MPA Welcomes UK Government New Plan for Music

UK Government launches New Plan for Music

On Monday 13 July, the UK Government published a new plan for the music sector, developed in partnership with the sector. Titled Turn It Up: Our Plan for Music, the plan sets out a shared programme of Government and industry action, across 10 priority areas, with the aim of making the UK the best place in the world to create, experience and invest in music. The new plan builds on the Government’s Industrial Strategy, which identified music as a core area for economic growth.

Key highlights from the plan include:

• A £45 million Music Growth Package, complemented by an additional £15 million investment through Arts Council England, supporting more than 2,000 projects and empowering 40,000 creatives over the next three years.
• £12.5 million in dormant asset funding to transform local libraries into community music hubs.
• A 50% increase in funding for Department for Business and Trade-led music trade missions, helping UK musicians and businesses expand into international markets.
• Longer, more secure licences for festivals and other events, with minimum three-year contracts for new events and five-year contracts for existing events.
• The appointment of Michael Dugher, former CEO of UK Music, as the government’s first Music Champion to strengthen engagement between government and the music industry and provide a dedicated advocate for the sector.

Paul Clements, CEO, MPA, said:

“We very much welcome the support of our Government and their publication of ‘Turn it Up: Our Plan for Music’ music sector investment plan.  The plan rightly recognises the UK music industry as one of the country’s key growth sectors. Alongside its cultural contribution, the industry generates £8 billion for the UK economy, £4.8 billion in export revenue and supports more than 220,000 jobs.

As contributors to the shape of this plan, we particularly welcome the £45 million Music Growth Package, the first funding programme of its kind to provide targeted support for music publishers alongside creators, managers, music venues and independent labels. Investing across the entire music ecosystem will help ensure the benefits of growth are felt throughout the sector.

The Plan’s commitment to increase funding for Department for Business and Trade-led music trade missions by 50% is also a positive step. International markets are critical to the continued growth of the UK music sector, and this investment will help publishers reach new audiences and develop new commercial opportunities overseas for the creators they represent. We have seen first-hand the value of Government-backed initiatives such as the BPI & MPA’s LA Sync Mission, which has created opportunities, year on year, for music publishers to access the lucrative US sync market.

We will continue to work with the Government and Arts Council England to ensure our publisher members are able to access the funding being made available in the expectation of them delivering demonstrable continued benefit to the creators they represent and to the UK economy.”

Read the Government’s Turn it Up: Our Plan for Music here: gov.uk/turn-it-up-our-plan-for-music