UK charity Youth Music has published a report highlighting the dangers young people face in the music industry, based on a series of focus groups and an online poll. Low and no pay, unsafe conditions and harassment are among the challenges covered by the study.

72% of respondents to the poll said they have felt unsafe within a music-industry work environment, while 90% reported being paid unfairly for their work. 90% also said they had felt unable to speak up about unfair practices, while 75% have considered giving up their artistic aspirations due to unsafe or unfair conditions.

This is a small sample – 50 respondents – but the research was informed by 19 more-detailed testimonies from the focus groups. “I was basically doing full-time hours, and I was being paid for maybe seven hours a week,” said one young creative. “It’s quite normal to be groped by men,” said another.

“When I tried to get safeguarding involved, I was taken into a room and told, ‘you’re being a rat… what happens in house stays in house’” is another of the outtakes from the testimonies.

The report does have some positive findings too however. Youth Music and its research partners the Musicians’ Union and Music Guardians call out ‘The Raye Effect’.

That’s the impact of artists like Raye speaking publicly about their experiences, and thus moving the needle towards a more accountable industry standard. 85% of respondents to the survey felt inspired by Raye and other artists campaigning to spark conversation and change for young musicians.

Musician Victoria Canal, who spoke out in August about her experience of bring groomed and sexually abused by the man who offered her her first professional opportunity in the industry, wrote the foreword for the report, describing it as “an eye-opener, a reference point, and a call-to-action on how we can change the fabric of the music industry”.

“It’s vital that the industry listens to this,” added Youth Music’s programme director Carol Reid, pointing to the UK’s new employment rights bill as a welcome step forward, but also warning that “laws alone cannot reshape culture”.

“We hope this report gives people the confidence, clarity and practical steps they need to help create safer, fairer working environments for young creatives,” said Reid.

“Young people deserve to feel safe, respected, and empowered, but through this research we heard first-hand how often this just isn’t the case,” added Music Guardians co-founder Katy Lana Hall.