The UK's Musicians' Union recently ran their third poll since the COVID-19 pandemic hit asking if musicians were, given the current circumstances, considering abandoning their careers. The first poll revealed 19% of musicians were considering calling it a day. Now on the third poll, that number has risen to 34%.
According to the union, the poll also revealed the following:
- 47% musicians have been forced to look for work outside them music industry
- 70% are unable to undertake more than a quarter of their usual work
- 36% musicians do not have any work at all
Frankly, it's surprising we haven't seen more bands call it a day due to the pandemic. Though Anathema recently went on indefinite hiatus for this exact reason, so maybe it's just starting to happen?
It should be noted that the UK's Musicians' Union did not reveal how many participants were a part of each of the polls. Read more on the union's website here.
