Music, Concerts and Hearing Statistics 2026
This page collects figures on hearing and music from both sides of the stage: hearing loss, tinnitus and hyperacusis in professional musicians and sound engineers, measured and typical sound levels at concerts, clubs and orchestras, festival and gig studies that tested hearing before and after a show, and how often fans and performers use earplugs. Sources include WHO, the UK Health and Safety Executive, Ireland's Health and Safety Authority, NIDCD, RNID, Tinnitus UK, a Help Musicians UK hearing survey and peer reviewed studies, several with National Acoustic Laboratories authors. Survey figures are from 2024 to 2026 where they exist. Some clinical and exposure studies date from 2007 to 2020 because they remain the best measured evidence, and each figure states its year.
By the HearSmart research desk · Updated November 7, 2026 · 54 numbers drawn from 18 publishers and reports
Short answer
A 2026 meta-analysis of more than 28,000 musicians in Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery found tinnitus in 42.6% of musicians versus 13.2% of controls, and German insurance data in Occupational and Environmental Medicine put musicians' risk of noise-induced hearing loss at 3.61 times that of the general population. Concerts and clubs commonly run at 94 to 110 dBA, and in a randomized festival trial 42% of unprotected ears showed temporary hearing loss versus 8% with earplugs. Earplug use stays low: RNID found only 7% of Gen Z adults always wore them at loud music events in 2026.
Headline numbers
- 42.6%Tinnitus was reported by 42.6% of musicians in the 2026 meta-analysis, compared with 13.2% of control populations.American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
- 38.6%A 2018 systematic review of 41 studies and 4,618 professional musicians found audiometric hearing loss in 38.6% of them.International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
- 3.61Professional musicians in Germany had a hazard ratio of 3.61 for noise-induced hearing loss compared with the general insured population, based on 2004 to 2008 insurance data for more than 3 million people.Occupational and Environmental Medicine
- 94-110 dBANIDCD lists concerts, sporting events and headphones at maximum volume at 94 to 110 dBA.National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
- 42%In the randomized festival trial, 42% of unprotected ears showed a temporary threshold shift after the festival, compared with 8% of ears in the earplug group.JAMA Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery
- 42In a 2025 University of Manchester study of 51 young adults tested before and after a concert, the number reporting tinnitus rose from 4 to 42.Frontiers in Audiology and Otology
- 7%Just 7% of Gen Z adults in RNID's 2026 survey said they had always used earplugs at loud music events in the previous 12 months.RNID
- 81%Tinnitus UK found that 81% of live music workers had received no training on hearing safety.Tinnitus UK
Reading the numbers
Musicians carry a measurably higher risk than the people listening to them. The 2026 meta-analysis reported by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery found tinnitus in 42.6% of musicians, hearing loss in 25.7% and hyperacusis in 37.3%, each roughly two to three times the rate in controls. Insurance records for more than 3 million German workers, analyzed in Occupational and Environmental Medicine, showed a hazard ratio of 3.61 for noise-induced hearing loss among professional musicians. A 2018 review in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found audiometric hearing loss in 63.5% of pop and rock musicians against 32.8% of classical players, though the 2026 analysis found no genre gap.
The sound levels explain the risk. NIDCD lists concerts at 94 to 110 dBA, Ireland's Health and Safety Authority puts rock and pop musicians' daily exposure at 95 to 110 dB(A), and the UK Health and Safety Executive notes that five minutes at 105 dB, a normal level for a pub band, carries the same dose as four hours of chamber music at 88 dB. WHO's Global standard for safe listening venues and events caps the audience average at 100 dB over 15 minutes, and WHO reported the first full implementation at a major festival only in December 2023.
Before and after studies show what one show does. In the Amsterdam festival trial published in JAMA Otolaryngology, unprotected ears were 5.3 times as likely to show a temporary threshold shift as ears with earplugs, and new tinnitus appeared in 40% of unprotected attendees against 12% with plugs. A 2025 University of Manchester study in Frontiers in Audiology and Otology found that the number of concertgoers reporting tinnitus rose from 4 to 42 of 51 after a single concert.
