Black artists and executives are experiencing significant systemic racism while working in the U.K. music industry, according to the first Black Lives in Music study.

The findings, taken from surveys with more than 1.7k participants, show that 88% of black music professionals agree that there are barriers to advancement, while 63% of black music creators and 73% of professionals have experienced direct/indirect racism. The study also reports that racial microaggressions have been experienced by 71% of black artists and 80% of professionals.

There’s a racial pay gap, too: white music industry professionals earned more than black professionals for their work within the industry pre-covid (£2,459 vs £1,964 per month), and white music creators earned more than black creators for their work (£1,454 vs £1,155 per month).

Nearly four out of five black women and 70% of black men said they were dissatisfied with how the music industry supports black professionals. Almost three quarters (74%) of creators are dissatisfied.

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