The best Join My Band alternatives in 2026 are Tonivo, BandMix, Vampr and Gumtree's Musicians Wanted section, plus free Facebook groups and Reddit and Discord communities. Which one fits depends on what you want: a local band to rehearse with, someone to write and record with online, or simply more people seeing your ad. If you want to browse profiles and message people for free, without placing an ad and waiting for replies, Tonivo is built for exactly that.
Join My Band is a UK musicians classifieds site at joinmyband.co.uk. It was started in 2006, and it's still going. You pick your region, browse the ads or place your own, and people reply either in a public thread under the ad or by private message. Posting, browsing and replying are all free, and there's an optional paid upgrade that puts your ad in a featured spot above the regular ones for 3, 7 or 14 days. It's a good, simple site, but an ad board only works if the right person happens to be looking that week. 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.
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. Singers looking for a guitarist to write with, producers looking for a vocalist, bands looking for someone to record and mix their demo. 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, and it's built around making music together rather than filling a gigging line-up in one town. If you want to see who's on there before signing up, have a look at rock artists, indie artists and producers on Tonivo. You can also get the app on the App Store or Google Play.
BandMix
What it is: a musicians wanted and classifieds site. You make a profile, place an ad and search for local musicians and bands. There's a UK version at bandmix.co.uk.
Who it suits: people looking to join or form a band locally, especially guitarists, drummers, bassists and singers who want to play together in a room. It's the closest thing on this list to Join My Band, with profiles on top of the ads.
Price: there's a free plan that lets you make a profile, place a classified ad and reply to all messages, but sending new messages is a paid feature. On the UK site, Premier is £11.95 a month and Elite is £15.90 a month. Both add sending new messages, digital auditions, top placement in search results and ad-free browsing, and Elite gives you more media storage.
The trade-off is that on the free plan you can only reply. If you spot the perfect drummer, you can't message them first without paying.
Vampr
What it is: a music networking app for iOS and Android. You discover other creators by swiping through profiles, and you can start a collab by describing your project so the right people come to you.
Who it suits: people who are happy to meet collaborators anywhere in the world, not just down the road, and who like quick card-style discovery on their phone.
Price: the app is free to download. Vampr Pro is an optional subscription, and on the UK App Store it's listed from £5.49 for one month, with longer plans up to £59.99 for a year. There are also small one-off purchases, such as £0.99 to post to everyone. We've looked at the wider field in our guide to Vampr alternatives.
Gumtree Musicians Wanted
What it is: the Musicians Wanted section of Gumtree, the UK classifieds site, under Community and then Music, Bands and Musicians. You can filter ads by drummer, vocalist, guitar player, keyboard player and more, and narrow them down by area.
Who it suits: people who want a local band and want their ad in front of a big general audience, not just musicians who already know where to look.
Price: Gumtree says using the site is generally free, but it sometimes charges for certain services, and any fee is shown before you publish your ad. Replying to ads costs nothing.
The catch is that Gumtree isn't built for musicians, so there are no profiles to listen to. You'll be swapping links and messages before you know if someone is any good.
Facebook groups
What they are: local and genre groups where musicians post that they're looking for a band, or that a band needs a bassist. You'll find groups for towns and cities, for covers and function bands, and for particular genres.
Who they suit: people who already use Facebook and want to reach their local scene quickly. They're also good for finding dep players and last-minute fill-ins.
Price: free. The Facebook app is free to download and joining a group costs nothing.
The trade-off is that posts slide down the feed fast, and the quality of each group depends on who runs it.
Reddit and Discord communities
What they are: free online communities where musicians already hang out. Subreddits for musicians and for your own city are worth a look, and lots of genres, DAWs and scenes have their own Discord server.
Who they suit: people who are happy to put in some time, and anyone open to working remotely. These places reward you for joining in, giving feedback and being around for a while before you ask anyone for anything.
Price: free. Discord is free to download, and its Nitro subscription is optional extras rather than something you need to talk to people.
The catch is that none of them were built for finding a bandmate, so it's more manual. Good Discord servers are also hard to find through search.
Quick comparison
| Option | Best for | Free to message first? | Paid option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Join My Band | Local band ads in the UK | Yes | Featured ads |
| Tonivo | Browsing profiles and messaging people to make music with | Yes | None |
| BandMix | Local band ads with profiles | No, replying only | £11.95 or £15.90 a month |
| Vampr | Meeting collaborators worldwide on your phone | Free app | Vampr Pro from £5.49 |
| Gumtree | Getting a local ad in front of lots of people | Yes | Some services |
| Facebook groups | Your local scene and dep players | Yes | None |
| Reddit and Discord | Remote collaborators and community | Yes | Optional Discord Nitro |
How to choose
Start with what you actually need. If you want a band to rehearse and gig with in your town, keep your Join My Band ad up and add BandMix, Gumtree and a local Facebook group, because more places means more people see it. If you want people to write and record with, and they don't have to live nearby, try Tonivo or Vampr. And if you're happy to put in time in a community, Reddit and Discord cost nothing.
You don't have to pick only one. Most people who find a good band use two or three of these and stick at it. If you want more ideas, we've put together the best apps to find musicians and a guide on how to find people to make music with.
FAQ
Is Join My Band free?
Yes. Join My Band says posting ads, browsing listings and replying to ads are all free. The only paid part is an optional featured ad, which puts your ad above the regular ones in your region for 3, 7 or 14 days.
What is the best free alternative to Join My Band?
If you want to find and message people for free, Tonivo has no paid tier and no paywall on messaging. Gumtree's Musicians Wanted section is generally free to use, and Facebook groups, Reddit and Discord cost nothing.
Which Join My Band alternative is best for finding a local band?
BandMix is the closest match. It lets you search for local musicians and bands, and it has a UK site. Sending new messages there needs a paid plan, but replying is free. Gumtree and local Facebook groups are good free extras.
Can I find band members online if I don't live in a big city?
Yes. Local ad sites work best where lots of people live, so in smaller towns it helps to look further afield. On Tonivo you can browse rock artists, indie artists and producers and message them for free, then write and record together online until you're ready to meet up.