Proceeds from new silent album to support Help Musicians’ work

We would like to say a huge thank you to Ed Newton-Rex and the 1,000+ musicians involved in the ​‘Is This What We Want?’ album for donating the proceeds to Help Musicians.

At the heart of music is innovation, with technology an increasingly important part of the creative process in musicians’ lives. As a charity that’s been supporting musicians for over 100 years, we have seen over the decades how technology has brought opportunity, however, it can also bring risks; risks to earning and creative rights which, given the challenges to building a sustainable career today, are more important to protect than ever.

Being a musician can be hugely rewarding job, but with over 70% of the UK’s musicians working in a freelance capacity and 43% earning less than £14,000 a year from music, it’s a precarious profession that presents many obstacles to overcome. It’s vital therefore that rights are protected, and we support the work of UK Music and The Musicians’ Union who make representation to government regarding the right way forward. 

While the resolution on this rests with decision makers, we will continue to play our part in ensuring musicians can access vital business advice and support to further grow their careers and understanding of how best to protect their income and music rights. Everything raised through the release of this album will directly support this work.