Protection lags well behind awareness. RNID's 2024 poll found 32% of music event attendees had used or planned to use hearing protection, and its 2026 Gen Z survey found 7% always wore earplugs. Among professionals, the Help Musicians UK hearing survey found that 66.5% had used protection but only 32.5% had had a hearing test, and Tinnitus UK reported in 2026 that 81% of live music workers had received no hearing safety training.
How common hearing loss is among musicians
- 1.
A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis pooled 67 studies covering more than 28,000 musicians in 21 countries.
American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Over 40% of Musicians Experience Tinnitus; Hearing Loss and Hyperacusis Also Significantly Elevated (Feb 2026)
Exact wording at the source
The study, which pooled data from 67 studies encompassing more than 28,000 musicians across 21 countries.
- 2.
Hearing loss was reported in 25.7% of musicians in the 2026 meta-analysis, compared with 11.6% of control groups.
American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Over 40% of Musicians Experience Tinnitus; Hearing Loss and Hyperacusis Also Significantly Elevated (Feb 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Hearing loss affected 25.7% of musicians versus 11.6% of controls
- 3.
Professional musicians in Germany had a hazard ratio of 3.61 for noise-induced hearing loss compared with the general insured population, based on 2004 to 2008 insurance data for more than 3 million people.
Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Incidence and relative risk of hearing disorders in professional musicians (Apr 2014)
Exact wording at the source
The adjusted hazard ratio of musicians was 1.45 (95% CI 1.28 to 1.65) for HL and 3.61 (95% CI 1.81 to 7.20) for NIHL.
- 4.
A 2018 systematic review of 41 studies and 4,618 professional musicians found audiometric hearing loss in 38.6% of them.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Hyperacusis, and Diplacusis in Professional Musicians: A Systematic Review (Sep 2018)
Exact wording at the source
Forty-one articles including 4618 PMs were included in the study. HL was found in 38.6% PMs
- 5.
In the same review, hearing loss affected 63.5% of pop and rock musicians but 32.8% of classical musicians.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Hyperacusis, and Diplacusis in Professional Musicians: A Systematic Review (Sep 2018)
Exact wording at the source
prevalence was significantly higher among PR (63.5%) than CL (32.8%) PMs
- 6.
In a Norwegian clinical study of 111 rock musicians from the Oslo region, 37.8% had hearing loss.
Noise and Health, Hearing loss and tinnitus in rock musicians: A Norwegian survey (2016)
Exact wording at the source
The prevalence of hearing loss in the musician sample ( n = 111) was 37.8% [95% confidence interval (CI): 28.8-46.8%].
- 7.
In the 2015 Help Musicians UK hearing survey of professional musicians, 40.5% answered yes when asked whether they had experienced a hearing loss.
Psychology of Music (Help Musicians UK hearing survey), Help Musicians UK hearing survey: Musicians' hearing and hearing protection (Dec 2018)
Exact wording at the source
In response to the question ‘Have you experienced a hearing loss?’, 40.5% selected ‘Yes’ and 40.4% selected ‘No’ (see Figure 2).
- 8.
A study of Brazilian disc jockeys found early sensorineural hearing loss in 41.9% of those working in discotheques, against 13.5% in a control group.
International Journal of Audiology, Music exposure and audiological findings in Brazilian disc jockeys (DJs) (2007)
Exact wording at the source
The discotheque group had a statistically significant higher prevalence (41.9%) of early sensorineural hearing loss (pure-tone thresholds greater than 30 dB at 4000 and/or 6000 Hz) compared to the control group (13.5%).
Chart
Musicians reporting hearing loss by main instrument, Help Musicians UK survey, %
Self-reported hearing loss among UK professional musicians, 2015 survey of 693 musicians; the instrument difference was not significant after correction for multiple tests.
