Music Think Tank

Covid19, Brexit and Apple Privacy changes have collectively caused the perfect storm battering musicians like never before. The combined effect has left the grassroots music scene teetering on the brink of crisis.

In case you’ve been under a duvet, here is a quick recap of what’s been happening.

Brexit makes the European tour a near impossibility

Such is the complexity of paperwork, permits and permissions, the Musicians Union have been forced to create a detailed flowchart showing how musicians can travel and play live in Europe. Music economists calculate Europe to be a 4x larger market than the US for UK touring artists. Bands like NME darlings Fontaines DC are losing £10-15k for every lost festival booking.

Music venues are closing down

Covid19 lockdowns forced the closure of music venues across the country. Despite the government creating a £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund many are struggling to stay open.

Musicians quit being musicians

Research by Encore claim up to 64% of musicians in the UK are considering quitting due to the financial crisis caused by Covid.

Apple change privacy policy and Facebook advertising costs soar

Facebook once offered an affordable way for musicians to run advertising via their self serve Facebook Ads platform. Since Apple IO14 changes, advertising conversion costs have skyrocketed reducing the ability of musicians to promote music.

The tip of the iceberg

When these stories were reported, the natural focus is ‘the music industry,’ which typically means major label signed artists or professional musicians. Statistica identifies 45,000 ‘professional musicians’ in the UK.

But to limit the music industry to this group is a mistake, it’s only the tip of the iceberg, especially when you realise most unsigned musicians are not registered as musicians, most have full-time jobs.

Read the full article on Major Labl