A major new partnership between Music Minds Matter and Spotify promises to bring vital mental health support to more artists, songwriters and music professionals across Ireland, the UK and beyond.

Announced earlier this month, the collaboration forms part of Spotify’s Heart & Soul: Mental Health for Creators initiative, a global campaign designed to address the pressures faced by those working in music and to embed wellness into every level of the creative process.

For artists in NI and across the island, this development offers a tangible extension of mental health services at a time when they’re needed more than ever. Whether it’s therapy access, on-site support at gigs, or calm-inducing creative spaces, the initiative is a step toward an industry that prioritises people as much as output.

Music Minds Matter, run by UK charity Help Musicians, will play a central role in the delivery of the programme. As well as offering counselling to a set number of Spotify artist ambassadors, it will deliver interactive mental health sessions, contribute resources to artist hubs, and participate in UK events hosted by Spotify.

The initiative will provide a range of supports for those working in music, including grants to enable one-to-one therapy for artist ambassadors, artists and their teams in the UK and US; a global resource hub built by Backline featuring trusted music industry and mental health resources and crisis lines, including Music Minds Matter; a new Heart & Soul, Mental Health for Creators hub through which creators can access curated playlists, podcasts and audiobooks on Spotify specifically designed to support their wellbeing; on-site wellness activations, self-care kits and guided workshops delivered to artists wherever they are to bring calm to the chaos; and the creation of new spaces for connection and conversation around mental health in songwriting, through intimate dinners and studio residencies.

Grace Meadows, Head of Music Minds Matter, said: “This is a significant and exciting partnership for Music Minds Matter, one that helps us to transform music into an industry that puts mental health centre stage. Working in music brings incredible rewards alongside unique challenges. The Heart & Soul, Mental Health for Creators initiative will help us respond to these challenges. Alongside funding from Spotify, it will mean we can support the people behind the music we love, and inspire others to be part of the change we’re seeking to make.”

Lauren Siegal Wurgaft, Head of Social Impact at Spotify, said: “Heart & Soul is our commitment to the creators behind the music. Artists and songwriters face immense pressure, and their mental health can’t be an afterthought. We are delighted to work with Music Minds Matter as a key partner and a charity that is actively supporting the mental health of everyone working in music across the UK.”

With growing awareness of the toll that creative careers can take on wellbeing, this partnership marks a meaningful step forward in creating lasting infrastructure for care, connection and support across the music industry. For the music community in NI, it’s a hopeful sign that mental health is being taken seriously, not just as an add-on, but as a foundation.