- Guitar62%
- Brass59%
- Percussion58%
- Winds37%
- Piano37%
Source: Psychology of Music (Help Musicians UK hearing survey), Help Musicians UK hearing survey: Musicians' hearing and hearing protection
Tinnitus and sound sensitivity in musicians and crew
- 9.
Tinnitus was reported by 42.6% of musicians in the 2026 meta-analysis, compared with 13.2% of control populations.
American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Over 40% of Musicians Experience Tinnitus; Hearing Loss and Hyperacusis Also Significantly Elevated (Feb 2026)
Exact wording at the source
The research found that 42.6% of musicians reported tinnitus (ringing in the ears), compared to just 13.2% in control populations.
- 10.
Hyperacusis was reported by 37.3% of musicians in the 2026 meta-analysis, compared with 15.3% of non-musicians.
American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Over 40% of Musicians Experience Tinnitus; Hearing Loss and Hyperacusis Also Significantly Elevated (Feb 2026)
Exact wording at the source
was reported by 37.3% of musicians compared to 15.3% of non-musicians.
- 11.
Among musicians with tinnitus in the 2026 meta-analysis, 76.3% described it as occasional and 15.6% as permanent.
American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Over 40% of Musicians Experience Tinnitus; Hearing Loss and Hyperacusis Also Significantly Elevated (Feb 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Among musicians who experienced tinnitus, the majority (76.3%) described their symptoms as occasional, while 15.6% reported permanent tinnitus.
- 12.
Only about 37% of the hearing loss cases among musicians in the 2026 meta-analysis were confirmed by audiometric testing; about 63% were self-reported.
American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Over 40% of Musicians Experience Tinnitus; Hearing Loss and Hyperacusis Also Significantly Elevated (Feb 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Among musicians with hearing loss, approximately 63% of cases were based on subjective self-report, with only about 37% confirmed through objective audiometric testing
- 13.
German professional musicians had a 57% higher adjusted hazard ratio for diagnosed tinnitus than the general insured population.
Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Incidence and relative risk of hearing disorders in professional musicians (Apr 2014)
Exact wording at the source
A nearly fourfold higher adjusted HR for noise-induced hearing loss and a 57% higher adjusted HR for tinnitus was found for professional musicians in comparison with the general population.
- 14.
Across 17 studies with 2,327 professional musicians, the 2018 review found tinnitus in 26.3%, with almost no difference between pop and rock and classical players.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Hyperacusis, and Diplacusis in Professional Musicians: A Systematic Review (Sep 2018)
Exact wording at the source
Tinnitus was investigated in 17/41 (41.5%) studies including 2327 PMs (760 PR, 1567 CL) and was reported in 612 subjects (26.3%).
- 15.
The Norwegian study of rock musicians found chronic tinnitus in 20% of them, though none had severe symptoms.
Noise and Health, Hearing loss and tinnitus in rock musicians: A Norwegian survey (2016)
Exact wording at the source
We observed a 20% prevalence of chronic tinnitus but none of the affected musicians had severe tinnitus symptomatology.
- 16.
In an Australian study of 27 live music sound engineers, 30% reported constant tinnitus.
Archives of Environmental and Occupational Health, The hearing health of live-music sound engineers (Oct 2020)
Exact wording at the source
Hearing thresholds were significantly poorer than normative data across several frequencies, and a substantial proportion reported constant tinnitus (30%) and reduced sound tolerance (41%).
- 17.
In the same study, 41% of the live music sound engineers reported reduced tolerance to sound.
Archives of Environmental and Occupational Health, The hearing health of live-music sound engineers (Oct 2020)
Exact wording at the source
a substantial proportion reported constant tinnitus (30%) and reduced sound tolerance (41%).
Chart
Hearing symptoms in musicians, pooled rate, %
Pooled from 67 studies of more than 28,000 musicians in 21 countries, published 2026. Control rates: tinnitus 13.2%, hyperacusis 15.3%, hearing loss 11.6%.
