85% of people in Britain say music is vital to their mental health, new survey says
85% of people in Britain say music is vital to their mental health, according to a new survey from transport app FREE NOW; the new sponsor of the Mercury Prize.
The research shows that 65.2% of the people polled listen to music every single day, while 83.6% listen to music more than they watch films, leading to the report to claim that music is “the most popular form of entertainment in the country.”
In the same survey, London was voted as the UK city with the best music scene, followed by Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Glasgow. 66.8% of the people polled believe that independent music venues are an integral part of their local town or city and should be supported.
“The results of this survey demonstrate once again how important music is in our communities and to people at a very personal level. Two thirds of people stated that their local grassroots music venue was vital to their town or city, a view that was echoed in the very practical ways that the music community got behind venues during the pandemic and took direct action to ensure they would not be permanently closed by the COVID crisis,” said MVT CEO Mark Davyd.
He continued: “The grassroots music sector is facing incredibly tough times with the energy crisis and the cost of living challenges compounding the impacts of the pandemic. This survey demonstrates again how important these venues are and how much it matters to people, and it’s great to see companies like FREE NOW recognising that value with direct action campaigns bringing more music opportunities to more people.”
FREE NOW is working with the Music Venue Trust (MVT) to support 120 grassroots gigs around the UK in order to help protect independent music venues.
Earlier this year, a new report published by the UK’s Performance Rights Organisation PRS for Music revealed that live music revenue fell by almost 30% in 2021. As we also reported in June, soaring inflation amid the UK’s cost of living crisis is also having a significant impact on the UK’s nightlife industry.
