UK live music business trade body LIVE has published the results of a study into the experience of freelancers in the industry. The majority felt that it’s a good sector for freelancers to operate in and are optimistic about the future. However, the survey did uncover some issues, including with job security and last minute cancellation of work.
“Freelancers are crucial to the success of the live music ecosystem and our industry relies on them to deliver unforgettable experiences for fans”, says LIVE CEO Jon Collins, launching a report based on the results, ‘Powered By Freelancers - Live Music Edition 2024’. He added that the survey provides “invaluable insight into the freelance experience”.
A total of 1281 freelancers contributed to the survey, with 87% saying that freelancing was their primary source of income. Asked if live music is a great industry for freelancers to work in, 73% said it is, with over 60% saying that they felt optimistic about the future.
While 59% said that there are enough freelance jobs available, 56% said that they find it difficult to access these roles. More difficulty in finding work was reported among younger people, women and non-binary respondents - a common theme across the results, says LIVE.
Issues with job security once roles had been secured were also highlighted. Less than half of respondents had signed contracts before starting roles and around 48% had seen jobs cancelled with less than a week’s notice.
“Much in the report is great to see, not least the resoundingly positive response from people when asked if ours is a great industry to be in”, says Collins. “Of course, reports like this will always highlight opportunities for improvement and we will be taking all of these learnings and funnelling them into the work of our LIVE Workforce group, where industry experts alongside ED&I and workforce specialists work towards objectives that positively impact the current and future workforce of our industry”.
