New report says one in three UK musicians still earning nothing after pandemic
Help Musicians say one in five musicians are considering a career change as a result of the financial struggles
A new study has revealed that one in three musicians in the UK continued to earn nothing even after lockdown restrictions were ended earlier this summer.
The report from charity Help Musicians revealed that the music industry is the sector still finding it hardest to recover from the pandemic, with 83% of professional musicians still struggling to find work.
The survey, which saw Help Musicians speak to nearly 1,000 musicians in August, weeks after lockdown ended, revealed that almost 90% were earning less than £1,000 a month, with over one in five of those considering a career change as a result.
Help Musicians revealed that, across the pandemic, access to their mental health services increased by 60%, with the charity paying out £18m to nearly 20,000 musicians affected by lockdown.
Reflecting on the study, the charity’s CEO James Ainscough said: “We recognise that for some musicians, it will take a long time to rebuild and the team at Help Musicians will continue to be available to those musicians who find themselves in real crisis over the months ahead.
Elsewhere, today (November 23) sees the Youth Music organisation launching a new £1.7million Recharge Fund to help young people write and record music across the UK.
“Music has the power to transform lives for young people, especially those facing barriers because of who they are, where they’re from or what they’re going through,” the organisation’s CEO Matt Griffiths said.
“With young people nationwide being deeply impacted by the effects of the pandemic, equalising access to music is more important than ever.
“However, our research shows that opportunities for young people decreased during the pandemic, with 63% of music organisations from our national network reporting that they’ve had fewer resources at the same time as demand for services is increasing.
“This financial boost will ensure that grassroots music projects, and the people leading them, can bounce back better than before. Which means more young people can make, learn and earn in music over the next few years, thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery.”