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 Empowering Orchestral Musicians: Webinar Recording Available This webinar, exclusive for MU members, uses recent campaigning at Welsh National Opera as a case study to explore how empowering orchestral musicians in the workplace can drive change — serving as a practical introduction to workplace activism in the sector. Published: 30 April 2025 Member only Read more about Empowering Orchestral Musicians: Webinar Recording Available Welsh National Opera Orchestra Musicians Vote to Accept New Agreement Musicians in the Welsh National Opera (WNO) orchestra vote to accept a new agreement, following a year of tough negotiations and months of high-profile campaigning to protect Wales’ largest arts organisation. Published: 22 April 2025 Read more about Welsh National Opera Orchestra Musicians Vote to Accept New Agreement MU Protests Against Potential Busking Ban in Leicester Square The MU and buskers gathered in Leicester Square to mark what could be the last day of busking in the area, following a noise abatement notice from the City of London Magistrates' Court. Published: 17 April 2025 Read more about MU Protests Against Potential Busking Ban in Leicester Square Northern Ballet Management is Now Using Non-Union Contracts Northern Ballet management continues to use non-union contracts for some performances. Published: 11 April 2025 Read more about Northern Ballet Management is Now Using Non-Union Contracts WNO Orchestra Members Join Cast and Crew Onstage in Powerful Appeal for Better Funding In an unprecedented show of solidarity, members of the Welsh National Opera (WNO) orchestra took to the stage on opening night of Peter Grimes on Saturday 5 April, to address the audience about the need for better funding. Published: 10 April 2025 Read more about WNO Orchestra Members Join Cast and Crew Onstage in Powerful Appeal for Better Funding 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
Empowering Orchestral Musicians: Webinar Recording Available This webinar, exclusive for MU members, uses recent campaigning at Welsh National Opera as a case study to explore how empowering orchestral musicians in the workplace can drive change — serving as a practical introduction to workplace activism in the sector. Published: 30 April 2025 Member only Read more about Empowering Orchestral Musicians: Webinar Recording Available
Welsh National Opera Orchestra Musicians Vote to Accept New Agreement Musicians in the Welsh National Opera (WNO) orchestra vote to accept a new agreement, following a year of tough negotiations and months of high-profile campaigning to protect Wales’ largest arts organisation. Published: 22 April 2025 Read more about Welsh National Opera Orchestra Musicians Vote to Accept New Agreement
MU Protests Against Potential Busking Ban in Leicester Square The MU and buskers gathered in Leicester Square to mark what could be the last day of busking in the area, following a noise abatement notice from the City of London Magistrates' Court. Published: 17 April 2025 Read more about MU Protests Against Potential Busking Ban in Leicester Square
Northern Ballet Management is Now Using Non-Union Contracts Northern Ballet management continues to use non-union contracts for some performances. Published: 11 April 2025 Read more about Northern Ballet Management is Now Using Non-Union Contracts
WNO Orchestra Members Join Cast and Crew Onstage in Powerful Appeal for Better Funding In an unprecedented show of solidarity, members of the Welsh National Opera (WNO) orchestra took to the stage on opening night of Peter Grimes on Saturday 5 April, to address the audience about the need for better funding. Published: 10 April 2025 Read more about WNO Orchestra Members Join Cast and Crew Onstage in Powerful Appeal for Better Funding
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