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The brutal truth to earning a living as a Musician in 2023 starts here

April 10, 2023 /

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.

Subscribe to the Birmingham Music Network Newsletter on Substack here https://birminghammusicnetwork.substack.com/

If you find any other good articles worth sharing, get in touch.

Tweet us @BirminghamMN

The Industry Report 2023 by Entourage Pro Ltd.

March 8, 2023 /

The Industry Report 2023 has sought to provide some context around members hopes, fears and considerations on topics such as the cost-of-living crisis, mental health, diversity, prediction, industry sentiment and pay.

Entourage Pro Ltd, the world’s first free, verified crew network and entertainment industry research and insights company, has published a report based on member’s feeling and predictions for the year ahead.

In conjunction with technical industry measurement, and with input from the global freelance crew community, manufacturers, rental houses and key industry stakeholders from the live entertainment sector, The Industry Report 2023 has sought to provide some context around members hopes, fears and considerations on topics such as the cost-of-living crisis, mental health, diversity, prediction, industry sentiment and pay.

Over 1000 respondents took part in the survey, providing a comprehensive and detailed sample range for the purpose of the report.

Read the report here

“We’ve spent a lot of time speaking to industry bodies, crew members, suppliers, manufacturers and the wider music industry,” says Entourage Pro Director, Joel Perry. “Whilst there are some concerns for the year ahead, there is also a feeling of optimism. Areas such as education, people value, exploring new ways to build relationships and to undergo training, etc., are being brought to the forefront of attention and from this, as an industry, we are ready and able to react.”

“We’ve published results as they’ve come into us and remain impartial,” adds Entourage Pro co-director, James Stanbridge. “As we measure the industry in more detail moving forward, in terms of kit, market share, venues, and trend, we hope that this direct approach is helpful and useable to all segments of the industry.”

“Now is the perfect time to listen intently to the industry and those operating within it, and really act upon the issues and challenges we continue to face,” concludes Harvey Goldsmith, who joined the Entourage Pro board at the end of last year. “Where better to gain valuable insight than from those at the very sharp end of the experience economy, and who better to action change moving forward?”

To read the report, visit https://www.entouragepro.com/industry-report

Birmingham Music Network Newsletter

January 2, 2023 /

Birmingham Music Network is a Music Networking organisation, leading the way by working with the local music community to stimulate growth, inspire, and share knowledge. We offer practical based industry experience and are not genre specific.

We would like to invite you to our brand new Newsletter on Substack.

The Music Network is a voluntary, not for profit, social enterprise organisation seeking charitable status. “we”, “our” and “us” means The Music Network. We are working for the benefit of the wider music community and encourage others to do the same.

Since 2000, The Music Network has pulled together a community of independent music organisations, based in the West Midlands. We offer access to some of the most innovative and exciting new contemporary music being produced today.

Musicians are finding it hard to survive. Brexit has been a hammer blow, Coronavirus has been a hammer blow, and now everyone is trying to tour and release music all at the same time. Audiences are overwhelmed with new music and concerts to go to. It’s hard for people to know what to choose with limited financial resources. Ticket sales are down, merch sales are down, every band with the ability to do so is out touring and asking for support. There’s little or no significant money coming in from downloads or streaming platforms.  But it’s not all bleak….there are lots of things to do.

Joining the mailing list and buying physical merch from Artists direct can really help. If you are struggling for money yourself, you can help in other ways by leaving a comment, sharing an Artist’s latest work or messaging them to tell them you are still there.

Birmingham Music Network seeks to encourage a positive attitude and a desire to find a way through all this.

“Pessimists sit around telling each other how hopeless everything is. It’s the optimists who get things done.”- Robert Anton Wilson.

Stay up-to-date, stay positive, and keep going. Subscribe to get full access to the Birmingham Music Network newsletter. You won’t have to worry about missing anything. Every new edition of the newsletter goes directly to your inbox.

Be part of a community of people who share your interests.

