72% of young people have felt unsafe working in the music industry, report reveals
In the wake of recent allegations in the industry, Youth Music expose the harm faced by young people
Almost three-quarters of young people in the music industry have felt unsafe in their working environment, according to a new report from Youth Music.
In the report, titled Just The Way It Is?, Youth Music asked over 50 young creatives about their experiences working in the music industry, exposing the "alarming" harm faced by many.
While the study was originally shared at the end of 2025, Youth Music have re-published their findings amid renewed conversations over safety in the industry.
"We can't comment on individual allegations, but sadly, the experiences being discussed publicly this week echo what young creatives told us throughout our research for the Just The Way It Is? report," says Carol Reid, interim co-CEO at Youth Music.
Read this next: One third of women in music have experienced sexual harassment, report finds
The report found that 75% of those surveyed have considered giving up their ambitions due to "unsafe or unfair conditions", while 90% have felt unable to speak up about such practices.
It also cites a 2024 study published by Help Musicians and the Musicians' Union, which found that 32% of women have reported being sexually harassed while working as a musician.
The Youth Music report includes 19 first-hand testimonies from women in the music industry, including artists GIRLI and Victoria Canal, who share their experiences and call for "urgent" change.
In her testimony, Victoria Canal speaks about her experiences being harassed and groomed by a "much older artist" while on tour. "Though everyone else on the tour knew exactly the position I was in - management, crew, band included - they’d signed NDAs and were afraid of losing their jobs," she claimed.
Read this next: Disabled young people are “failed” by music sector, new report finds
Other testimonies include accounts of working in "unsafe environments", receiving low or no pay, discrimination, misogyny, and silencing within the music industry.
"Our research suggests the bigger challenge is the working culture that allows harmful behaviour to go unchecked," says Reid. "Real change will come from the whole music community working together and moving from a place of quiet acceptance toward a culture of shared responsibility."
She continues: "We hope this report gives people the confidence, clarity and practical steps they need to help create safer, fairer working environments for young creatives, and all working across the music industries."
Read the full report here.
Gemma Ross is Mixmag’s Associate Digital Editor