Usually, I'd use my Friday evening to write about the latest music to come on the scene but today is not a normal Friday. Today marked the start of the turnover for the UK exiting the European Union. Over the next two or so years, we will see changes to not only our economy, but our healthcare, schools and not forgetting our arts and entertainment sector. Here is how the UK music industry, a once thriving and prosperous music market in the world of music, will be affected by the ageing population's decision to leave the EU.
Disclaimer: Until official laws and regulations have been passed, which may take several years until we officially sign off deals to officially exit the EU, the figures stated in this article may be subject to change, so please do not throw things at me! These are only possibilities so need to be taken with a pinch of salt.
Let's start this discussion with the artists themselves. As one of the 28 members of the EU, artists from the UK had the freedom to travel across Europe if they wished to promote their music on the European market. It is common knowledge that the European music market is notoriously a hard market to crack. It has a lot of niche markets weaved into it. For example, many countries have their own music markets and find accommodating international artists difficult and can take several years for an international artist to break through in that country. Now that the UK has voted out, UK artists, in particular up and coming artists with smaller budgets and less money, will find touring Europe incredibly difficult. As we are no longer a member of the EU, artists will need a working visa for every European country they visit on a tour. So, if a band comprising of four artists, along with the tour driver and the tour manager, set out to tackle Europe, with the price of what is known as the "Schengen Visa" costing around £45-£50 (exchange rate dependent) per person, it will add around another £300 on the cost of a tour - money a band starting-up just won't have.
Tighter controls with travel from the UK to European countries will make access to these countries through crew and freight travel a whole lot harder. Carnets - a document that lists what and just how much can be passed through customs at any one time - may be reintroduced, meaning that more paperwork will need to be signed to get artists and all of their equipment across to Europe.
It is also possible that some EU countries may introduce "cultural quotas" meaning that UK artists may get less airplay than artists from other countries. Another devastating blow for any artist wanting to break the glass ceiling that is the European music market.
But what about the fans? Well, as a result of the introduction of travel visas for every EU country, UK fans who may travel abroad to see their favourite band or artist will need to pay more to do so. Merchandise bought from companies which are based inside Europe will inevitably cost more due to the dramatic changes in the economy across all markets and the diminish of trade with many countries not just in Europe, but across the world.
The thrill of live music, travelling across borders into brand new and exciting territories is exciting for fans and artists alike. The uncertainty in the future of the UK music industry and also the live sector is haunting, but only time and the legislations that will be passed once we have officially left the European Union will confirm these possible outcomes.
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