire |
| Fiverr | Budget, fixed-price packages | Seller's price plus a 5.5% service fee |
| Vocalizr | Producers looking for a vocal | Free account, Access Pass $11.99 a month |
| Musiversal | Live sessions with in-house musicians | $249 a month |
| Discord and Reddit | Community and feedback | Free |
How to choose
Start with what you actually need. If you want a part recorded and you're happy to pay, AirGigs, SoundBetter and Fiverr all do that, with SoundBetter better for custom quotes and Fiverr better for small budgets. If you only need a singer, Vocalizr is built around vocals. If you record every week and want to sit in on the session, Musiversal's subscription might work out cheaper than paying per song. And if you'd rather find people to make music with as collaborators, try Tonivo and browse producers, artists and engineers.
Not sure what a fair rate looks like? Our guides on how much to pay a producer and how to find someone to mix your music are a good place to start.
FAQ
What is the difference between AirGigs and SoundBetter?
Both are marketplaces for hiring music professionals remotely. On AirGigs you usually buy a listed service, pay through PayPal and pay a buyer service fee of 4.7% with a minimum of $5. On SoundBetter it's free to post a job and hire, you agree a price with the pro, and SoundBetter takes its commission from the provider instead. For more options like these, see our SoundBetter alternatives.
What is the best free alternative to AirGigs?
If you want to find and message people for free, Tonivo has no paid tier and no paywall on messaging. Discord and Reddit communities also cost nothing. A free Vocalizr account lets you look for vocalists, though commission applies on paid gigs.
Where can I hire a session singer online?
AirGigs, SoundBetter, Fiverr and Vocalizr all list session singers you can pay. If you'd rather find a vocalist to work with as a collaborator, you can browse artists on Tonivo and message them for free.
Can I watch a session musician record my part live?
Yes. Musiversal is built around live sessions, so you can give feedback while the musician plays. On most other marketplaces, including AirGigs, you send a brief and get the files back when the work is done.