A third of musicians have been earning nothing since the easing of lockdown restrictions, leading UK charity Help Musicians has found.
The report, which was based on a survey of 929 musicians in August, also found that 83% of musicians were unable to find regular work, whilst almost nine in 10 (87%) were earning less than £1,000.
Just 1% earn over £2,500 a month.
It also noted how the music industry is one of the last industries to recover after the UK’s national lockdowns.
In another rather depressing stat, 22% of the professional musicians surveyed said they are now considering leaving the industry entirely as a result of the current challenges.
Help Musicians, which has been around for more than 100 years, also revealed they have offered financial support of around £18million toward helping 19,000 musicians over the past 19 months – a figure reflected in the 60% increase in the number of musicians seeking mental health support from the charity.
James Ainscough, the charity’s Chief Executive has said: ‘Whilst much of the economy is gradually getting back to normal, it will be a long time before musicians expect to return to their pre-pandemic income levels, as we predicted from the start of the pandemic.
Sister Midnight are seeking to create a community-owned venue in Lewisham.
‘For the past 18 months we have been supporting nearly 20,000 musicians with direct financial aid to help them pay their bills and stay afloat.
‘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, ensuring we are alongside musicians every step of the way.’
Last month, a report from UK Music, which serves as the collective voice of the music industry, revealed that 69,000 jobs in the music industry were lost in 2020 – representing more than a third of the total workforce.
The economic problems of course aren’t just limited to artists. In September, NME reported that UK grassroots music venues are facing debts to the tune of £90million.
In response to the situation, some venues have taken their chances of recovery into their own hands, including Sister Midnight, who are seeking to create a community-owned venue in Lewisham and have so far raised £170,000 to help them do so.
