Young Musicians What challenges do you face as a young person building a sustainable music career? Explore our advice, resources and campaigning for musicians aged 30 and under. Cost of living advice and resources MU Rates Union rates of pay for gigs, residencies, orchestras, session players, and teaching work. Read more about MU Rates Protecting your mental health Mental health and wellbeing resources for musicians, and specialist sources of support. Read more about Protecting your mental health Stay protected with insurance Check what cover and discounts you're entitled to through your MU membership. Read more about Stay protected with insurance Get royalties from your recordings The MU collects close to £2 million a year for musicians for the secondary and further use of recordings. Check if you are owed royalties. Read more about Get royalties from your recordings Recover your unpaid fees We help our members to get what they deserve. Make sure you're paid throughout the cost of living crisis. Read more about Recover your unpaid fees Trade union support wherever you work as a musician Explore all the benefits and services included in your MU membership. Read more about Trade union support wherever you work as a musician DIY Musicians Mentoring in Music Create your own opportunities to get mentoring or be a mentor with this DIY mentoring guide. It covers finding a mentor, setting goals, the mentoring process, and more. Learn more Allyship Being Anti-Racist and How to be an Ally Explore what it means to be anti-racist and how to be a good ally with musician and broadcaster Linton Stephens and Blue Moon founder Dr Joanna Abeyie. Read more about Being Anti-Racist and How to be an Ally Dos and Don’ts of Working with Trans Colleagues Musician, writer and activist CN Lester discusses how you can better support trans colleagues in the arts. Read more about Dos and Don’ts of Working with Trans Colleagues What is an Access Rider and what do you do with it? Open the conversation about accessibility for musicians with the Access Rider. Read more about What is an Access Rider and what do you do with it? Inclusion and Diversity in Your Teaching Work Make sure that you integrate equality, diversity and inclusion in your music teaching. Read more about Inclusion and Diversity in Your Teaching Work Free Refugee Membership Musicians seeking sanctuary can get one year of free and full MU membership to help build their music careers in the UK. Read more about Free Refugee Membership Campaign news MU Concerned by New EU Customs Fees for Artists Selling Merchandise A new EU customs charge on low-value parcels is creating additional costs and administrative challenges for musicians selling merchandise directly to fans in Europe. The MU will work to ensure musicians affected by the new legislation are represented at a stakeholder consultation later this year. Published: 31 July 2026 Read more about MU Concerned by New EU Customs Fees for Artists Selling Merchandise Three Things New Prime Minister Andy Burnham Could Do for Music and Musicians Now As new Prime Minister Andy Burnham takes office, here are three things he can do to support music and musicians right now. Published: 24 July 2026 Read more about Three Things New Prime Minister Andy Burnham Could Do for Music and Musicians Now New Agreement with Northern Ballet Covered by BBC Radio 4's Front Row Musicians' Union General Secretary Naomi Pohl spoke to BBC Radio 4's Front Row about the Union's new collective agreement with Northern Ballet. Published: 23 July 2026 Read more about New Agreement with Northern Ballet Covered by BBC Radio 4's Front Row MU Welcomes Business Rates Cuts But Urges Government Not to Forget Artists Today the government has announced a 20% cut to business rates bills for pubs, clubs and live music venues from April next year. Published: 23 July 2026 Read more about MU Welcomes Business Rates Cuts But Urges Government Not to Forget Artists New Tax Payment Plans Could Create Cashflow Challenges for Self-Employed Musicians Government is currently consulting on plans that could have a wide-ranging, detrimental effect on self-employed people, with proposed new rules potentially requiring tax to be collected throughout the year. Published: 22 July 2026 Read more about New Tax Payment Plans Could Create Cashflow Challenges for Self-Employed Musicians Read more #KeepMusicLive Can a UBI keep music live? The idea of a universal basic income has been around for centuries. Now, the MU and many others believe its time has come. Join the conversation See all Campaigns The MU gave me a huge amount of support at a crucial point in my career. Scott Bowley13XL Being a part of the MU really made me realise that we could fight for change, and that with collective effort we could actually make things happen. Diljeet BhachuFlautist and MU ED&I Officer I think it feels like belonging to a community, a genuine family of musicians. Jess GillamSaxophonist You have to be the change you want to see. It's our business. We need to shape it. Amanda DalSession drummer Fight for a fairer music industry Have you been asked to work for no or low pay? We regularly hear from musicians asked to work for free. Asking musicians to work for free is unacceptable at any time. Read more about Have you been asked to work for no or low pay? #FairScore Take action against composer buyouts Media composers should get a fair share of the value they create. Read more about Take action against composer buyouts #FixStreaming Fix Streaming and Keep Music Alive Record labels, streaming platforms and other internet giants have exploited musicians and songwriters without rewarding them fairly for too long. Read more about Fix Streaming and Keep Music Alive
