The Musicians' Union formed in 1893 to protect musicians from unscrupulous employers and competition from amateurs. Throughout the 20th century, the Union resisted various technological innovations like multi-track recording and synthesizers that threatened musicians' live employment. Broadcasting initially increased work for entertainers in the 1920s, but "talkies" in film devastated the cinema orchestra industry in the 1930s, cutting Union membership in half as musicians lost their jobs. The Union viewed new technologies as disruptive threats to musicians' livelihoods.

1. Synthesisers: Friend or Foe?
The British Musicians’ Union and
technology
John Williamson
This Is The Modern World. Pour une histoire sociale du
rock
13 June 2013

2. NME

3. The Musicians’ Union
 Formed in 1893 as Amalgamated Musicians’ Union, merger
in 1921 to become Musicians’ Union
 Between 30-40 000 members for the last fifty years
 Currently 31 482 members; Income around £8m per year;
operating surplus (2011) = £1.2m
 JB Williams: “a protecting Union: one that will protect us
from amateurs; protect us from unscrupulous employers
and protect us from ourselves”

4. Technological Disruption . . .
 Street: “as each innovation appears to threaten jobs, the
MU has resisted each one in turn, first opposing multi-track
recording, then mellotrons and finally synthesisers and
drum machines” (1986: 147)
 3 major threats to live music employment during twentieth
century:
 Broadcasting / Radio
 “The Talkies” – end of silent films accompanied by orchestras
 The recording industry

5. Technological Disruption / Broadcasting
 BBC (British Broadcasting Company / Corporation) formed
in 1923
 Opposed by theatre, concert and Music Hall owners
 MU: “our policy shall be one of regulating terms. . an extra fee to be
negotiated with the management on the lines of the difference
between once and twice nightly terms”
 1925: broadcasting “had not reduced employment of entertainers but,
on the contrary, has increased it. It should not be discouraged but
controlled.”

6. Technological Disruption / The Talkies
 Number of musicians working in cinemas increased to
16000 by 1928 before advent of films with sound
 Union membership dropped from 20000 in 1929 to 6740 in
1936 – mass unemployment among former cinema
musicians
 Farmer: “big cinema combines, controlled by the film
manufacturers, would soon be masters of the situation.”

10. Technological Disruption / The Talkies
 Number of musicians working in cinemas increased to
16000 by 1928 before advent of films with sound
 Union membership dropped from 20000 in 1929 to 6740 in
1936 – mass unemployment among former cinema
musicians
 Farmer: “big cinema combines, controlled by the film
manufacturers, would soon be masters of the situation.”

11. Technological Disruption / The Talkies
 Number of musicians working in cinemas increased to
16000 by 1928 before advent of films with sound
 Union membership dropped from 20000 in 1929 to 6740 in
1936 – mass unemployment among former cinema
musicians
 Farmer: “big cinema combines, controlled by the film
manufacturers, would soon be masters of the situation.”