Sweet Relief Musicians Fund has partnered with Sweetwater to launch a new initiative aimed at tackling one of the most prominent health crises facing the music industry today: noise-induced hearing loss.
Unveiled this week, the Hearing Health Fund provides musicians and music industry professionals with free hearing screenings and high-fidelity earplugs in an effort to curb the chronic issue, which impacts thousands each year.
According to the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, approximately 40% of musicians and music industry workers experience noise-induced hearing loss. The risk is particularly acute for live performers, audio engineers and venue staff, many of whom operate in environments that regularly exceed safe decibel levels.
The issue, however, extends to the broader music community as well. A 2023 EDM.com poll found that nearly 50% of music festival attendees do not wear ear protection, underscoring a wider lack of adherence to best practices at live events.
The Hearing Health Fund will provide a free three-part hearing screening administered by certified audiologists. In addition to a review of results and education around hearing preservation, recipients will receive Etymotic ER-20XS High Fidelity Earplugs, designed to protect hearing without compromising the listening experience.
“Screening is essential to protecting musicians from hearing loss because once the damage is done, there’s no going back to ‘normal,'” said Dr. Todd Page, Sweetwater’s in-house physician. “It’s heartbreaking telling a fellow musician their tinnitus isn’t fixable; that it’s too late to reverse it, and all they can do is adapt and try to keep it from progressing.”
Sweetwater, best known as one of the world’s largest online retailers of musical instruments and gear, also provides immersive sound experiences for venues and stadiums across the country. The company’s investment in the fund reflects a broader mission to support not only sound quality, but also the well-being of those who create it.
The Hearing Health Fund is available now through Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. Full details can be found on the organization’s official website.
