Study reveals that 70% of DJs had to retrain during the pandemic

There is no doubt that the pandemic has changed everyone’s lives, including DJs and music producers. A study now reveals that 70% of DJs had to retrain during this time. What will be left of the electronic music industry after a year on hold? To find this out, Pirate surveyed 20,000 artists and the results are shocking.

Pirate is the current name of Pirate Studios, a network of affordable studio rooms available 24/7. These collaborative spaces are usually frequented by a variety of artists, from DJs, vocalists, producers, musicians to podcasters. However, this was another space forced to close due to the measures imposed by the pandemic. Taking advantage of the interruption in their activity, Pirate surveyed their customers about the negative and positive impact that the pandemic had made on their lives.

The study shows that 70% of DJs had to retrain or learn a new trade in order to cope with the risk of losing their career, excess time or financial difficulties. This analysis also found that, unfortunately, 26% of DJs are less likely to pursue a career in music after COVID-19. The same study also showed that 54% of artists lost income in this period and of the 21% who sought government support, only 13.5% actually received it. Due to financial losses, which in some cases are stifling, 61% of DJs said they would accept performing in a closed venue during the pandemic.

But, as it turns out, this enforced break hasn’t only brought about negative things. 67% of respondents gained well-deserved time to dedicate to music production and developed their outreach to fans by using digital media such as Twitch. Some participants referred to the pandemic as a cultural reset, a time to question the UK clubbing scene and reflect on the changes that need to be made before the long-awaited comeback.

Many other interesting conclusions can be drawn from the study carried out by Pirate. Read the full report here.

Photo by James Stamler on Unsplash