MU Rates Union rates of pay for gigs, residencies, orchestras, session players, and teaching work. Read more about MU Rates
Protecting your mental health Mental health and wellbeing resources for musicians, and specialist sources of support. Read more about Protecting your mental health
Stay protected with insurance Check what cover and discounts you're entitled to through your MU membership. Read more about Stay protected with insurance
Get royalties from your recordings The MU collects close to £2 million a year for musicians for the secondary and further use of recordings. Check if you are owed royalties. Read more about Get royalties from your recordings
Recover your unpaid fees We help our members to get what they deserve. Make sure you're paid throughout the cost of living crisis. Read more about Recover your unpaid fees
Trade union support wherever you work as a musician Explore all the benefits and services included in your MU membership. Read more about Trade union support wherever you work as a musician
Being Anti-Racist and How to be an Ally Explore what it means to be anti-racist and how to be a good ally with musician and broadcaster Linton Stephens and Blue Moon founder Dr Joanna Abeyie. Read more about Being Anti-Racist and How to be an Ally
Dos and Don’ts of Working with Trans Colleagues Musician, writer and activist CN Lester discusses how you can better support trans colleagues in the arts. Read more about Dos and Don’ts of Working with Trans Colleagues
What is an Access Rider and what do you do with it? Open the conversation about accessibility for musicians with the Access Rider. Read more about What is an Access Rider and what do you do with it?
Inclusion and Diversity in Your Teaching Work Make sure that you integrate equality, diversity and inclusion in your music teaching. Read more about Inclusion and Diversity in Your Teaching Work
Free Refugee Membership Musicians seeking sanctuary can get one year of free and full MU membership to help build their music careers in the UK. Read more about Free Refugee Membership
MU Concerned by New EU Customs Fees for Artists Selling Merchandise A new EU customs charge on low-value parcels is creating additional costs and administrative challenges for musicians selling merchandise directly to fans in Europe. The MU will work to ensure musicians affected by the new legislation are represented at a stakeholder consultation later this year. Published: 31 July 2026 Read more about MU Concerned by New EU Customs Fees for Artists Selling Merchandise
Three Things New Prime Minister Andy Burnham Could Do for Music and Musicians Now As new Prime Minister Andy Burnham takes office, here are three things he can do to support music and musicians right now. Published: 24 July 2026 Read more about Three Things New Prime Minister Andy Burnham Could Do for Music and Musicians Now
New Agreement with Northern Ballet Covered by BBC Radio 4's Front Row Musicians' Union General Secretary Naomi Pohl spoke to BBC Radio 4's Front Row about the Union's new collective agreement with Northern Ballet. Published: 23 July 2026 Read more about New Agreement with Northern Ballet Covered by BBC Radio 4's Front Row
MU Welcomes Business Rates Cuts But Urges Government Not to Forget Artists Today the government has announced a 20% cut to business rates bills for pubs, clubs and live music venues from April next year. Published: 23 July 2026 Read more about MU Welcomes Business Rates Cuts But Urges Government Not to Forget Artists
New Tax Payment Plans Could Create Cashflow Challenges for Self-Employed Musicians Government is currently consulting on plans that could have a wide-ranging, detrimental effect on self-employed people, with proposed new rules potentially requiring tax to be collected throughout the year. Published: 22 July 2026 Read more about New Tax Payment Plans Could Create Cashflow Challenges for Self-Employed Musicians
Have you been asked to work for no or low pay? We regularly hear from musicians asked to work for free. Asking musicians to work for free is unacceptable at any time. Read more about Have you been asked to work for no or low pay?
#FairScore Take action against composer buyouts Media composers should get a fair share of the value they create. Read more about Take action against composer buyouts
#FixStreaming Fix Streaming and Keep Music Alive Record labels, streaming platforms and other internet giants have exploited musicians and songwriters without rewarding them fairly for too long. Read more about Fix Streaming and Keep Music Alive