Sometimes there are downsides to being The Rock Star’s Wife, specifically when your husband’s livelihood is threatened by something you can’t see. The COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of dozens of music festivals and concerts, album release delays and financial heartache galore. Let’s examine the impact of COVID-19 on the music industry.
The music industry was the second most impacted industry with the majority of musicians losing most, or all, of their income. Musicians make 75 percent of their income from live shows. The rest of their income comes from physical music sales, merchandize sales and streaming.
“The music industry is one that has many players involved, especially when it comes to factors like distribution,” radio station WQHS explains. “Much of the money that artists make from album sales or music streams gets distributed to parties such as their music labels, songwriters, streaming services, and publishing companies. Because of this, many artists rely on touring and other live performances to earn the majority of their money.”
Concerts and Music Festivals

The live-events industry lost more than $30 billion in revenue
In 2020 alone, the live-events industry lost more than $30 billion in revenue, according to concert trade publication Pollstar. Losses included not just tickets and merch sales, but local economic activity connected to live events such as restaurants and hotels.
In March 2020, Bustle published an article examining the impact of the industry closures on smaller acts:
- Marisa Dabice, vocalist and guitarist of the punk rock band Mannequin Pussy, estimated she had lost around $80,000 after her band canceled the end of its tour.
- Vistas, a Scottish band that was booked to play South by Southwest, lost nearly $7,000.
- The band Torres was in Germany when President Donald Trump suspended travel from Europe to the United States and was forced to use crowdfunding to raise the $10,000 to $20,000 per plane ticket to get home.
These are only three of countless examples.
“As some cities impose capacity bans and others close down nonessential businesses like nightclubs altogether to prevent the virus’ spread, musicians are not only losing out on money for gigs, but also on opportunities for exposure,” Bustle says. “In the increasingly crowded musical landscape, timing is essential to a musician’s success — it’s easy to lose momentum and get lost in the shuffle if you’re not constantly touring and promoting your work.”
Other Impacts of the Pandemic

Everyone in the music industry was impacted by COVID-19
The industry shutdown affected not only musicians, but the people who work for the venues, promoters, artists’ road crews and others.
The mental toll of isolation from the community and worrying about money affected everyone in the industry.
“For many artists, performing live isn’t just a necessary creative outlet, but a vital part of their artistic identity,” Our Culture says.
Many in the music industry survive pay check to pay check. Prior to the pandemic, only 17 percent of musicians were able to pay their bills every month, according to Our Culture.
In addition, it wasn’t only live music that was affected, music streaming declined as high as 9 percent in some markets. Why did streaming drop in 2020? Shouldn’t it have increased since people were staying at home? You would think so, but people also were watching their spending and streaming services became a luxury for some.
Here’s the 4-1-1
This blog is a companion piece to The Pandemic Diaries available in eBook, paperback and hardcover. Cassandra and Nat Hardwick never let his demanding touring schedule get in the way of their romance. But will spending lockdown together put their relationship on the ropes? Buy now.
To listen to the songs mentioned in The Rock Star’s Wife series, follow The Rock Star’s Wife on Spotify.
For more information on the licenses mentioned on this page, visit https://creativecommons.org/about/cclicenses/.
Comments are closed