As the coronavirus pandemic continues to prevent musicians from landing gigs, about 64 percent of them are considering hanging up their instruments for good.
That’s according to a survey conducted by Encore Musicians, which reports the average music artist has lost $15,000 because of the pandemic. “The results show that due to widespread event cancellations, musicians have lost an average of 87 percent of their live bookings, and with them their main source of income,” a statement released by Encore reads. As a result, well over half are considering giving up music completely, Encore reveals.
Encore CEO James McAulay says while the findings are “sad,” there simply aren’t enough jobs to accommodate the surplus of music professionals. “We’re acutely aware of the damage the pandemic has done to our musicians’ livelihoods, but I was still shocked to see just how few bookings most musicians have left in the diary for 2020,” he says. “This problem is being felt across the industry – from signed veterans to young musicians at the beginning of their careers.”
Is music important enough for the government to offer financial assistance? Would this have been as big a problem 30 years ago, when musicians made most of their money from album sales?
