It’s not easy being in the music business. It never was and it probably never will ever be. We’ve all experienced a mental health incident during our careers, but it wasn’t until the last few years that people have felt comfortable talking about it. Ditto Music conducted an artist survey on creative burnout and mental wellbeing that covered approximately 2,000+ respondents globally. The results were a bit disheartening.
The survey drew from a global pool, although the United States and United Kingdom were the two most represented countries, followed by Germany, Australia, Canada, India, Japan, and others. Artists and Producers made up the largest segments, with Songwriters, Producers, and Artist/Producer hybrids also represented. It also spanned all age groups, with strong representation in the 25–44 range and notable participation from both the 18 to 24 and 55+ brackets.
Overall Burnout
The overwhelming majority of respondents (roughly 85–88%) reported experiencing significant mental strain or creative burnout. Only a small minority said they had not. Of those who did experience burnout, “Severe” and “Moderate” were the most common ratings.
This is a side effect of working in the music business unfortunately, especially when you’re first starting out. As a musician, you get road weary. As an engineer or producer, deadlines keep you working double digit hour days. You’re afraid to take a break in case a job comes up that you won’t be able to take. It’s a viscous circle that never seems to end.
Top Contributors To Burnout
The three most cited causes were financial insecurity, long working hours, and social media pressure. Social pressure is something that previous generations of musicians didn’t have to contend with, so that added extra force is enough to put someone over the edge today that might not have been severely affected in the past.
The pressure to constantly post, to deal with online negativity, to compare yourself with others in your space, ups the ante for depression and burnout. Roughly 65% of the participants said social media negatively affects their mental wellbeing, making it one of the most consistent pain points across all role types and age groups.
The survey also cited a smaller set of additional stressors such as isolation, algorithm/platform dependency, career uncertainty, touring demands, lack of industry support, creative pressure, and work-life balance, each contributing meaningfully in the extended responses.
Algorithm/platform dependency is the added burden that the current generation of music makers must deal with that older music people never had to endure.
There Is Support
The respondents had multiple answers when it came to coping. The most common included talking to industry peers, taking breaks, exercise/wellness, therapy/counseling, and friends/family. Online communities were also an alternative, but a portion selected “None,” meaning that they were unwilling or unable to find support.
What was most telling was that 30 to 35% of those who experienced burnout said it had made them seriously consider leaving the music industry entirely. As we all know, many who do that never make their way back.
That said, there is hope. A quick search for “musician’s mental health” showed numerous organizations within the industry that can provide help. A great repository can be found on the Symphonic website here, and Musicares is another trusted resource.
I can tell you from my personal history that no matter how dark everything seems, there’s light on the other side and you will feel better. All you have to do is reach out.
