Columbus musicians struggle to make a living
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Columbus-area musicians are struggling to make a professional living or even enough money to support their talents as a hobby, a groundbreaking local "music census" shows.
Why it matters: The region needs to take proactive steps to support its music scene or risk losing artists to other places, a local music nonprofit that commissioned the study concludes.
What they did: Music Columbus and data company Sound Music Cities partnered on a survey of 1,555 anonymous responses from around Central Ohio.
- Most surveyed are musicians, along with a few hundred industry professionals that includes producers, marketers and performance venue workers.
Here are some top takeaways:
😀 Respondents generally have a positive opinion of the local music scene, with a majority viewing it as cooperative, inclusive and culturally rich.
Music professionals are experienced, but less diverse than the city as a whole.
- Two-thirds of respondents have been in the business for over 10 years.
- Straight, white men dominate the scene — 70% of survey respondents are male and 74% are white, both disproportionate to local population figures.
😬 Musicians have major concerns about their career opportunities.
- A whopping 90% said low or uncertain pay is their greatest music challenge.
💵 Stunning stat: The average annual income for performers is $19,390, with the average pay for a local gig being $233.
💼 The vast majority (68%) work another job outside of music for additional income and benefits.
- Just 39% are members of a professional trade or music licensing organization that can provide extra income. Even fewer have a higher education degree in music.
What's next: Music Columbus plans to meet with musicians and industry pros to chart a better path forward.
- The group wants to see career development workshops, plus better gig payment standards and marketing of local artists.
The intrigue: It's also eyeing the possibility of duplicating a program used in Memphis and Tulsa to encourage musicians to stay local.
- The Memphis program "subsidizes working musicians, allowing them to tour, build audiences outside the city, and sustain their careers."