- Tinnitus42.6%
- Hyperacusis37.3%
- Hearing loss25.7%
Source: American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Over 40% of Musicians Experience Tinnitus; Hearing Loss and Hyperacusis Also Significantly Elevated
How loud concerts, clubs and orchestras get
- 18.
NIDCD lists concerts, sporting events and headphones at maximum volume at 94 to 110 dBA.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (2025)
Exact wording at the source
Music through headphones at maximum volume, sporting events, and concerts 94-110 dBA
- 19.
NIDCD says long or repeated exposure to sounds at or above 85 dBA can cause hearing loss, while sounds at or below 70 dBA are unlikely to.
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (2025)
Exact wording at the source
However, long or repeated exposure to sounds at or above 85 dBA can cause hearing loss.
- 20.
The UK Health and Safety Executive says five minutes at 105 dB, a common pub band level, gives the same noise dose as one hour at 94 dB in a nightclub bar or four hours of chamber music at 88 dB.
Health and Safety Executive, Sound advice: Control of noise at work in music and entertainment (HSG260) (2008)
Exact wording at the source
Being exposed to a noise level of 105 dB (a not unusual sound level for a pub band, or that generated by a brass or woodwind instrument at full blast) for 5 minutes would be the same dose as being exposed to 94 dB (a nightclub bar) for 1 hour, or 88 dB (chamber music) for 4 hours.
- 21.
HSE guidance notes that sound levels within the brass and percussion sections of an orchestra can exceed 95 dB.
Health and Safety Executive, Sound advice: Control of noise at work in music and entertainment (HSG260) (2008)
Exact wording at the source
Noise levels within the brass and percussion sections of an orchestra can exceed 95 dB.
- 22.
Ireland's Health and Safety Authority puts the typical daily sound exposure of an orchestral musician at 80 to 95 dB(A), including rehearsal and warm up.
Health and Safety Authority (Ireland), The Noise of Music: Sound advice for the music and entertainment sectors (2009)
Exact wording at the source
Depending on the instrument and the location and taking into account the additional exposure arising from an individual’s training, rehearsal and warm-up sessions, a typical daily sound exposure level of an orchestral musician reaches 80 to 95 dB(A).
- 23.
The same guidance gives a range of 95 to 110 dB(A) for the sound exposure of rock and pop musicians.
Health and Safety Authority (Ireland), The Noise of Music: Sound advice for the music and entertainment sectors (2009)
Exact wording at the source
Sound exposure levels for rock and pop musicians are in the range of 95 to 110 dB(A).
- 24.
Jazz and folk musicians are usually exposed to 90 to 98 dB(A), according to the Health and Safety Authority.
Health and Safety Authority (Ireland), The Noise of Music: Sound advice for the music and entertainment sectors (2009)
Exact wording at the source
In the case of jazz and folk musicians, sound exposure levels are usually within a span of 90 to 98 dB(A).
- 25.
Club DJs have been assessed at daily exposure levels of 96 dB(A) and service staff at 92 dB(A), despite working fewer than 20 hours a week.
Health and Safety Authority (Ireland), The Noise of Music: Sound advice for the music and entertainment sectors (2009)
Exact wording at the source
Despite working times of less than twenty hours per week, daily sound exposure levels of 96 dB(A) for disc jockeys and 92 dB(A) for service staff have been assessed.
- 26.
Sound levels on nightclub dance floors are often above 100 dB(A).
Health and Safety Authority (Ireland), The Noise of Music: Sound advice for the music and entertainment sectors (2009)
Exact wording at the source
The sound levels on dance floors are often over 100 dB(A).
What festival and concert studies measured
- 27.
Attendees at an outdoor festival in Amsterdam in 2015 were exposed to a time-averaged level of 100 dBA during their visit.
JAMA Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Effectiveness of Earplugs in Preventing Recreational Noise-Induced Hearing Loss: A Randomized Clinical Trial (Apr 2016)
Exact wording at the source
The time-averaged, equivalent A-weighted sound pressure level experienced was 100 dBA during the festival.
