About our campaigning
In 1882 the ISM was set up to promote the art of music and protect the honour and interests of the music profession.
The ISM has a long history of standing up for the rights of performers, composers, educators and the whole music profession, and this work is as vital today as it was then. Our first mention in parliament was more than 80 years ago.
We campaign tirelessly in support of musicians’ rights, music education and the profession as a whole. We actively lobby government on behalf of our members to create a united voice for music. We listen to our members, to the music industry, and to the arts and education sectors in order to develop fully informed and effective campaigns.
Our groundbreaking and influential campaigns focus on everything from protecting music education and defending freedom of movement for musicians to combating discrimination in the music sector and fighting for better employment protection for all musicians.
For all of our campaigning and updates, please click on the buttons below to find out how you can take action.
Campaigns
Arts under threat
In recent years the arts have faced threats that put the cultural offer of our country under threat. The arts enrich our communities and are worth £116bn to the economy. Yet many of our leading arts organisations have faced recent threats to their funding and those risks look likely to remain for some time.
Music education
The amount of music in our schools has declined for many years. Since 2010 the number of entries to GCSE music has fallen by 36% and entries at A-level have fallen by 45%. The ISM is campaigning for the reform of government policies that have devalued music in our schools and for increased funding for arts education.
Copyright and AI
The ISM believes in fair remuneration for musicians and greater protections of intellectual property. The rapid growth of Artificial Intelligence in music poses an increasing threat to the sector. We believe that the copyright and intellectual property of creators must be protected.
Brexit & international touring
Since the UK’s exit from the EU there is now expensive red-tape facing musicians who wish to work and tour in Europe. It does not have to be that way. The ISM has long campaigned for changes to make access easier for musicians and champion solutions such as a Visa Waiver Agreement for touring musicians.
Equality, discrimination and inclusion
In 2018 in the wake of the #MeToo scandal we released our first reports into bullying and harassment in the music industry. In 2022 we published a new report, which disappointingly showed that the situation could be getting worse.
Reports
The ISM has researched, written and commissioned a wide range of groundbreaking and influential reports on issues at the heart of the music industry. Find all our recent reports here.
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