What does it mean to be a musician in the Post-Brexit U.K.? How is the Post-Brexit situation going to affect musicians in the U.K? There is no doubt that we as musicians are in a tough spot.
Live music contributed £1.3bn to the economy in 2019 and £86m in exports, according to industry group UK Music.
More than 845,000 overseas music fans visited the UK that year, and 45,633 jobs were sustained by music tourism. Thanks to the twin effects of both the Pandemic and Brexit, a lot of that is going to be a mess (at least in the short term).
With changes such as increased prices for touring, restricted access for travel across the European Union, and higher costs of living, many musicians are already starting to feel the effects of what this change will bring.
In order to make sure that you have all your bases covered after Brexit is finalized, here are five resources for managing your music business post-Brexit as a musician in the U.K (in no particular order) that every musician should know about:
What rules, regulations, & travel Requirements Should Musicians be Aware of, Post-Brexit?
One of the most defining changes for musicians in the UK after Brexit is going to be the throttling effect due to restrictions in movements.
For musicians, touring is a critical aspect of your business. As such, these restrictions only pile up the procedural complications.
Depending on your tour schedules (or just FYI), stay on top of travel requirements to various destinations in the U.K. The Musicians Union U.K has a handy (always updated page) on various aspects concerning musicians: from insurance to travel requirements that affect musicians in the U.K Post-Brexit.
Ideas for Post-Brexit Touring For Musicians In the U.K
For one, post-covid and post-Brexit, travel will limp back to normal. Your music business will find its footing again.
You’ll slowly inch towards the traditional music touring across the nation in the United Kingdom and spread your wings to the nearby European Union member states.
There are many excellent resources for musicians seeking guidance on Post-Brexit touring. Let’s quickly dig into some of them:
Musicians Union Touring With Artists Programs
The Musicians Union In the U.K has programs available for musicians to tour with featured artists.
The Musicians Union also has tons of resources on everything you need to conduct successful Post-Brexit touring for musicians who want to perform at concerts, gigs, and other performances.
Get all the information you need from independently sponsored programs, moving your carnet through customers, insurance to cover yourself and your equipment abroad, and more.
ISM (The Incorporated Society of Musicians): Funding, Resources, & Initiatives
The Incorporated Society of Musicians is doing a lot to keep the morale up for all of us Musicians affected by Brexit.
It’s almost paralysing, to say the least.
In its Brexit report, ISM states that it’s working with the government to find ways to support musicians post-Brexit, to negotiate a bespoke visa waiver agreement with the EU for musicians, smoothen the process of insurance, earning fees from EU states, and more.
Read testimonials and case studies featuring several music artists, recommendations to the U.K Government, and more from the Brexit Report here.
Local Music Tours Are Just as Good
Did you know that UK concert-goers spend almost double on live music events than those in France and Italy combined?
Needless to say, music plays an important role in the U.K economy.
The UK live music industry is the second biggest in the world but is at risk of falling behind. A case can be made about the need to do local music tours (at least temporarily until more music touring programs, government initiatives, and more opportunities for Post-Brexit music touring open up.
There’s no dearth of music touring opportunities, gigs, live concerts, and festivals right here in the U.K
For instance, the UK is host to the world’s biggest and most famous greenfield festival – Glastonbury and the world’s most successful ticketed venue: The O2.
Every year almost 30 million music fans attend thousands of festivals, arenas, concert halls, and grassroots venues.
Live music events at Glastonbury alone generate £100m a year for local businesses and charities. Ed Sheeran’s 2019 gigs at Chantry Park alone generated £9m for the Ipswich economy.
Temporarily, you can keep an eye out for theatres, events, local gigs, local UK music tours, UK-based live music events, and more.
When the opportunities for Post-Brexit music tours open up slowly (and they will), we can all spread our wings as musicians.
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