Help Musicians is a charity that at the start of the year surveyed 700 musicians to find out how they have been affected by the pandemic and its associated lockdown.

In the last three months, help musicians have recorded a 65% increase in requests for mental health support, and is calling the survey findings a “hidden crisis among musicians“.

Many working musicians and DJs rely heavily on the revenue generated from live performances, and the lockdown has seen a huge drop off in earnings for many inside the music industry.

Venues being closed means musicians have been hit harder than most, and the uncertainty of when things will open again is an understandable cause of anxiety.

According to the survey, 96% said they are worried about their finances, and 70% said that didn’t feel they could financially manage the next six months. 91% feel uncertain about the future of their career.

More than half of the people surveyed said they were no longer making an income from music, and 56% has started claiming government benefits. Perhaps the most concerning is 25% saying that they are thinking of leaving the music industry for good!

James Ainscough is Chief Executive of Help Musicians, and in a statement, he said: “We can’t sugar coat these findings – we are facing a mental health crisis amongst musicians on an unprecedented scale. Whilst there may be light at the end of the tunnel with a roadmap out of lockdown revealed, there is still substantial uncertainty around how quickly the music industry can recover, plus the catastrophic impact of the Brexit deal on musicians’ ability to tour. After a year of hardship, the ongoing uncertainty for musicians is taking a huge toll on mental health.”

Recently, Help Musicians has expanded its mental health support, and you can find more information HERE.

H/T: Mixmag