'Ethnicity pay gap' and racism exposed in global majority musicians survey

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More than half of musicians from the global majority say they have witnessed or experienced discrimination, in a report that also highlights a significant "ethnicity pay gap".

Some 53% of musicians who are black, brown, mixed-heritage or indigenous to the global south, including those who work in orchestras and within musical theatre, reported witnessing or being subject to racist treatment, the Musicians’ Union found.

The Musicians from the Global Majority Insight Report, which builds on the MU’s Musicians’ Census of 6,000 people, also revealed a disparity in earnings between their global majority members and their white counterparts.

The report found the vast majority of musicians from the global majority work as performing musicians and music creators, with their annual income from music averaging £17,745.

The findings unveiled a £1,000 gap between white respondents earning all of their income from music and those who identify as being from the global majority.

Global majority performing musicians were most likely to report they were financially supporting their music career by taking on additional employment, with 79% saying they had taken on other forms of income, compared to 53% of recording musicians, 14% of conductors or musical directors, and 6% of live sound engineers.

One respondent quoted in the report said: "Racism and cliques play a part in industry specialists booking their friends and artists they are connected with. Racism means that black artists struggle to get booked or to live on their work as musicians."
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Other key findings included:

• Although 81% of people who experienced racism said it had a significant impact on their career progression, less than a third reported their experience formally.
• Half of global majority respondents reported a lack of sustainable income as a barrier in their music careers, while 35% said they could not support themselves or their families on a musician’s income, and 24% said they had found themselves in debt.
• Almost a third of musicians from the global majority reported poor mental well-being and 26% reported poor physical health.

The report is the second in an ongoing series of insight reports based on the Musicians’ Census, with the first providing an insight into the economic challenges facing musicians today.

The latest findings have led to the MU and organisation Black Lives in Music calling for further investment in and support for musicians from the global majority, while also urging for signatories to a forthcoming anti-racism code of conduct.

Black Lives in Music, which is currently developing the code of conduct, said it would "help eradicate racism across the music sector for the benefit of all those who live and work within it".

Naomi Pohl, general secretary of the MU, said: "No one should have to work in environments where they are subject to racism, lower pay or denied career progression because of their ethnicity. This report must act as a call to action for the whole music industry to work together to stamp out the racism and discrimination musicians from the global majority are experiencing.

"As the UK’s trade union for musicians, working for and on behalf of our members is our priority and we are committed to working with our global majority members to tackle the challenges they face."

She added: "We know from working with members that musicians from the global majority’s skills and experiences are often overlooked, dismissed or devalued. This report further confirms that and shows us in detail that racism and discrimination exist in every corner of the music industry. These are not one-off or isolated experiences; the information musicians shared with us shows systemic issues within the music industry that cannot be ignored.

"The Musicians’ Census has given us more evidence of the problems, now we need to start working on the solutions. If we want an equitable and diverse music industry, which I believe everyone does, then we must listen and act."