The pandemic has hit a lot of industries hard, and that’s especially true of the music industry. Live entertainment and music-related consumer goods are a luxury for most people, an expense they can cut from their budget when times get difficult. On top of that, the coronavirus has forced most live performances to be postponed or canceled. Subsequently, a lot of musicians are having a tough time right now, and it looks like a good number of them may be forced to leave the industry.
That has been indicated by a new study, which says that 34 percent of musicians are considering leaving the music industry because of pandemic-caused losses. This data comes via the Musicians’ Union (via NME), a UK organization founded in 1893 that describes itself as “a community of around 32,000 musicians working to protect our members’ rights and campaign for a fairer music industry.”
Meanwhile, nearly half of Musicians’ Union members have been forced to seek alternative work, and about 70 percent of them are currently doing less than a quarter of their regular work.
In a statement regarding the data, Musicians’ Union General Secretary Horace Trubridge called for the UK government to support musicians and noted, “These figures are devastating and show how many musicians are struggling financially and at real risk of leaving music for good. In better times, our members drive a £5bn music industry with their talent. One artist’s gig will create a domino effect of jobs – from lighting technicians to ticket sellers. If one musician is out of work, you can be sure many others will be affected, too.”