The downturn in work since the pandemic has prompted a new system that lets musicians advertise their services to the general public.
The new website – launched Tuesday 8 December – comes off the back of over a year of extensive research and development. Every element, from accessibility to navigation, has been designed with a focus on members’ needs.
The changes to the website go beyond a refreshed look and feel, and you will find that the way things are organised has changed. Through extensive user testing, we hope to have made it easier to find the information that you need, when you need it. Any existing bookmarks that you have saved will still take you to the same place.
Changes to the members directory
We encourage members to log in and check out the new ways they can edit and personalise their details.
The way that the members directory functions has changed too – the downturn in work for musicians since the pandemic has prompted us to create a new system that lets musicians advertise their services to the general public.
You can now choose to display your profile to the public and promote your work, as well as having the option to keep it visible to members only, and to make it private so that no one else can see it. Log in to check how your profile is currently being displayed, and who you would like it to be visible to.
Our Digital Development Official, Katerina Baranova, described the ambition behind the updates to the members directory, “You'll be able to have a professionally made biography, and every element can be customised. It's like LinkedIn for musicians, opening up network opportunities and giving that sense of community."
A research based approach
Research for the website has included a deep dive into feedback from the MU's latest member survey, frontline insights from Regional Officers, and a member conference focus group last summer in Brighton.
For a more in-depth overview of the research that led to the new website, read our article in the Autumn 2020 edition of The Musician journal.
Moving forward
And, as Katerina explains, "the website launch is just the start. We'll be listening to members, having a two-way conversation, adding features - and improving as we move forward."
If you have further questions, please check out our Help Centre. We also have a trouble-shooting form for any issues that may arise while our new website takes its first steps out into the world.