Birmingham Music Network works with the local music community to stimulate growth, inspire, and share knowledge. We offer practical based industry experience and are not genre specific.
Being a musician involves composing, conducting, or performing music as a profession or as a hobby. Musicians create, perform, and interpret music in various styles, either alone or as part of a group or ensemble. A music performer is generally either a singer who provides vocals or an instrumentalist who plays a musical instrument. Musicians may specialise in different styles of music depending on their background, training, and interests. Additionally, being a musician may involve recording and releasing music as a recording artist, which involves creating both a musical work and a sound recording protected by copyright. Ultimately, being a musician is a passion for creating and sharing music with others. But it’s not easy to earn a living as a musician.
Musicians, like all of us, are facing the biggest decline in living standards in living memory. Millions of people up and down the country are now dependent on foodbanks, with over 100,000 having to access warm banks each week and many more are taking on multiple jobs just to keep the radiators on in their homes and to put food on their table.
Over a decade of austerity, cuts and the Covid-19 pandemic has taken its toll on almost every single aspect of modern society. The lasting negative impact of the cost of living crisis remains to be seen but, for the live music and entertainment industry, it may just be the latest hammerblow to a sector where serious financial issues have gone unaddressed for too long.
Last month, the Music Venues Trust released its annual report for the year 2022 which highlighted the fragility of the British live music industry, which brings in £500m to the UK economy and has a total sector expenditure of just over £499m — leaving a profit margin of just 0.2 per cent.
This, shockingly, is despite 22 million of us enjoying live music performances last year.
It is fair to say that, without urgent action from the government, we could lose a number of important community assets that account for over 30,000 jobs and an incalculable music heritage in towns and cities in every part of the country.
37% of young festival-goers put off by increased prices – Access All Areas buff.ly/3AcFLGS
Musician explains why AI will never be able to replicate art & music as humans do ‘Disappointed feeling that there are smart people out there that actually think the artistic act is so mundane that it can be replicated by a machine,’ https://scoop.upworthy.com/musician-explains-why-ai-wont-be-able-to-replicate-art-like-humans-do
Ukrainian orchestra’s key members refused visas to play in UK buff.ly/3KXkmaQ
German band ‘refused entry to UK in Brexit rules row’ buff.ly/3UVnrM8
Glasgow venue ‘struggling’ as Brexit rules are ‘killing’ independent music scene buff.ly/3Ado89Q
Britain is a dying nation in need of new curators | Stewart Lee buff.ly/3GXyZIZ
In Brexit Britain, the arts are being treated as hobbyist luxuries for the independently wealthy. A day job is a reality for many it’s how artists, writers, & musicians, not blessed with independent or inherited wealth, keep themselves afloat buff.ly/40kVtdP
Dominion Festival debut cancelled with only 5% of tickets sold – Access All Areas buff.ly/3Lh3g8c
Ian MacKaye on the “depressing” state of the music industry https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/ian-mackaye-depressing-state-of-the-music-industry/
New US visa 260% price hike will impose further pain on UK touring musicians buff.ly/3okKpzT
British Musicians Suffer from the Cost of Living Crisis – Skipping a Meal, Performing Less, and Finding a New Job Is on Today’s Agenda buff.ly/40qUqc1
Music by the many for the many – SAM SWEEK highlights the devastation Government policies have visited on the music industry
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/f/music-by-the-many-for-the-many
Government accepts key Committee recommendations to provide greater transparency on music streaming work and a more proactive approach to cultural policy
https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/378/digital-culture-media-and-sport-committee/news/194466/government-accepts-key-committee-recommendations-to-provide-greater-transparency-on-music-streaming-work-and-a-more-proactive-approach-to-cultural-policy/
38 Million tracks on music streaming services were played ZERO times in 2022. Nearly a quarter (24%) of the 158 million tracks on music streaming services monitored by Luminate in 2022 attracted ZERO plays that year. That’s approximately 38 million tracks
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/38-million-tracks-on-music-streaming-service-were-played-zero-times-in-2022-elon-musks-book/
Robomagic’s James Massing on putting artists and the planet first
https://accessaa.co.uk/robomagics-james-massing-on-putting-artists-and-the-planet-first/
Festival Lab 2023 course to tackle lack of diversity in festival industry – Access All Areas
https://accessaa.co.uk/festival-lab-2023-course-to-tackle-lack-of-diversity-in-festival-industry/
UK Music calls on Chancellor to back eight-point plan for jobs and growth | M Magazine
https://www.prsformusic.com/m-magazine/news/uk-music-calls-on-chancellor-to-back-eight-point-plan-for-jobs-and-growth
U.S. Visa Hike May Impact Future Mobility of Touring Musicians
https://americansongwriter.com/u-s-visa-hike-may-impact-future-mobility-of-touring-musicians/
Music venues and clubs warn of mass closures after government spring budget revealed
https://www.nme.com/news/music/music-venues-and-clubs-warn-of-mass-closures-after-government-spring-budget-revealed-3414142
The Price of Music: Artists explain how the monumental expenses of touring make it an unfeasible reality
https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-price-of-music-artists-touring/
British Musicians Suffer from the Cost of Living Crisis – OperaWire ?
