New research from Help Musicians has found that one-third of musicians were still earning nothing after restrictions on live events were lifted this summer.
The music industry is one of the last sectors to recover from the pandemic, it said, with 83% of professional musicians unable to find regular work.
The findings are based on a survey of 929 musicians in August.
Almost nine in 10 were earning less than £1,000 per month, and 22% were considering giving up music altogether.
Restrictions on live music were removed from Scotland in August, after Covid had kept the live music industry shut for most of the pandemic.
Help Musicians has also said it had seen a 60% increase in people getting in contact for mental health support, with one in eight saying they were experiencing a mental health problem that was preventing them from returning to work.