After the COVID-19 epidemic, bars, restaurants, and other businesses around the world have been closed. Businesses that provide public service like mountain view towing in East Palo Alto were also affected by the sudden measures to stop the spread of the virus. and social media is full of scenes of musicians playing in the neighborhood or with him.
For ordinary musicians across Europe, the blockade has always been a disaster. Live performance is the most obvious casualty, but many musicians’ top priorities: lectures, meeting work, recording, and band work have also decreased.
The unemployment rate increased even in the music industry
A recent survey of 7,000 members in the UK found that the Musicians Union lost a total of 22 million pounds (24 million euros) of work since the lockdown on March 23. Online tuition fees for music classes were also reimbursed.
In fact, despite paying much attention to online learning during the lockout period, music teachers said that many students decided to postpone the lesson until the end of the crisis. Others say that some people are reluctant to pay for the same online courses as physics courses.
Government support for musicians
Government support for musicians across Europe has been mixed. Berlin in March allotted 500 million euros to freelancers, including musicians and artists, which attracted widespread attention within four days. Governments in many other countries, including France and the Netherlands, have also launched similar programs, but applicants complain that there is a serious delay in receiving funds.
At the same time, according to data from the UK government’s official website (UK), self-employed and freelancers cannot apply for assistance until April 23, and subsidies may not be paid until June. By this time, the musician had been unemployed for almost four months.
In recent weeks, British musicians have received a lot of private funding, including a one-off grant of £1,000 and a PRS supporting £200 of the million pounds offered by MU. But for those who don’t have savings and have no chance to make money in the short run, life can be more difficult.
Musicians on Social Media Live Streaming
Music events and concerts were canceled. The plague stopped the European festival tour and canceled large and small events across the continent. However, even if the show restarts at least in the short term, the stage where thousands of people flock to the concert hall and watch the band can end.
Despite the rapid popularity of live streaming, online programming is still unlikely to fill the gap left by live performances. In particular, it is almost impossible to generate revenue. Instagram doesn’t currently allow performers to make money from live streaming (although it’s being considered), making big money on YouTube watching is an option only available to millions of views.
At the same time, streaming services pay artists only a portion of each stream, so they can only support the largest and most powerful companies.