A new survey suggests 64 percent of professional musicians in the U.K. are considering giving up their music careers due to disruption caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic.
British entertainment booking organization Encore Musicians found that artists lost an average of $15,000 since the pandemic shutdowns caused nearly all gigs to be canceled.
"The results show that due to widespread cancellations, musicians have lost an average of 87 percent of their live bookings, and with them their main source of income," Encore reported, noting that the survey crossed all genres of music.
More than 80 percent of respondents could be considered professional musicians who make a living from their art, Encore added.
Musicians surveyed had an average of five concerts on the books for the rest of 2020, but four in 10 had no bookings for the rest of the year.
About 40 percent of British musicians had not received financial support from the British government. A little more than 40 percent of British musicians have been helped by non-government bodies.
Four in 10 musicians had applied for a non-music-related jobs since the lockdown measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 were initiated in Britain in March.
The music industry contributes about $5.2 billion annually to the U.K. economy and employs nearly 200,000 people there.
In the United States, the music industry is estimated to contribute $143 billion annually to the economy, contributing to nearly 2 million jobs.
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