Save our music industry: Virtual gig supports and celebrates music creators

PRS Presents LCKDWN: Katie Melua, Nitin Sawhney, Linda Perry, Nadia Rose and Black Futures amongst line-up

Songwriters and composers are at the heart of the music we listen to. As a nation we are turning to music, whether on the radio, online, or revisiting our vinyl collections, to get us through this time of isolation – but the music industry is suffering. As one of the most heavily impacted sectors from the global coronavirus pandemic, music creators are falling through gaps of Government funding and livelihoods are being lost, posing an increasingly real threat to the future of UK music as we know it.

From midday (BST) on Friday 24 April, artists from across the globe/UK will come together - virtually – for PRS Presents LCKDWN, a one-off event celebrating the special role music plays in our lives, the positive impact it has and, importantly, the creators behind the music.

Hosted in aid of the PRS Emergency Relief Fund launched expressly to help songwriters and composers facing significant financial hardship as we continue to battle the virus, PRS Presents LCKDWN will pay tribute to the songwriters and composers getting us through this difficult time.

Black Futures, Joy Crookes, Katie Melua, KT Tunstall, Linda Perry, Nadia Rose and Nitin Sawhney are amongst the stellar line-up of eclectic music creators who will perform from their home studios, living rooms and kitchens to support this cause, with more to be announced this week.

Coronavirus has brought most parts of the music industry to a standstill. With no live performances and businesses closed, its impact has seen many music creators facing severe financial hardship.

The live music industry, which is the main income for most music creators, has halted entirely, from arena-sized tours and festivals, to gigs at independent grassroot venues. With no reassurance as to when the live industry will be able to return, the long-term effects on revenue could be challenging. 

Many professional songwriters earn less than minimum wage and with an estimated 72% of the music industry self-employed, there is an urgent need to ensure that support is available to all those that need it.

A collaboration between PRS Foundation, PRS Members’ Fund and PRS for Music, the PRS Emergency Relief Fund launched in March and has helped over 3000 songwriters and composers with financial support so far.

The new fund exists to help PRS members all around the world who are facing immediate hardship due to the impact of Covid-19 and is awarded based on criteria and assessment of individual need.

We have seen first-hand the difference the PRS Emergency Relief Fund has made and I would like to sincerely thank everyone who has donated so far. PRS Presents LCKDWN is a way for us to collectively celebrate music creators, to support our industry as a united community and to champion the music lifting spirits and getting us all through this challenging time.

 

I am honoured to be performing in support of all musicians and the essential work of PRS for Music during this difficult time. My set features three other key members of my band, Nicki Wells, YVA and Anna Phoebe and we will be performing material from across my past albums. Thanks for watching!

 

PRS for Music represents the rights of over 145,500 songwriters, composers and music publishers around the world.

Tune into PRS Presents LCKDWN from midday on Friday 24 April.

About PRS for Music

Here for music since 1914, PRS for Music is a world-leading music collective management organisation representing the rights of more than 175,000 talented songwriters, composers and music publishers. Redefining the global standard for music royalties, PRS for Music ensures songwriters and composers are paid whenever their musical compositions and songs are streamed, downloaded, broadcast, performed and played in public. 

For 110 years it has grown and protected the rights of the music creator community, paying out royalties with more accuracy, transparency and speed. In 2023, PRS for Music paid out £943.6m in royalties and collected a record £1.08 billion in revenues. prsformusic.com