Mind your head

If you need help right now

If your life or someone else's is in danger, call Triple Zero (000) ^[6].

If you're struggling and want to talk to someone now, Lifeline is on 13 11 14, any time, day or night, for anyone in Australia. You can also text 0477 13 11 14 or chat online at lifeline.org.au ^[6].

If you work in Australian music or the arts, the Support Act Wellbeing Helpline is free, confidential phone counselling on 1800 959 500, open 24/7 ^[5].

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can call 13YARN on 13 92 76, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people ^[7].

You're not imagining it

Making music is joyful. It's also uncertain, often underpaid, and very public. If you've felt flat, anxious or worn out, you are in very good company, and Australian research backs that up.

In 2016, Entertainment Assist and Victoria University published a large study of people working in Australian entertainment, including musicians. It drew on 2,407 usable survey responses and found symptoms of anxiety and depression well above general population norms, along with much higher rates of risky drinking and of suicidal thoughts ^[1][2]. It also found that people loved their work and drew support from family and friends, but felt the industry itself lacked support ^[2].

Support Act, the music industry's own charity, first ran its industry mental health survey in 2022 with 1,304 people working in music and live performing arts ^[4]. Its 2024 survey of 1,518 people in music and the creative arts found that 53.5% had high or very high psychological distress, almost four times the general Australian rate ^[3]. 35% had a current mental health condition, and 68.1% named the cost of living as a key issue for music and creative arts workers ^[3]. Over half of the people who'd tried to get help outside Support Act said cost was a barrier ^[3].

We share this not to scare you, but so you know: struggling isn't a sign you're not cut out for music. It's a sign you're a person doing a hard thing. No judgement here.

Support Act: free help made for music people

Support Act is the music industry's own charity. Its Wellbeing Helpline (1800 959 500) is free, confidential phone counselling for anyone who works in Australian music or the arts, open 24/7 ^[5]. When you call there are options for an LGBTQI+ Support Line, a First Nations Support Line, a Manager Support Hotline, and a Sexual Health and Safety Support Line ^[5].

Support Act also runs Crisis Relief Grants for musicians, crew and music workers in financial hardship because of illness, injury, mental health or another current crisis. Grants go directly to bills or expenses, not cash. You need to have worked professionally in Australian music for five years and meet other criteria, and a social worker usually calls within about 21 days of applying ^[8]. If you're newer than that, the Helpline is still for you.

Support Act also lists mental health resources for the music industry, including articles, videos and app and book recommendations ^[5].

Your GP is a good first stop

If things have felt heavy for a while, healthdirect, the government's health information service, says your GP is a good place to start. A GP can treat you or refer you to other mental health services ^[9].

Tip from us: when you book, ask for a longer appointment and say it's about your mental health. Write a few dot points on your phone beforehand, so you don't freeze up and say 'yeah, all good' when you get in there. We've all done it.

Burnout: the slow fade

Burnout often doesn't look dramatic. It looks like not wanting to open the project file. Dreading rehearsal. Feeling nothing when a song you love comes on. Being exhausted after a week of day job, gigs and posting content every night.

We're not doctors, and this isn't a diagnosis. But if any of that sounds familiar, it's worth taking seriously early, before it decides for you.

• Notice the signs: lost joy, constant tiredness, irritability, numbness, avoiding music.
• Shrink the goal: one finished song this month beats ten half-finished ones.
• Schedule rest like a gig: it goes in the calendar and you show up for it.
• Say no to one thing this week that you only said yes to out of guilt.
• Talk to someone. A mate, your GP, or the Support Act Helpline ^[5].

Comparison and the numbers game

Somebody you went to school with just hit 100,000 streams. A random singer on your feed got 30,000 listens overnight. Your release got 212 plays and you know at least 40 were your mum.

Here's the honest truth from people who've been there: the numbers you see online are a highlight reel, sometimes padded, and almost never the whole story. You don't see the paid ads, the industry team, the five flops before the hit, or the bots. We have a no bots, no BS rule for a reason.

Measure what you can control: songs finished, gigs played, skills learned, people who wrote to say a song meant something to them. That last one is the real metric. For us this is about the sheer love of music and the moments in your life you remember when that song comes on, on the drive home from work.

• Mute or unfollow accounts that leave you feeling worse, even if you like the person.
• Check your stats once a week, not ten times a day.
• Keep a 'proof' note on your phone: kind messages, good gigs, wins. Read it on bad days.

Online criticism and comments

Putting your art out means some people won't like it, and a few will say so badly. That says more about them than you. Still, it hurts, and it's fine that it hurts.

If you release AI-assisted music, you may cop extra comments. Honest labelling is the right call, and you're welcome here. You don't owe anyone an argument in the comments.

1. Don't reply in the first hour. Close the app.
2. Ask: is this useful feedback from someone whose taste I respect? If yes, take the useful bit. If no, let it go.
3. Use the platform tools: filter keywords, limit comments, block, report.
4. Get a friend to check comments for you after a release if you're feeling fragile.
5. If you're being harassed or threatened, keep screenshots and report it to the platform. If you feel unsafe, contact police, and in an emergency call 000 ^[6].

Gig life: late nights, drinks and coming down

The Entertainment Assist study found much higher rates of heavy drinking and drug use among entertainment workers than the general population ^[2]. Support Act's 2024 survey found 43% had used alcohol or other substances to cope with stress in the past two years ^[3]. No lectures here. Just a few habits that help.

• Eat before soundcheck. Drink water on stage.
• Decide your drinks plan before the night, not at midnight.
• Have a ride home sorted before you play.
• Plan a soft landing the day after a big show or release. The post-gig dip is real.

Small habits that actually help

None of these are magic, and none replace professional help. They're things artists in our community say make the hard weeks lighter.

• Sleep: protect it like your best microphone.
• Move: a walk counts. So does dancing in the kitchen.
• Make music just for you sometimes, with no plan to release it.
• Stay connected: one real chat a week with someone outside music.
• Money stress is mental stress: a simple budget, even a rough one, takes some of the fear out of it.
• Find your people: other artists who get it. That's what The Room is for.

Looking out for a mate

Sometimes you'll notice it in someone else first. A bandmate goes quiet, stops turning up, or makes jokes that don't sound like jokes.

You don't need the right words. Ask them how they're really going, listen without trying to fix it, and let them know the Support Act Helpline (1800 959 500) and Lifeline (13 11 14) are there any time ^[5][6]. If you think their life is in danger, call 000 ^[6].

Questions people ask

Sources

General information, not medical, legal or financial advice. If you're in danger, call 000. Last checked 2026-10-26.

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