The music industry is finally treating mental health advocacy as an essential conversation, moving it from the shadows into everyday tour planning.
Data clearly shows the urgent necessity: touring professionals reported clinical depression at levels five times higher than the general population in a 2019 survey.
They confront suicidal ideation, strained personal relationships, and the loss of touring colleagues to suicide. Worryingly, only one in five polled professionals sought professional help.
This high-pressure environment puts musicians and crew at great risk for burnout, anxiety, depression, and addiction.
UK figures paint a sobering picture, revealing that 30% of professional musicians report low mental wellbeing.
Low earnings often contribute to poor mental health, with 43% of UK musicians earning less than £14,000 annually.
Musicians earning under £7,000 a year from music are twice as likely to report low mental wellbeing (35%) compared to those earning £55,000 or more (17%).
Backline Steps Up
Nonprofit organisation Backline is leading the charge, creating a stronger safety net for music workers after the suicides of several prominent musicians inspired its formation in 2019.
Backline connects music industry professionals and their families directly to tailored mental health care, including therapy, financial aid, substance use treatment, and wellness resources.
Executive Director Hilary Gleason notes that the organization helps people find these services through a one-on-one case management program, removing the guesswork from finding appropriate care.
The industry formally celebrated Backline’s importance when the organisation won Tour Services Company of the Year at the 36th annual Pollstar Awards in 2025.
Backline made history as the first nonprofit organization to win this specific award. Gleason affirmed that this recognition reflects growing awareness regarding mental health in the music business, affirming that Backline’s work matters.
Demand for Backline’s support is surging; the organization projects doubling its impact year-over-year. Backline has supported over 5,243 people via weekly community meetings and provided over 2,035 individuals with custom mental health care plans.
The organization’s clinical referral network comprises more than 1,257 mental health providers. Backline provides financial assistance through Music’s Mental Health Fund, which has distributed over $236,000 in grants since the fund’s founding.
Therapy Moves into Tour Logistics
The shift means tours no longer view mental health support as an optional extra; artists actively build proactive care into their scheduling and budgeting.
Backline currently works with a clinical referral network of more than 1,500 therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists, many of whom have direct music industry experience.
This specialisation allows individuals to “get right to the work” without explaining the pressures of studio hours or constant travel.
Artists increasingly budget for care upfront, bringing Backline on tour for workshops, training, and therapy funds.
For example, Noah Kahan partnered with Backline, providing mental healthcare for all 78 band and crew members on his We’ll Be Here Forever Tour.
Artists feel more empowered to request protection and include wellness days in their schedules. Visibility also increases dramatically: touring professionals and venue employees now see signs about Backline in every Live Nation or AEG green room across the U.S..
Spotify recently expanded Backline’s reach through its Heart & Soul program, cementing the collaboration as a global effort.
This partnership introduces the first global mental health resource hub specifically for artists, songwriters, and industry workers.
Spotify helps Backline scale its resources internationally, taking them “beyond borders.” Backline now offers a multilingual database and a concierge email service (global@backline.care) that helps international users navigate local healthcare systems.
Resources for Life on the Road
The difficulties of touring—sleep deprivation, constant change, homesickness, long hours, and emotional strain—require specialised support structures.
The comprehensive manual Touring and Mental Health: The Music Industry Manual, edited by psychotherapist Tamsin Embleton, provides resources for the people who power live music.
This manual addresses topics like performance anxiety, addiction, group dynamics, relationship problems, crisis management, and post-tour recovery.
The new audiobook version makes this resource more accessible, especially for those experiencing stress or neurodiverse individuals, allowing them to listen in a bunk or during long drives.
The Country Music Association (CMA) also committed $600,000 in infrastructure assistance to six organisations working in the mental health space, including Backline, MusiCares, and Amber Health.
The CMA stated that mental health resources are now essential, not optional, for building a more sustainable future for music professionals.
Amber Health specifically delivers proactive mental health support and on-the-ground clinical programming for artists, tours, festivals, and music companies.
What Needs to Change
Although momentum is building, advocates point out that the industry must continue to evolve to provide true security.
Many people working in touring currently lack access to occupational health support or HR, unlike other high-pressure fields.
A large part of the necessary change involves corporate investment. Backline’s Executive Director, Hilary Gleason, noted that only 1.4% of the organization’s total funding came from corporations last year.
She asserts that companies must invest in this work and take responsibility for caring for their artists and staff. Gleason believes that companies should make a donation specifically earmarked for their staff’s care.
This investment is becoming expected; as artists like Chappell Roan and Lewis Capaldi speak out, the urgency for reform grows.
Chappell Roan’s advocacy, including her $25,000 donation, helped launch the We Got You! campaign, generating a significant influx of donations and corporate matching funds.
Gleason feels optimistic, stating that she sees support increasing from music companies and artists looking for labels and agencies to outline their mental health plan during signing.
The overall goal remains creating a healthier, more sustainable music community. Organisations working in this space invite brands, labels, managers, agencies, venues, and gear makers to normalise mental health line items and support resources where creators work.
The industry stops romanticising artist suffering only when health and wellbeing become genuine priorities.
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