- 28.
In the randomized festival trial, 42% of unprotected ears showed a temporary threshold shift after the festival, compared with 8% of ears in the earplug group.
JAMA Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Effectiveness of Earplugs in Preventing Recreational Noise-Induced Hearing Loss: A Randomized Clinical Trial (Apr 2016)
Exact wording at the source
Specifically, a TTS was observed in 4 of 50 ears (8%) in the earplug group vs 22 of 52 ears (42%) in the unprotected group (P < .001).
- 29.
Festival attendees without earplugs had a relative risk of 5.3 for a temporary threshold shift compared with those wearing them.
JAMA Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Effectiveness of Earplugs in Preventing Recreational Noise-Induced Hearing Loss: A Randomized Clinical Trial (Apr 2016)
Exact wording at the source
The relative risk for a TTS after loud music exposure in the unprotected group vs the earplug group was 5.3 (95% CI, 2.0-14.3).
- 30.
New tinnitus after the festival occurred in 40% of unprotected attendees and 12% of those with earplugs.
JAMA Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Effectiveness of Earplugs in Preventing Recreational Noise-Induced Hearing Loss: A Randomized Clinical Trial (Apr 2016)
Exact wording at the source
Newly induced tinnitus following sound exposure occurred in 3 of the 25 participants (12%) in the earplug group vs 10 of 25 (40%) in the unprotected group
- 31.
In a 2025 University of Manchester study of 51 young adults tested before and after a concert, the number reporting tinnitus rose from 4 to 42.
Frontiers in Audiology and Otology, Factors determining susceptibility to temporary threshold shift in humans: insights from concert attendance (Oct 2025)
Exact wording at the source
The number of participants reporting tinnitus increased from four (before the concert) to 42 (after the concert).
- 32.
Hearing thresholds in the same concert study worsened by a mean of 12.5 dB immediately after the show.
Frontiers in Audiology and Otology, Factors determining susceptibility to temporary threshold shift in humans: insights from concert attendance (Oct 2025)
Exact wording at the source
The shift in PTA thresholds was significant, as assessed by a paired-samples t -test (mean = 12.5 dB, SD = 7.8 dB
- 33.
In an Australian survey of 993 regular nightclub and live music patrons, more than 90% had experienced temporary hearing loss and more than 80% tinnitus after attending.
Frontiers in Psychology, Time to Listen: Most Regular Patrons of Music Venues Prefer Lower Volumes (Mar 2019)
Exact wording at the source
As shown in Table 1 , more than 90% of both nightclub and live music venue attendees had experienced TTS and more than 80% of both groups had experienced tinnitus after attending the respective venues.
Earplug use and attitudes among fans
- 34.
In an RNID poll of more than 2,000 UK adults who attended or planned to attend a music event in 2024, 58% had experienced tinnitus or temporary hearing loss after loud music.
RNID, Concertgoers urged to protect ears as over half reveal signs of hearing damage (Aug 2024)
Exact wording at the source
We polled more than 2000 people who have attended, or plan to attend, a music event in 2024 and found that more than half (58%) of participants have experienced tinnitus or temporary hearing loss after listening to loud music.
- 35.
In the same poll, 78% did not know that 100 decibels at a concert, festival, gig or nightclub can cause permanent damage after as little as 15 minutes.
RNID, Concertgoers urged to protect ears as over half reveal signs of hearing damage (Aug 2024)
Exact wording at the source
78% were unaware that a concert, festival, gig or nightclub at 100 decibels could cause permanent hearing damage after as little as 15 minutes
- 36.
Only 32% of RNID's 2024 respondents had used or planned to use hearing protection such as earplugs at a music event that year.
RNID, Concertgoers urged to protect ears as over half reveal signs of hearing damage (Aug 2024)
Exact wording at the source
the risks, less than a third (32%) of people RNID surveyed have used, or plan to use, hearing protection such as earplugs at a music event this year.
- 37.
