2020’s unprecedented upheaval brought with it fundamental changes to the creative industries. Theatres, clubs, studios, venues and festivals all closed their doors and with it, creative momentum for millions of artists, producers, musicians and songwriters came to an abrupt halt. For the vast majority of the music industry, and those that work in it, it’s been devastating. A report in June 2021 by IMS showed that the electronic music industry shrank by 54% in 2020. Worse still for artists, their incomes took a 68% hit, dropping from $1.3bn in 2019 to $300m in 2020. None of this will come as a surprise for even the most casual observer of 2020’s impact on electronic music.