Join us on substack and keep in touch

https://birminghammusicnetwork.substack.com

You know what to do

Privacy Policy

May 21, 2018 /

Scope
Birmingham Music Network is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This policy and notice applies to all data subjects whose personal data we collect, in line with the requirements of the EU General Data Protection Regulation.

Who are we?
The address for Birmingham Music Network is PO BOX 9121, Birmingham, B13 8AU, England. Telephone: (+44) 07974 746810 Website: https://birminghammusicnetwork.com

For Data Protection enquiries email mark@birminghammusicnetwork.com or write to the PO BOX address above.

Responsibilities
We are responsible for ensuring that this notice is made available to data subjects prior to Birmingham Music Network collecting/processing their personal data.

Privacy Notice
The personal data we would like to collect from you is as follows:

Email address

First and last name (where applicable)

Name of company (where applicable)

Address (where applicable)

The personal data we collect will be used for the following purposes:

Sending communications, including but not limited to newsletters, information on artists, events, projects, services and other information about, or relating to the work of Birmingham Music Network.

Transferring information between our IT systems to allow us to send communications.

Processing any complaints that we receive.

Allowing secure access (where applicable) to certain documents on our website.

Legal Basis
Our legal basis for processing your personal data is your consent. By submitting your details, you are accepting and consenting to the practices described in this privacy policy. We will not collect any special data types for the purpose of sending communications about Birmingham Music Network.

Consent
By consenting to this privacy notice you are giving us permission to process your personal data specifically for the purposes identified above. Consent is required for Birmingham Music Network to process normal or special categories of personal data, but it must be explicitly given. Where we are asking you for personal data we will always tell you why and how the information will be used. Where you have consented, we will contact you with marketing materials as described above. You may withdraw consent at any time by unsubscribing or if can’t work out how to do that by contacting mark@birminghammusicnetwork.com

Disclosure
Birmingham Music Network will not pass on your personal data to third parties without first obtaining your consent to do so.

Retention Period
Birmingham Music Network will process and store personal data until you remove your consent for us to contact you. We will erase the data held by us within 30 days of the removal of consent.

Safeguards
Birmingham Music Network has implemented technical and organisational measures to ensure personal data processed remains secure, however, absolute security cannot be guaranteed.

Your rights as a data subject
At any point while we are in possession of or processing your personal data, you, the data subject, have the following rights:

Right to be informed – you have the right to be aware of how we use your information, as set out within this policy.

Right of access – you have the right to request a copy of the information that we hold about you.

Right of rectification – you have a right to correct data that we hold about you that is inaccurate or incomplete.

Right to be forgotten – in certain circumstances you can ask for the data we hold about you to be erased from our records.

Right to restriction of processing – where certain conditions apply to have a right to restrict the processing.

Right of portability – you have the right to have the data we hold about you transferred to another organisation.

Right to object – you have the right to object to certain types of processing such as direct marketing.

Right to object to automated processing, including profiling – you also have the right to be subject to the legal effects of automated processing or profiling.

All of the above requests will be forwarded on should there be a third party involved (as stated above) in the processing of your personal data.

Third Countries
We do not transfer your data to third countries. Any data held is stored within the EU at all times.

Complaints
In the event that you wish to make a complaint about how your personal data is being processed by  Birmingham Music Network (or by any third parties as described above), or how your complaint has been handled, you have the right to lodge a complaint directly with Birmingham Music Network.

Changes to this policy
We may change this Privacy Policy & Notice at any time by updating this page, please make sure you frequently visit this page. We will endeavour to provide you with a notice of change of this page if any amendments occur.

Want to keep updated with news from Birmingham Music Network?

Changes to data protection laws mean we will not be able contact you without your consent. So, if you want  Birmingham Music Network to keep in touch, please confirm that you are happy to receive emails – opt in now, it only takes a minute.

Opt in to emails

Don’t worry – you can opt out of receiving communication from us at any time and can rest assured that your information is kept secure.

We value your privacy and use a variety of security measures to protect your personal information. Your information will not be passed onto any third parties.

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