Hearing protection use at music events was 46% among 25 to 34 year olds in RNID's 2024 poll, compared with 22% among 45 to 54 year olds.
RNID, Concertgoers urged to protect ears as over half reveal signs of hearing damage (Aug 2024)
Exact wording at the source
Nearly half (46%) of 25-34 year olds said they do use hearing protection, compared to only 22% of 45-54s year olds.
- 38.
RNID's 2026 survey of UK Gen Z adults found that 83% had experienced ringing, buzzing or muffled hearing after loud music or an event, and 10% experienced it regularly.
RNID, Don't lose the music: Music events leave Gen Z with hearing damage (Aug 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Our survey shows that a startling 83% of Gen Z adults have experienced ringing, buzzing or muffled hearing after listening to loud music or attending an event, with 10% saying they experience it regularly.
- 39.
Just 7% of Gen Z adults in RNID's 2026 survey said they had always used earplugs at loud music events in the previous 12 months.
RNID, Don't lose the music: Music events leave Gen Z with hearing damage (Aug 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Just 7% of Gen Z adults say they have always used earplugs at loud music events in the last 12 months, while only one in five said they often wear them.
- 40.
At loud music events, 35% of Gen Z adults regularly wear earplugs, fewer than those who make a point of staying hydrated (51%) or charging their phone (46%).
RNID, Don't lose the music: Music events leave Gen Z with hearing damage (Aug 2026)
Exact wording at the source
At loud music events, young people are more likely to stay hydrated (51%) , charge their phone (46%) or wear comfortable footwear (43%) than regularly wear earplugs (35%) .
- 41.
In the 2026 RNID survey, 37% of Gen Z adults believed earplugs reduce sound quality.
RNID, Don't lose the music: Music events leave Gen Z with hearing damage (Aug 2026)
Exact wording at the source
37% believe they reduce sound quality, and more than a third think they are uncomfortable
- 42.
Tinnitus UK's 2025 surveys of the live music community found that 92% of fans experience tinnitus after live music events.
Tinnitus UK, Amplifying Awareness: live music and tinnitus (Feb 2026)
Exact wording at the source
92% of fans experience tinnitus after live music events.
- 43.
Around three-quarters of regular Australian nightclub and live music patrons said they would prefer a lower volume than the levels typically played.
Frontiers in Psychology, Time to Listen: Most Regular Patrons of Music Venues Prefer Lower Volumes (Mar 2019)
Exact wording at the source
The majority of regular patrons were dissatisfied with current sound levels, with around three-quarters of participants reporting preferences below the levels typically experienced at music venues.
Chart
What Gen Z adults regularly do at loud music events, %
RNID survey of UK Gen Z adults, published August 2026.
- Stay hydrated51%
- Charge their phone46%
- Wear comfortable footwear43%
- Wear earplugs35%
Source: RNID, Don't lose the music: Music events leave Gen Z with hearing damage
Protection, testing and rules for performers and venues
- 44.
Of professional musicians in the Help Musicians UK survey, 57.8% believed working as a musician was the main cause of their hearing loss.
Psychology of Music (Help Musicians UK hearing survey), Help Musicians UK hearing survey: Musicians' hearing and hearing protection (Dec 2018)
Exact wording at the source
Participants were asked whether they felt that working as a musician was the main contributory factor to their HL to which 57.8% selected ‘Yes’, 23.2% said ‘No’ and 18.9% ‘Don’t know’ (Figure 5).
- 45.
Only 32.5% of the professional musicians surveyed had had a hearing test; 67.5% had not.
Psychology of Music (Help Musicians UK hearing survey), Help Musicians UK hearing survey: Musicians' hearing and hearing protection (Dec 2018)
Exact wording at the source
Across all participants, 32.5% had had a hearing test, whilst a larger proportion of 67.5% had not.
- 46.
Two-thirds (66.5%) of 530 responding musicians had used hearing protection.
