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# It’s harder than ever to be an independent musician, new study confirms
- URL: https://www.hypebot.com/harder-than-ever-to-be-an-independent-musician/
- Published: 2024-10-03T15:30:22.000Z
- Updated: 2024-10-03T15:30:32.000Z
- Description: It’s harder than ever to be an independent musician, a new study by Right Chord Music, Musosoup, and the Major Labl Artist Club confirms.
- Author: Bruce Houghton
- Tags: Uncategorized, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-01-21 11:15

It’s harder than ever to be an independent musician, a new study by Right Chord Music, Musosoup, and the Major Labl Artist Club confirms.

We [written a lot](https://www.hypebot.com/the-rise-of-a-middle-class-of-musicians/) about how rising costs and increased competition making it [harder than ever](https://www.hypebot.com/midia-identifies-the-top-seven-challenges-musicians-face/) to make a living or build a fanbase as a [musician](https://www.hypebot.com/the-rise-of-a-middle-class-of-musicians/).

This new online Musician’s Census 2024 completed by 300 independent artists across 64 countries offers a rare analysis of the exact challenges faced by grassroots musicians.

### Key Findings of Musician’s Census 2024

#### #1 – Full Compensation

![harder than ever to be an independent musician](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3a/95/3a957c06-c825-4057-9939-0a274cc16d23/content/images/www-rightchordmusic-co-uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/screenshot-2024-10-02-at-08-44-53.png)

40% of respondents said “I honestly don’t know if I get paid the money I’m owed.” with 22% more saying “I definitely don’t get paid what I’m owed.”

“It’s hard to imagine many other categories of work where fair payment is such a challenge,” say the study’s authors.

#### #2 – Market **Oversaturation**

The sheer volume of new music being released daily makes it difficult to get noticed.

#### #3 AI-generated music

The rise of AI-generated music is contributing to the difficulty for independent artists. The presence of low-quality acts or AI-generated content is diluting the music landscape.

#### #4 **Challenges in building a fanbase**

The continued difficulty of gaining a loyal following and leveraging social media effectively.

On average artists report using five different social media platforms. Instagram dominates as the primary promotional channel.

### Top Services Used By Independent Artists

In addition to social media, artists typically use and average of five different services with the top three being a music distributor, a smart link service and a press/promotion service.

**DistroKid** was the most recognised music distribution service, but also the most polarizing. Respondents named it both the most liked and disliked service in the survey.

Read the full report [here](https://www.canva.com/design/DAGQDYDDZmc/Z5wYBfsgmnagNKMWk71KTQ/view?utm%5Fcontent=DAGQDYDDZmc&utm%5Fcampaign=designshare&utm%5Fmedium=link&utm%5Fsource=editor) or download the full report [here.](https://www.rightchordmusic.com/musicians-census?ref=hypebot.com)