Looking back - How the Pandemic Affected Canadian Musicians

The Covid pandemic caused major shifts in everyone's lives. But while some people were displaced from their work desks to their home offices, others were forced to reflect on more fundamental issues, such as whether to pursue the careers they had previously envisaged for the long-term.

Musicians are part of this latter group.

In a study reported by Hill Strategies Research in February of 2021, 755 professional musicians in Quebec took part in a non-random survey. The goal of this report was to shed light on how the pandemic had affected the financial and professional situations of these musicians.

The most alarming statistic surfaced when responding to the following statement: "the problems caused by the coronavirus pandemic mean [that they might] consider abandoning [their] career as a musician in the long-term," 18% of respondents said yes, and another 38% said that they are "in reflection" of not pursuing such a career. A minority of musicians, 43%, said that they were not considering abandoning their music careers.

‌The study also discussed work conditions in the present time and not simply future expectations. For instance, at the end of 2020, 72% of respondents reported only undertaking 25% of their usual work - this is a huge drop in output.

However, despite all this negative news, the government interventions did indeed help musicians in Quebec. 75% of those surveyed stated having qualified for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB).

If these published statistics show us one thing, it is that now more than ever, musicians need our help. GigLinked was born from the idea that musicians lacked the resources necessary to truly take control of their music like business-owners. We believe with strong conviction that the pandemic should make not only musicians, but their audiences and the wider public, more aware of just how underserved they are as a community.

Despite geography, genre, or culture, music is fundamental to how humans share. Music allows us to connect with our neighbors near and far. Less musicians = less music = less sharing. This is a problem GigLinked believes is worth fighting against.