UK music industry ‘failing’ South Asian artists, says new report

UK music industry continue to face systemic barriers that hin­der progress, visibility, and ca­reer growth – despite decades of contribution and cultural influ­ence, a new report has revealed.

The study, South Asian Sound­check, published last Tuesday (7), surveyed 349 artists and profes­sionals and found that while many are skilled and ambitious, struc­tural obstacles are still holding them back.

Prepared by Lila, a charity fo­cused on empowering south Asian artists and music profes­sionals, the survey showed that nearly three-quarters of respond­ents earn some income from mu­sic, but only 28 per cent rely on it full time.

Two-thirds of respondents said the lack of south Asians in senior roles at record labels, festi­vals, and streaming platforms re­mains the biggest barrier to ca­reer advancement.

More than half struggle to ac­cess opportunities or funding, and many said they lack industry net­works or knowledge about con­tracts and rights.

Beyond structural issues, al­most half said they face stereo­types about the kind of music they should make; two in five encoun­ter family doubts about music as a career, and one in three has expe­rienced racial discrimination.

Although 69 per cent said there was progress in visibility, but 68 per cent still feel invisible within the industry.

Respondents sought urgent ac­tion, including mentorship and networking opportunities, strong­er south Asian representation in key industry roles and fairer ac­cess to funding.

Veteran musician and compos­er Viram Jasani, who chaired the Asian Music Circuit and led a na­tional enquiry into south Asian music in 1985, told Eastern Eye the findings were “disheartening”.

“I read the report and my heart sank – it feels as though nothing has changed,” he said.

“Back in 1985, we had already identified the same problems and made clear recommendations for better representation, employment and long-term support. Four dec­ades later, we are still talk­ing about the same issues.”

Jasani, a sitar, tabla and tambura expert, said the report focused mainly on modern genres and overlooked traditional south Asian music, which he believes is central to cultural identity.

Viram Jasani www.easterneye.biz

“Since colonial times, British attitudes have not changed much,” he said. “If they can erase Indian traditional culture and create a communi­ty that lives entirely with­in an English cultural bubble, then they will have succeeded.”

He added that young south Asian artists were often drawn to Western contemporary music, while neglecting their own heritage.

“We are brilliant in Western genres, but that should come after we are grounded in our tradi­tional shashtriya sangeet (classical music),” he said. “Without that founda­tion, we lose our sense of identity.”

Jasani also warned a lack of unity within the south Asian community continues to weaken its cultural progress.

He said, “People com­pete with each other while the world watches. For too long, massaging egos has taken priority over producing the best of our culture.”

According to the sur­vey, one in three has ex­perienced direct racial discrimination. One re­spondent said, “There are virtually no visible and successful south Asian artists in the mainstream – people simply do not know where to place us.”

Another added: “I want south Asian artists to be part of the collective mainstream industry, not just put on south Asian-specific stages or events.”

While the visibility of south Asian artists has im­proved, with more names appearing on festival line-ups and in the media, the study revealed this progress re­mains “surface level”.

Lila’s founder, Vikram Gudi, said the findings show progress has not yet been translated into structural inclusion.

“The data exposes what we call the progress paradox. Seventy-three per cent of the people we surveyed earn some money from music, but only 27 per cent earn enough to rely on it as a sustaina­ble career,” he said.

“The Soundcheck gives us the evidence to enact real change and identifies three essential needs – mentorship, representa­tion, and investment.”

Three-quarters of participants said mentorship from experi­enced professionals would make the biggest difference to their ca­reers. Many stressed the impor­tance of being guided by people who “understand how the indus­try works and can connect them to decision-makers”.

Nearly the same proportion called for greater south Asian rep­resentation across the music in­dustry – not just on stage, but within executive, programming and production roles at festivals, venues, record labels and stream­ing services.

Dedicated funding also emerged as a priority, with many describing the current grant sys­tems as inaccessible or ill-suited to the diverse and cross-genre work that defines south Asian cre­ativity today.

Two in five respondents report­ed that family or community re­sistance remains a challenge, of­ten due to the perceived instabili­ty of a music career. The report argued this scepticism is “eco­nomically logical”, when there are so few visible south Asian success stories in the mainstream.

Responding to the report, Indy Vidyalankara, member of the UK Music Diversity Taskforce and BPI Equity & Justice Advisory Group, said: “South Asian music is rich, vibrant, and hugely influential. We need south Asian representa­tion at every level of the ecosys­tem, plus support and investment to match that influence.”