New Survey Reveals That 84% Of Independent UK Artists Cannot Afford To Tour
CLASH feature
January 27, 2025
A new survey carried out by Ditto Music has found the 84% of independent artists in the UK cannot afford to tour.
The survey comes as the live music sector in the UK continues to struggle in the aftermath of the pandemic, with Independent Venue Week kicking off this evening (January 27th).
Global music distribution and record label services company Ditto Music opened 2025 by carrying out a survey of more than 1500 musicians, and the results reveal a bleak picture.
According to the survey, 84% of unsigned musicians in the UK cannot afford the costs attached to touring.
The figures reveal that 70.6% of UK acts have never toured, with 62.2% having turned down touring opportunities solely due to financial reasons.
The survey has found that 70.6% also revealed that they primarily fund their music careers through personal savings; as a result of this, around 87.5% of artists aged between 25-34 cited touring as completely unaffordable.
