Musicians' Work: Creativity, Community, and Insecurity

The music industry contributes massively to the UK economy, with most financial gains generated by creative sector workers. However, UK musicians frequently report earning below the working wage of other professions. It is thought that the evolved methods of music consumption, such as streaming on Spotify, are contributing to challenging work situations as the musicians receive unequal shares in profits. The lack of governmental support further compounds the issue, which has been increasingly evident during the COVID19 pandemic, where those in the creative industry professions were some of the financially hardest-hit due to theatre closures and cancelled gigs.

In collaboration with Manchester Metropolitan University, the team interviewed musicians before and during the peak of the COVID19 pandemic to investigate the challenges they faced within their employment as musicians.        

Want to find out more? This study by Jason Woolley & Fiona Christie forms Chapter 9 in the book Decent Work: Opportunities and Challenges (2021).