Spotify partners with Backline to launch mental health hub for music industry professionals

Spotify has teamed up with Backline, a nonprofit organisation connecting music industry professionals and their family members with mental health resources, to launch a global mental health initiative.

As part of the initiative, which is called Heart & Soul, Mental Health for Creators, Spotify and Backline are introducing the “first-ever” Global Mental Health Resource Hub – a “comprehensive support platform”.

This is the first time that Backline has expanded its services beyond the United States, with the hub launched to support not just artists, but also touring crew and other music industry workers at all levels amid an ongoing mental health crisis.

As part of the Heart & Soul initiative, you can now get international support from Backline across a multilingual database featuring trusted music industry and mental health support resources and crisis lines from around the world. Backline has also launched global@backline.care, a dedicated email service that provides one-on-one support to help individuals navigate local care options in their countries.

A free digital guide titled Mind The Music: A Mental Health Guide for the Music Industry is also available, designed for every role in the industry and featuring tools to stay grounded on the road.

Furthermore, there’s also free support for Spotify’s EQUAL, GLOW, and RADAR ambassadors in the US via Music’s Mental Health Fund, a joint programme from Backline and Sweet Relief Musicians’ Fund that provides grants to cover the cost of therapy.

“Backline is honoured to serve as a steward of Spotify’s investment into the creative community,” says Backline Executive Director & Co-Founder, Hilary Gleason. “Bringing our work to scale is a meaningful way to uplift the well-being of artists all around the world. This collaboration is taking these invaluable mental health and wellness resources beyond borders. Music knows no bounds, and now people who make music happen have access to care and a compassionate community.”

Spotify Head of Artist & Label Partnerships, Monica Herrera Damashek, adds: “It’s clear that the mental health challenges artists face are real, and that the current support systems often fall short. It’s on all of us in the industry to respond with action… We know this is only one step but we look forward to building on this for a more supported, sustainable environment for the artists who shape culture every day.”

“Heart & Soul is our commitment to the creators behind the music. Artists and songwriters face immense pressure, and their mental health can’t be an afterthought,” states Lauren Siegal Wurgaft, Head of Social Impact at Spotify. “Supporting creators’ well-being is essential to sustaining a vibrant music ecosystem.”

To find out more or get support, head over to Backline.