A third of musicians are earning nothing after the pandemic

A new report from Help Musicians UK has found that one in three musicians were still earning nothing after live event restrictions were lifted this summer.

Help Musicians is “the leading UK charity for musicians of all genres, from starting out through to retirement.”

The findings are based on a survey of 929 musicians taken in August 2021. The report found that nine in 10 were earning under £1,000 per month and 22% were considering giving up music entirely.

The BBC reports that Help Musicians has seen a 60% increase in people getting in contact for mental health support throughout the pandemic. One in eight were experiencing a mental health problem that was restricting them from returning to work.
During the pandemic, Help Musicians distributed £18m to 19,000 struggling British musicians.

Help Musicians UK’s chief executive James Ainscough told the BBC,”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.”

Read the BBC’s summary of the findings here and learn more about Help Musicians UK here.