LONDON (VIP-NEWS) — LIVE, which represents 16 UK dwell music business organizations, has launched a complete survey of freelance professionals working within the UK dwell music sector.
Produced in partnership with Deal with Freelance Options, THE BACK LOUNGE, and UK LIVE Occasion Freelancers Discussion board, ‘Powered by Freelancers – The Reside Music Version 2024’ is the primary in-depth evaluation of its type and was commissioned to assist perceive and determine the adjustments required to enhance the expertise of the freelancers who’re essential to the success of the dwell music business.
1,281 dwell music freelancers contributed to this survey with 87% of respondents stating that “freelance work gives my major earnings.”
The UK’s dwell music business generated £5.2 billion in 2022 and the summer season of 2023 showcased a post-pandemic resurgence for a lot of the sector, regardless of challenges remaining for grassroots music. This report identifies a core positivity however with key considerations and strategies for enchancment and demonstrates how the dwell music business can grow to be an much more enticing, inclusive, and secure area to work for all.
One of many key findings was that 73% of respondents agreed that dwell music is a superb business for freelancers to work in, with over 60% feeling ‘optimistic’ concerning the subsequent 12 months. Nevertheless, the report additionally highlights areas the place adjustments are required to enhance the expertise of freelancers, which embody monetary safety, higher pay, flexibility and work-life stability; elements which can be changing into more and more necessary to these working in dwell music.
For recruitment and securing work, 59% of respondents agreed that sufficient freelance jobs had been accessible, however 56% mentioned that they discovered it tough to entry or safe these roles. This additionally raised points amongst youthful individuals and non-male respondents with some expressing much less optimism about job safety and extra problem discovering work. All through the report, various elements round age and gender level in the direction of an imbalance that demonstrates the necessity to nurture alternative and variety to make sure that the business attracts a variety of recent expertise and is a safe and constructive place to work.
The cancellation of labor by occasion organizers at brief discover additionally emerged as a key concern for a lot of of these collaborating within the survey. With lower than half of respondents (49%) having signed contracts within the final 12 months earlier than agreeing roles, an analogous proportion have skilled cancellation of labor in the identical interval with 48% having jobs canceled with lower than one week’s discover.
Darren Woolnough, Managing Director at Deal with Freelance Options mentioned, “The analysis mirrors the conversations that we’ve every day. It highlights a big concern the place late funds and an absence of formal contracts can usually be normalized inside the freelance group. As an alternative of pointing fingers, our dedication is to supply the steering and options to assist corporations perceive how they’ll ship an distinctive freelancer expertise and this analysis is invaluable to serving to us do precisely that.”
Jon Collins CEO of LIVE mentioned, “Freelancers are essential to the success of the dwell music ecosystem and our business depends on them to ship unforgettable experiences for followers. That’s the reason LIVE was delighted to accomplice with Deal with Freelance Options, THE BACK LOUNGE, and UK LIVE Occasion Freelancers Discussion board to provide this groundbreaking report, the primary of its type, and in doing so ship invaluable perception into the freelance expertise. A lot within the report is nice to see, not least the resoundingly constructive response from individuals when requested if ours is a superb business to be in. In fact, stories like this can all the time spotlight alternatives for enchancment and we will probably be taking all of those learnings and funneling them into the work of our LIVE Workforce group, the place business consultants alongside ED&I and workforce specialists work in the direction of targets that positively impression the present and future workforce of our business.”