For decades, the music industry has faced a growing mental health crisis, with musicians and creative professionals experiencing higher rates of mental illness, chronic stress and suicide than the general population. Driven by the unique pressures, instability and isolation of the industry - and compounded by the stigma and concerns about the career implications of seeking support - too many people go without the care they need. In response, UMG launched an industry-wide mental health initiative designed to help build a culture of wellbeing across music. Through a series of care-focused partnerships and programs, the initiative aims to:
Dismantle the stigma surrounding mental health across the industry
Expanding access to high-quality and industry-informed care for current and former music professionals across the US
Ease the financial barriers to receiving quality mental health treatment
Create a culture of wellbeing across the industry
Strategy
In the first year since launch, we focused on building first-of-its-kind foundational infrastructure to better support the mental health of music industry professionals, recognizing the psychological demands created by both the creative process and the realities of the industry itself. To bring that vision to life, UMG established an ecosystem of industry-specific resources, partnerships and programs designed to make high-quality mental health support more accessible and easier to navigate. By deepening longstanding relationships with leading mental health organizations, UMG invested in scalable, long-term solutions with the potential to transform how the industry approaches mental wellbeing. Together, these partnerships create a coordinated ecosystem of care that meets artists, songwriters, and music employees where they are with tailored clinical support, care navigation, financial assistance and preventative resources integrated into the realities of everyday industry life.
UMG x Amber Health: This partnership provides UMG’s American artists, songwriters, and U.S. and Canadian employees with 24/7 access to research-backed mental and behavioral healthcare tailored to the unique realities of the music industry. Individuals are connected with clinicians who understand the pressures of creative work and entertainment. Round-the-clock services include crisis response, care navigation, treatment planning, and specialized referrals. For artists specifically, the program aims to integrate mental health support into their full career journey, providing structured care options from the moment they sign onward.
UMG x Music Health Alliance (MHA): UMG partnered with MHA to launch the Music Industry Mental Health Fund, which democratizes access to mental health care for every single person across every career stage and sector of the music industry. The fund provides zero-cost care coordination, resource navigation, clinical referrals and continuity of care support, helping individuals working in any part of the industry connect to high-quality services and support. See links below.
UMG x Project Healthy Minds: UMG became a pioneering member of Project Healthy Minds’ Workforce Lab, working with leading companies and Harvard Business School researchers to develop the first standardized framework measuring workforce mental health and its impact on performance as well as establishing data-driven benchmarks to inform best practices across industries. This partnership also includes bringing MHA and Project Healthy Minds together to research care barriers, develop targeted interventions, and create scalable solutions that address the unique mental health challenges facing music industry professionals. Their initial work includes a tailored Project Healthy Minds digital platform housed on the MHA website that connects the music community to research-backed resources, innovative programming and sustainable pathways to care. See links below.
UMG x Mental Health Coalition: UMG is proud to be a longstanding partner of The Mental Health Coalition, where we’ve joined forces with the most passionate and influential organizations, brands, and individuals to end the stigma surrounding mental health and change how people talk about, and care for, mental illness. Through our partnership, we’ve created tangible and easy-to-access mental health resources with a focus on the mental health benefits of music (see links below).
Results
Much of Nurture the Noise’s first phase focused on building the infrastructure required to create a lasting culture of care across the music industry. Rather than introducing a single campaign or short-term intervention, UMG established a growing ecosystem of specialized care, industry-wide resources and research partnerships designed to expand over time. While comprehensive results from several of the initiative’s newest programs are still being collected, early indicators demonstrate both meaningful reach and a strong foundation for continued growth:
Since last year, the Music Industry Mental Health Fund has provided over 4,000 mental health sessions to members of the music community
UMG x MHC's Music for Mental Health series of collaborative music content and playlists (Mood Tunes, Grati-Tunes, Sleep Soundly, Move for Your Mind, LGBTQIA+ Pride, and more) has reached an estimated 530K people.
Additionally, UMG x MHC's Roadmaps to Mental Health (digital guides to topics including LGBTQIA+ mental health, homelessness, and climate change mental health) reached an estimated 6M people with educational content.
