The industry will chew you up and spit you out.
A devastating new report has laid bare the music industry’s dark underbelly, with young creatives describing widespread feelings of danger, exploitation, and silencing.
Titled ‘Just the Way It Is?’ and produced by Youth Music in partnership with the Musicians’ Union and Music Guardians, the research found that over 70 per cent of respondents felt unsafe in music industry workplaces.
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A staggering 90 per cent reported being unable to speak out about unfair practices, and the same number said they’d been paid unfairly for their work.
Those conditions are driving talent away. Three-quarters of respondents said they’d considered abandoning their ambitions entirely due to unsafe or unfair environments.
There was one flicker of hope: 85 per cent said they felt inspired by artists like RAYE, whose frank campaigning has opened vital conversations about rights and accountability.
RAYE has previously spoken of being forced to accept meagre royalty splits and described “evil” industry practices.
Victoria Canal contributed her own harrowing testimony, describing early-career experiences defined by harassment, disability discrimination, and grooming by a powerful older figure she declined to name for fear of legal retaliation.
Carol Reid, Programme Director at Youth Music, called for urgent collective action: “Exploitation and inequality are commonplace for young people trying to break into music. We must move from quiet acceptance toward shared responsibility.”
The report demands transparent contracts, fair pay, and safer workplace cultures, before more young creatives give up entirely.
