Survey aims to provide detailed data on ‘underepresented’ South Asians in UK music industry

An online survey has been launched to gather information on the experiences of South Asians in the UK music industry.

The South Asian Soundcheck is open to South Asian music creators, managers, executives and behind-the-scenes professionals.

The 10-minute survey has been created by Lila, a non-profit initiative that describes its mission as “empowering South Asians in the UK music industry”.

Areas it hopes to shed light on include: who is working in the industry and in what roles, how cultural identity shapes music careers, and what funding and industry support is needed.



The survey is supported by the music industry bodies UK Music, British Phonographic Industry (BPI), Musicians Union, and Music Managers Forum.
 
The aim of the initiative is to provide the first detailed dataset on the South Asian experience in the UK music industry, in order to “deliver the tools required for South Asian music to enter the spotlight”.

Lila founder Vikram Gudi said: “South Asian artists and professionals have contributed to the UK’s music landscape for decades, but it’s widely acknowledged that we remain underrepresented across all areas of the industry – from artist rosters to executive roles, festival lineups to award panels.
 
“Our aim is to get to a place where there is South Asian representation at major industry events, where we have clear pathways to industry, and there is support and celebration.”