#NewYorkNotes #HealthyPeachy @RecordingAcad MUSICARES LAUNCHES THE WELLNESS IN MUSIC 2025 SURVEY
What Does It Really Mean to Be “Well” in the Music Industry?
MusiCares asks this question every year — because no one understands the demands of a life in music like the professionals who live it. And in 2025, the stakes feel higher than ever.
Over the past year, hurricanes across the Southeast and wildfires in Los Angeles devastated music communities. Countless professionals — from session players and tour crews to venue staff and engineers — are still working to recover financially, mentally, and physically. These crises didn’t just impact homes or gear. They reshaped lives.
That’s why the MusiCares Wellness in Music Survey is back. This annual check-in is one of our most important tools — giving us the data we need to listen more deeply, respond more effectively, and create programs that meet the real-world needs of music professionals today.
This year, conversations around wellness in the music industry have taken on new urgency. From speeches to op-eds to online discourse, the spotlight is finally turning toward the realities that music professionals have long navigated — realities that often remain invisible to the public.
Unpredictable, gig-based income. High out-of-pocket healthcare costs. Long hours on the road, often in a new city each day. These challenges don’t just affect performers — they affect touring crews, engineers, stagehands, and every behind-the-scenes worker who keeps the music going.
The truth is: life in music isn’t just challenging — it’s often destabilizing in ways that most traditional workers never encounter. From a lack of benefits and paid leave to the mental toll of creative burnout, the risks are real — and they’re widespread.
Awareness is growing. But turning that awareness into action takes more than headlines — it takes data. That’s why this survey matters.
In 2024, nearly 2,800 music professionals responded to our survey. Here’s what they told us:78% earned $100,000 or less — lower than national household averages
69% couldn’t comfortably cover expenses through music work alone
53% said their income hadn’t stabilized post-pandemic
47% and 44% cited financial concerns as a direct cause of stress and anxiety, respectively
65% were not confident about the trajectory of the music industry
87% had health insurance, but only 54% had dental
78% skipped hearing screenings, despite working in high-decibel environments
70% of those 45+ missed colonoscopy screenings
62% of women 24+ missed cervical cancer screenings
60% of those under 45 skipped vision screenings
8.3% had serious thoughts of suicide — compared to 5% nationally Of those, 15.1% made a plan and 3.5% attempted — far above national rates
36% reported using marijuana or marijuana-derived products in the past month Among those users, 36% reported daily use
These aren’t just numbers. They’re signals — and they shape the programs we build.
Thanks to last year’s participants, MusiCares expanded telehealth support for addiction recovery, introduced financial coaching, covered childcare costs, and increased access to preventive care services, including mammograms and cervical screenings.
Help us reach every corner of the music community.
Please consider sharing the survey with your readership and/or social following. Below are links to the survey in both English and Spanish, along with our social media toolkit, also available in both languages.
To access the survey in English, click here.
To access the survey in Spanish, click here.
To access the social media toolkit in both English and Spanish, click here.
ABOUT MUSICARES
MusiCares® helps the humans behind music because music gives so much to the world. Offering preventive, emergency and recovery programs, MusiCares is a safety net supporting the health and welfare of the music community. Founded by the Recording Academy in 1989 as a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) charity, MusiCares safeguards the well-being of all music people through direct financial grant programs, networks of support resources, and tailored crisis relief efforts. For more information please visit: www.musicares.org.
