Over 95% of musicians worried about earning a liveable income
Amid the current economic permacrisis, everyone is feeling the pinch, but with limited funding, musicians have been hit more than most. In a recent study, the charity Help Musicians found that 91% can no longer afford equipment.
This reality has been described as a ‘cost of working crisis’ with a lot of artists worrying that they will have to seek income from elsewhere and perhaps give up their trade.
A whopping 98% of all musicians surveyed told the charity that they are worried about earning a liveable income over the next six months. Half of those worrying also put themselves in the extremely concerned bracket.
While most people expected the problem to shift after the pandemic, 80% of the musicians claimed that they are still earning less than they were before Covid-19 called a halt to live music. And 60% have seen a further drop off from last year as the cost-of-living crisis impacts punters.
“It is hard to imagine any point since the Second World War when it has been tougher to be a professional musician – put simply, the current environment is brutal,” said James Ainscough, Chief Executive of Help Musicians.
Adding: “The pandemic had a catastrophic impact, with most simply unable to perform. Afterwards, venues were booked up for months or years in advance due to rearranged gigs. This has been followed by Brexit, which has impacted their ability to tour, for many emerging musicians a vital step in building a sustainable career.”
Music is an incoming generating part of society and Ainscough has argued that we “need to put significant time and resource into sustaining musicians over the coming, challenging months, if we are to have a thriving music ecosystem in 2023 and beyond. We cannot afford to lose any of the talent from our passionate community of UK musicians if we want to continue enjoying the music that inspires us all every day.”
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