It’s safe to say the sheen of being a professional musician, particularly in Australia, is beginning to wear off. Most music fans are now aware that for the most part, it can be a thankless and often tumultuous line of work.

Indeed, a recent survey by the Australian Music Industry Network (AMIN), which acts as a representative body for musicians in Australia, has shed light on the financial travails encountered by musicians in this country.

Having previously negotiated the Virgin Baggage Allowance for its members, AMIN surveyed members on the financial costs of working as a professional musician, particularly those relevant to travel, insurance, and accounting.

The results painted a less than glamorous and somewhat worrying picture. The majority of respondents are engaged in full-time work and spend an average of $150 every week on their music career. Their careers effectively come out of their pocket.

Of the 125 AMIN members who participated, the majority identified as 25-34 year old males residing in metropolitan Victoria, who work in the industry and identify as a musician or songwriter.

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Of those who receive some kind of income from performing, most earned either $50 – $200 monthly before tax or $200 – $500 monthly before tax. On average, members were earning $1,000 – $5,000 monthly before tax from other hobbies or paid employment.

As we mentioned previously, despite earning a meagre income from their music, most were still contributing $150 towards their careers. Just 4 percent of respondents indicated they contribute nothing at all towards their music careers.

The majority of members were in fact employed on a full time basis, followed closely by part-time employment. Most members did not accept cash in hand for performances, however 32 percent did, citing such reasons as “easier, no tax”, and “to leave no paper trail”.

Getting down to the logistics, most members had their own financial plans in place (39 percent) or had not sought any advice (23 percent). Most surveyed had a super fund, though only a small number made contributions with funds generated through performing.

Regarding insurance, the majority of members did have insurance coverage on their instruments (94 percent). However, when it came to income or disability insurance, very few members had coverage – 13 percent had disability and just 5 percent had income insurance.

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The vast majority of members used airlines when travelling, with many citing it as ‘essential’ to their touring schedule. Individually, members on average undertake 1-5 domestic flights per year, spending $1,000 – $5,000 monthly.

The preferred airline for members was Virgin (63 percent) for domestic use, followed by Qantas (16 percent). When it came to international travel, the majority of members did not undertake international flights for their music careers.

The baggage allowance was cited as the primary reason why 60 percent of members chose to fly with Virgin, indicating that it could be a boon for airlines to adopt such measures.

When problems were encountered with the allowance, it was most often because airline staff were not properly trained or unaware of the baggage allowance for musicians.

While the survey certainly depicts the working life of a musician as one that is no different to any other career (full of travails and anxieties), AMIN hopes to use the data collected to further benefit its members and the live music community.

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