FAQs

  • We appreciate that the UK’s musicians are regularly asked to complete surveys by a number of organisations, particularly since the beginning of the pandemic.

    These surveys have proved vital in ensuring help is being directed in the right places, however none paints a complete picture of the full breadth of the musician community, covering diversity, health and wellbeing, and the breadth and variety of working patterns.

    This lack of quality data makes it difficult for the bodies and charities that support the UK’s musicians to accurately make assumptions about the musician population and therefore understand the challenges that musicians may face in both their careers and lives.  

  • The Musicians’ Census is for anyone who earns or plans to earn all or part of their living from music. That includes performers, teachers, composers, facilitators and other music work. It also includes students, and can include amateur and community musicians depending on where they land in that description.

    As organisations that support and represent musicians, we are leaving it to you to self-define within these parameters according to your own experiences. This will generate the most accurate picture of the myriad ways musicians see and experience work, which is the focus of this research (and pertinent to the organisations leading in the research).

    This definition does exclude people who do not earn or do not want or hope to earn money from music. If you fall into that category, then the Musicians’ Census does not cover you this time.

  • The Census is focused on musicians because Help Musicians and the Musicians’ Union primarily support and represent musicians. Both organisations also support UK Music’s annual This is Music research, which is industry-wide and includes technicians and crew.

  • This project is being jointly funded by Help Musicians and the Musicians’ Union, with collaboration from a wide spectrum of industry partners.

  • Alongside Help Musicians and the Musicians’ Union, the following organisations formed the core stakeholder group for this project, helping to shape the questions, promote the Census, and will be involved in helping to interpret and highlight the findings:

    Arts Council England
    Association for Electronic Music (AFEM)
    Association of British Orchestras
    Attitude is Everything
    Black Lives in Music (BLiM)
    Drake Music Org
    Drake Music Scotland
    English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS)
    Featured Artists Coalition
    Ivors Academy
    Music Managers Forum
    PiPA
    PPL
    PRS Foundation
    Punch Records
    Royal Society of Musicians of Great Britain (RSM)
    Safe In Sound in NI
    She Said So
    The F List
    The Independent Society of Musicians (ISM)
    UK Music

  • The data will be collected by Walnut Unlimited. Full details of how Walnut collect, use and protect your data can be found on their website

  • The census will be repeated every 3 to 5 years to ensure that all of us in the sector have the insights required to remain relevant to the lives and careers of all musicians across the UK.

  • There are a number of different surveys carried out across the music industry, and the Census is independent project.

    UK Music’s annual Creators’ Survey launches in Spring, and we would encourage you to support this survey too when it launches as it aims to understand music creators’ income, which helps UK Music calculate a GVA (Gross Value Added) for the music industry.

  • Working with the expertise of partner ICM, the Census will use statistical sampling techniques / methodology in order to provide assurance that the picture it paints is reliable.

  • Yes. The confidentiality of personal information is our highest priority, and your personal data will not be shared with any other organisation.

    Information collected will be used solely for statistical research. While we plan to publish the results of the census, this will not reveal any personal information.

  • No. This project is being conducted independently of the government or any government body and is led by organisations (i.e., Help Musicians and The Musicians’ Union) who want to use the insights gained to better support the UK’s musician community.

  • No. Personal data will not be shared – all findings of the Census will be anonymised

  • The dataset is for use by Help Musicians, the Musicians’ Union, and partner organisations. We may share insights and statistics based on the information you provide, but your data will not be shared with Government.