Psychology of Music (Help Musicians UK hearing survey), Help Musicians UK hearing survey: Musicians' hearing and hearing protection (Dec 2018)
Exact wording at the source
Reassuringly, two thirds of the 530 respondents reported they had used protection (66.5%).
- 47.
Percussionists (85.7%) and brass players (84.6%) were the most likely to have used hearing protection, singers (45.9%) and pianists (41.9%) the least.
Psychology of Music (Help Musicians UK hearing survey), Help Musicians UK hearing survey: Musicians' hearing and hearing protection (Dec 2018)
Exact wording at the source
Percussionists and Brass players (85.7% and 84.6%) were most likely to have used hearing protection, whilst Singers and Pianists (45.9% and 41.9% respectively) were least likely to have worn protection
- 48.
Tinnitus UK found that 81% of live music workers had received no training on hearing safety.
Tinnitus UK, Amplifying Awareness: live music and tinnitus (Feb 2026)
Exact wording at the source
81% of live music workers receive no training on hearing safety .
- 49.
In the same Tinnitus UK research, 93% of live music workers had experienced hearing problems from working or performing at events.
Tinnitus UK, Amplifying Awareness: live music and tinnitus (Feb 2026)
Exact wording at the source
93% of workers have experienced hearing problems from working or performing at live music events.
- 50.
59% of live music workers in the Tinnitus UK research reported permanent tinnitus.
Tinnitus UK, Amplifying Awareness: live music and tinnitus (Feb 2026)
Exact wording at the source
59% of live music workers reported experiencing permanent tinnitus .
- 51.
WHO's Global standard for safe listening venues and events limits average sound levels to 100 dB measured over 15 minutes, one of six required features.
World Health Organization, WHO hearing guidelines implemented at major arts festival (Oct 2024)
Exact wording at the source
(1) Limiting average sound levels to 100 dB (LAeq, 15 min)
- 52.
The first major event to apply the full WHO standard, India's Serendipity Arts Festival in December 2023, brought together more than 1,800 artists across twelve venues.
World Health Organization, WHO hearing guidelines implemented at major arts festival (Oct 2024)
Exact wording at the source
Held over nine days in December 2023, the Serendipity Arts Festival brought together over 1 800 artists across twelve venues, captivating hundreds of thousands of attendees.
- 53.
A 2018 search by National Acoustic Laboratories researchers identified 18 legislative instruments worldwide aimed at protecting the hearing of people at entertainment venues, 12 of them European.
European Journal of Public Health, Overview of laws and regulations aimed at protecting the hearing of patrons within entertainment venues (Oct 2020)
Exact wording at the source
Methods In December 2018, an online search of legislative instruments was conducted, and we identified 18 items that were aimed at protecting the hearing of people attending entertainment venues.
- 54.
HSE guidance says vented or tuned musicians' earplugs typically reduce higher frequencies by about 20 dB with the vent fully open.
Health and Safety Executive, Sound advice: Control of noise at work in music and entertainment (HSG260) (2008)
Exact wording at the source
Typically, vented/tuned earplugs attenuate higher frequencies by about 20 dB when the adjustable vent is wide open.
Questions readers ask
- How many musicians have tinnitus?
- A 2026 meta-analysis of more than 28,000 musicians found tinnitus in 42.6%, compared with 13.2% of control groups, though most described it as occasional rather than permanent. An earlier 2018 review of 2,327 professional musicians put the rate at 26.3%.
- Are musicians more likely to lose their hearing?
- Yes. German insurance data published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine showed a hazard ratio of 3.61 for noise-induced hearing loss among professional musicians, and a 2026 meta-analysis found hearing loss in 25.7% of musicians against 11.6% of controls. A 2018 review found measured hearing loss in 63.5% of pop and rock players and 32.8% of classical players.
- How loud is a concert?
- NIDCD lists concerts at 94 to 110 dBA, and Ireland's Health and Safety Authority says nightclub dance floors are often above 100 dB(A). WHO's safe listening standard for venues limits the average to 100 dB over 15 minutes. At 105 dB, HSE says five minutes gives the same dose as four hours at 88 dB.
