Musicians on the Brink: Census Reveals Majority of UK Musicians Cannot Support Themselves Through Music

The landmark Musicians' Census 2023 has found that over 80% of UK musicians earn less than a living income from their musical work.

MUSIC REVENUEUK MUSIC INDUSTRY

Paul Smith

11/2/20233 min read

bokeh photography of condenser microphone

23% of musicians cannot support themselves
On average, a full-time musicians earn well below the living wage in the UK

In a shocking revelation, the landmark Musicians' Census 2023 has found that over 80% of UK musicians earn less than a living income from their musical work.

This is the first ever comprehensive Census of musicians in the UK. Commissioned by Help Musicians and the Musicians' Union in partnership with Walnut, the Census surveyed nearly 6,000 musicians across all genres.

Robert Emery, professional musician and founder of a leading musical instrument advice website, Ted's List, says:

"The results lay bare the precarious reality for most working musicians," said Emery. "A staggering 23% cannot support themselves or their families from music alone.”

- Robert Emery, a professional conductor and Founder of Ted’s List

On average, full-time musicians earn just £20,700 annually - well below a living wage in the UK. And only 3% of respondents reported incomes over £70,000, with 79% of top earners being men.

The Census also uncovered concerning disparities, with white musicians earning almost £1,000 more per year than their peers from the Global Majority.

"Financial insecurity is causing immense stress across the profession," noted Emery. "With little support for business skills or wellbeing, musicians struggle to survive, let alone thrive, in their careers.”

Despite facing major barriers, musicians displayed resilience and versatility. On average, respondents balanced three to four distinct music roles. Nearly one in five play four or more instruments professionally.

Emery is calling on the industry and government to address these issues through new funding, advocacy work and policy changes. "The UK risks losing musical talent if systemic support for a sustainable livelihood does not improve.”

The findings provide unprecedented insight into over 6,000 diverse careers. "This Census highlights both the strengths of musicians and failures of existing structures," said Emery. "By working together, we can enact reforms to value musicians' contributions.”

____

Ends

round gold-colored and silver-colored coin lot

Methodology

How did we objectively discover our findings?

graphs of performance analytics on a laptop screen

Methodology of Data Collection

The analysis of the inequalities within the UK music industry, were drawn from the Musicians' Census of 2023, conducted by Help Musicians and the Musicians' Union.. Sources below.