Music bingo for pubs: how to run a night people come back for

Music bingo is simple. Instead of numbers, the cards have songs or artists on them. You play a short clip of each song, and people mark it off if it's on their card. A line wins, a full house wins more.

It works because everyone can play. You don't need to know the capital of Peru. You just need to recognise a song, and if you don't, your mate will. It's loud, it's sociable and it fills a midweek night with groups who wouldn't come to a quiz.

Before anything else: the music licence

Music bingo means playing recorded music to customers. GOV.UK says you usually need a licence to "play recorded music in public or at your business". In practice, for a pub, that's TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS.

PPL PRS's page for pubs lists music in quizzes, DJs and background music, but doesn't name music bingo. The principle is the same: you're playing recorded music to customers. Tell PPL PRS exactly what you're planning, ask how they'd treat a weekly music bingo night, and keep the answer in writing. Our post on music licences for quiz rounds and music bingo goes into the detail.

Streaming apps meant for personal use usually aren't licensed for playing in a business, so check the terms of whatever you play the music from.

Making the cards

You can buy ready-made music bingo packs, make your own, or use software that makes them for you. If you make your own:

1. Pick a theme. 80s, 90s, Christmas, one-hit wonders, film soundtracks, songs about places.
2. Pick 60 to 75 songs for the night. That's enough for a line and a full house without running out.
3. Make a grid of 15 to 25 squares, with a song title or artist in each.
4. Make every card different. If two cards are the same, you'll get two winners at the same moment. A spreadsheet that shuffles your song list onto each card works well.
5. Number every card. It makes checking a winner much faster.
6. Print a few more cards than you'll need.

Song titles are easier for most people than artists. Artists are harder and good for a crowd that knows its music.

Picking the songs

• Play songs people know. The chorus within the first 30 seconds is ideal.
• Mix the decades unless it's a themed night.
• Avoid two songs by the same artist if the card uses artist names.
• Check the lyrics if families are in. A radio edit saves awkward moments.
• Shuffle the order, and keep a written list of what you've played.

A running order for the night

1. Doors and cards out. Explain the rules while people get drinks.
2. Game one: a line. Play 20 to 30 seconds of each song.
3. Check the winner, give the prize, and carry on to a full house on the same card.
4. Break. Food, drinks, toilets.
5. Game two: a new theme, line and full house.
6. Final game, with the bigger prize.

Three games of 30 to 40 minutes each, with breaks, fills a night nicely.

Settling claims without a row

The biggest risk at any bingo is an argument over who shouted first or whether a song really was played.

• Say the rules before you start. Shout "line" or "house" loudly, and the first claim the host hears wins.
• Keep the played list on show, on a whiteboard or the TVs, so anyone can check.
• Check the card against your list in front of everyone.
• False claims: decide in advance. A friendly forfeit is fine.
• Two genuine winners at the same moment: split the prize, or play a sudden-death song.

Our post on bingo at the quiz break has more on keeping bingo fair.

Prizes, and the gambling rules

Keep it free to play, with prizes the pub puts up. A bar tab, a bottle of something for the table, a meal for two.

If you start charging people to play bingo, the Gambling Commission's rules for bingo in pubs apply. They include a stake limit of £5 per person per game, no participation fees, all stakes returned as prizes, and no under-18s playing. You can't make a profit from the bingo itself.

The Commission also says you can charge for a wider event, but not for the bingo, and people must be able to play without paying the event's entry fee. That gets complicated quickly. This isn't legal advice. Keep it free, and check with your local licensing team if you want to charge.

If prizes include alcohol, make sure the winner is old enough to drink.

Getting people in

• Pick a quiet night. Music bingo is a good Wednesday or Thursday event.
• Theme it and say the theme in every post. "90s music bingo" sells better than "music bingo".
• Take table bookings for groups.
• Put it on your screens every day for two weeks before.
• Post a video of the room on the night, with people's permission.

There are more midweek ideas in our post on getting more customers in on quiet nights.

How StockTap TV helps

StockTap TV has a music bingo game called Pop Bingo. You play the songs, and customers mark the artist on their grid, on a phone or a paper sheet. The TV shows the artists played so far, then the line and full house winners, so nobody argues about what's been played. The songs come from you, so your pub needs its own music licence. Pop Bingo is new and in pilot, which is what the founding pubs are for. We also run number bingo on phones at the quiz break, with up to three tickets a phone and lines and full houses checked automatically. See Pop Bingo, or join the founding pubs.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a licence for music bingo in a pub?

Usually, yes. Playing recorded music to customers usually needs TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS. Music bingo isn't named on its pubs page, so tell PPL PRS what you're planning and get their answer in writing.

How many songs do I need for music bingo?

About 60 to 75 for a night of three games, with 15 to 25 squares on each card.

Can I charge people to play music bingo?

If people pay to play bingo, the Gambling Commission's rules for bingo in pubs apply, including a £5 stake limit per person per game, no participation fees and no under-18s. Free to play is much simpler.

How long should each song play?

About 20 to 30 seconds. Long enough to recognise, short enough to keep the game moving.

Sources

• GOV.UK: Get a licence to play live or recorded music
• PPL PRS: TheMusicLicence for pubs and bars
• Gambling Commission: Exempt gaming in pubs

We checked every source on 24 October 2026. Rules change, so check the latest version before you act. Nothing here is legal advice.