- Do earplugs at concerts and festivals actually work?
- In a randomized trial at an Amsterdam festival averaging 100 dBA, published in JAMA Otolaryngology, 8% of ears with earplugs showed temporary hearing loss against 42% without them. New tinnitus affected 12% of earplug users versus 40% of unprotected attendees.
- How many people wear earplugs at gigs?
- Few do so consistently. RNID's 2024 poll found 32% of UK music event attendees had used or planned to use hearing protection, and its 2026 survey found only 7% of Gen Z adults always wore earplugs at loud events. Among professional musicians in the Help Musicians UK survey, 66.5% had used protection at some point.
Where these numbers come from
We used primary sources only: the publishers of peer reviewed studies (Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery via the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery release, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, JAMA Otolaryngology, the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Noise and Health, Psychology of Music, Frontiers in Psychology, Frontiers in Audiology and Otology, Archives of Environmental and Occupational Health, the European Journal of Public Health and the International Journal of Audiology), the regulators HSE and Ireland's Health and Safety Authority, WHO, NIDCD, and the charities RNID and Tinnitus UK, which ran their own surveys. Definitions differ widely: hearing loss is sometimes self-reported, sometimes an insurance diagnosis and sometimes any audiometric threshold above 25 dB, and tinnitus can mean a brief ringing after one show or constant symptoms. Sound levels quoted from HSE and the Health and Safety Authority are typical ranges from guidance, not new measurements. Several clinical studies are from 2007 to 2020 because they remain the best measured evidence; we state the year of each figure. Every quote was refetched from its source page and checked by script. We store the sentence each number appears in, and a script loads the publisher's page again to make sure that sentence is still there. Our methodology has the details.
Sources
- American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Over 40% of Musicians Experience Tinnitus; Hearing Loss and Hyperacusis Also Significantly Elevated (Feb 2026).
- Archives of Environmental and Occupational Health. The hearing health of live-music sound engineers (Oct 2020).
- European Journal of Public Health. Overview of laws and regulations aimed at protecting the hearing of patrons within entertainment venues (Oct 2020).
- Frontiers in Audiology and Otology. Factors determining susceptibility to temporary threshold shift in humans: insights from concert attendance (Oct 2025).
- Frontiers in Psychology. Time to Listen: Most Regular Patrons of Music Venues Prefer Lower Volumes (Mar 2019).
- Health and Safety Authority (Ireland). The Noise of Music: Sound advice for the music and entertainment sectors (2009).
- Health and Safety Executive. Sound advice: Control of noise at work in music and entertainment (HSG260) (2008).
- International Journal of Audiology. Music exposure and audiological findings in Brazilian disc jockeys (DJs) (2007).
- International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Hyperacusis, and Diplacusis in Professional Musicians: A Systematic Review (Sep 2018).
- JAMA Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. Effectiveness of Earplugs in Preventing Recreational Noise-Induced Hearing Loss: A Randomized Clinical Trial (Apr 2016).
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (2025).
- Noise and Health. Hearing loss and tinnitus in rock musicians: A Norwegian survey (2016).
- Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Incidence and relative risk of hearing disorders in professional musicians (Apr 2014).
- Psychology of Music (Help Musicians UK hearing survey). Help Musicians UK hearing survey: Musicians' hearing and hearing protection (Dec 2018).
- RNID. Concertgoers urged to protect ears as over half reveal signs of hearing damage (Aug 2024).
- RNID. Don't lose the music: Music events leave Gen Z with hearing damage (Aug 2026).
- Tinnitus UK. Amplifying Awareness: live music and tinnitus (Feb 2026).
- World Health Organization. WHO hearing guidelines implemented at major arts festival (Oct 2024).
Citing this page
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HearSmart. (2026, November 7). Music, Concerts and Hearing Statistics 2026. https://hearsmart.org/music-and-concert-hearing-statistics
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