https://operawire.com/criticism-on-fridays-british-musicians-suffer-from-the-cost-of-living-crisis/
The economy is so bad for British musicians that 25% are having to skip meals – Alan Cross
https://www.ajournalofmusicalthings.com/the-economy-is-so-bad-for-british-musicians-that-25-are-having-to-skip-meals/
British musicians forced to cancel US tours as visa costs rise
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2023/03/01/british-musicians-forced-cancel-us-tours-visa-costs-rise-badenoch/
Music Venue Trust calls on local councils to help save gig spaces after Preston City Council gives £150k to Own Our Venues scheme
https://www.nme.com/news/music/music-venue-trust-calls-on-local-councils-to-help-save-gig-spaces-after-preston-city-council-gives-150k-to-own-our-venues-scheme-3411676
Cost of living and last minute gig-goer decisions “a perfect storm” for grassroots music venues
https://www.nme.com/news/music/music-venues-grassroots-uk-gigs-cancelled-fans-last-minute-cost-of-living-3391412
Leaked letter: ‘A toxic culture of fear and paranoia’ at the BBC, from the D-G down – SlippediscSlippedisc | The inside track on classical music and related cultures, by Norman Lebrecht
https://slippedisc.com/2023/03/leaked-letter-a-toxic-culture-of-fear-and-paranoia-at-the-bbc-from-the-d-g-down/
Artists in UK public sector making far below minimum wage, survey finds | Arts funding | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2023/mar/12/artists-in-uk-public-sector-making-far-below-minimum-wage-survey-finds
Tour Management: Crossing the UK/EU Border Using a Carnet
https://ironmanrecords.net/2022/07/tour-management-crossing-the-uk-eu-border-using-a-carnet/
Tour Management: Going to Ireland and crossing the UK/EU Border using a Carnet
https://ironmanrecords.net/2022/11/tour-management-going-to-ireland-and-crossing-the-uk-eu-border-using-a-carnet/
German punk band Trigger Cut refused entry to UK to tour because of Brexit
https://louderthanwar.com/german-punk-band-trigger-cut-refused-entry-to-uk-to-tour-because-of-brexit-bullshit/
German punk band ‘humiliated’ after being refused UK entry due to post-Brexit rules
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/apr/10/german-punk-band-humiliated-after-being-refused-uk-entry-due-to-post-brexit-rules?
In Conversation with Dodgy’s Nigel Clark: all things Britpop, Billie Eilish, and why Britain just isn’t being ‘Good Enough’ to its musicians – The Mancunion
https://mancunion.com/2023/03/10/in-conversation-with-dodgys-nigel-clark/
Let me be clear. If you don’t buy direct from Artists and Musicians, and if you don’t buy physical products from Artists and Musicians, those Artists and Musicians you like won’t be able to survive much longer. Please make your purchases now or make your way to the exit as the store will have to close soon. You have the power to keep Artists and Musicians in work. Think what you are doing. And if you don’t act, those subscription services you like so much…. might just be all that will be left.
Bandcamp Friday – If you have the means to do so, please support Bandcamp Friday & buy direct from artists & labels. It’s a way to support independent musicians directly & sustain their work https://bandcamp.com/ And if you don’t have the means to make a purchase, leave a comment and share, share, share. Everything helps.
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