The Musicians’ Union (MU) is a Labour Party affiliated trade union representing over 35,000 musicians across all sectors of the music industry.
There are several issues facing musicians that could be resolved at no additional, direct cost to the Government. These include the grassroots music levy, secondary ticketing, fixing music streaming, artificial intelligence (AI) and a new deal with the EU for touring musicians.
However, there are two areas that require urgent investment: music education and arts funding.
Headline statistics mask an urgent crisis
The UK music sector was worth £7.6 billion to the economy and £4.6 billion in exports in 2023 according to the This is Music report published by UK Music.
These headline statistics, however, mask the fact that many areas of the sector are in crisis.
UK musicians’ average annual income from music work is £20,700 and nearly half earn under £14,000 according to the Musicians’ Census conducted by the Musicians’ Union and Help Musicians in 2023.
This compares to the average median income in the UK of £33,280 (Office of National Statistics), and the average salary for a working-age person with a degree in the UK of £38,500 (gov.UK)
Nearly half of musicians (44%) report a lack of sustainable income is a barrier to their music career and over half (53%) have to sustain their career by sourcing other forms of income outside of music. More and more freelancers are reporting dropping out of the sector completely.
This is as a direct result of the 46% real terms cut to arts funding since 2005, the impact of leaving the EU and the cost of living on touring, and lack of fair remuneration for music streaming.
There is no music without musicians
The whole UK music industry is seeing signs of decline. Recent BPI figures showed that 2024 was the first year since records began in 1970 that none of the year’s top 10 best selling songs were by an artist from the UK.
The subsidised arts sector saw significant real-term cuts under successive Conservative Governments, both centrally and at local authority level. At the same time, the cost of living sky-rocketed and with it the cost of touring. This has put intense pressure on most musicians’ activity and income, both employed and freelance.
In the orchestral sector:
- English National Opera had to cut their employed orchestra and chorus to seven months of work per year and are trying to build a new model and audience in Manchester
- Northern Ballet has replaced its live orchestra with a recording for much of its touring work
- Musicians at Welsh National Opera are campaigning for a full-time full-scale orchestra and sustainable funding to protect touring work in both England and Wales.
Individual freelancers are having to make difficult choices about whether they can afford to undertake music work when rates may be low and the cost of travelling to work may be high. This is particularly true at grassroots level and in the subsided arts.
Collaborations between companies will keep some afloat at the direct expense of others and we are seeing a consolidation of artistic forces resulting in fewer jobs and opportunities.
Meanwhile, increased investment in countries like Canada is yielding great results for their music industries, threatening the UK’s historic dominance.
Investment in the arts is desperately needed via the Arts Councils and at local authority and devolved levels. Investment in the arts brings economic returns as well as soft power internationally, and it can help communities to flourish. It would benefit the high street as a busy venue brings custom to surrounding hotels and hospitality businesses. It would benefit young people who would see opportunity in the sector and a chance to realise their talents, whatever their background.
Music education is an investment in young people and the economy
Cross-party thinktank Demos has revealed that the Government has inherited a black hole in its budget for music education amounting to a £161.4m shortfall.
The National Plan for Music Education in England is short of £32.3m per year to cover the costs of regional Music Hubs, and £161.4m in new and hidden costs is needed over the next five years to ensure the future of music education.
The result is seen in Ofsted’s latest music report, which says: “In around half the schools we visited, there were no instrumental or vocal lessons... In a few schools, leaders had not considered whether to offer these lessons or were unaware of the offer from the local music hub. More commonly, headteachers explained that they had decided not to offer lessons because, in their view, families could not afford them.”
Central Government funding is also being withdrawn from BTECs and other level 3 music vocational qualifications in 2026. Affected courses include music technology, music performance, music production and music business and directly translate into jobs in the sector. The previous Government’s own impact assessment acknowledged that these reforms are likely to negatively and disproportionately impact learners from disadvantaged backgrounds.
It is incredibly positive that the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Lisa Nandy has said that she wants to open up access to the creative industries and make them more representative of the whole of the UK. This simply won’t happen unless these challenges are addressed – some of which require urgent investment.
Our main asks
The Musicians’ Union (MU) urges the Treasury to:
- Invest in Music Hubs so that the National Plan for Music Education in England can be properly funded
- Increase investment in the arts in order to grow the economy in this sector and improve the wellbeing of society
- Consider an uplift in arts funding to cover the hugely increased costs of touring for arts organisations
- Continue funding level 3 vocational qualifications for music and arts subjects after 2026
- Extend the applicability of Orchestra Tax Relief (OTR) to amateur and professional choirs by amending legislation and including 'voice' as one of the eligible acoustic instruments for groups of 12+.