Policy Download – July 2025

Industrial Strategy and Creative Industries Sector Plan

The Government has published its Creative Industries Sector Vision, forming a key component of the broader Industrial Strategy for Growth. Within this vision, several policy interventions have been outlined with a specific focus on the music, performing arts, and visual arts sectors. While many of the measures highlighted are extensions or repackaging of existing Government programmes and industry-led initiatives, the £30 million Music Growth Package stands out as a significant new funding mechanism. This package is designed to support talent development, live music, and international opportunities. Key announcements include:

• The appointment of a creative freelance champion
• Government support for industry-led agreements on streaming
• supporting live music via agent of change and reforms on licensing deregulation,
• restated plans around creative education and skills

Many of these proposals reflect asks made by the MPA as part of UK Music through our joint submission to the government’s industrial strategy consultation.

The Policy and Public Affairs Group recently met with the Head of Music at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to discuss the sector plan in detail, particularly the implications for our industry. Discussions covered both strategic intent and potential practical impacts.

Further engagement is ongoing, particularly around the development and implementation of the proposed Creative Content Exchange, a platform aimed at supporting IP creation and monetisation. We will continue to monitor and contribute to these conversations to ensure the interests of our sector are represented and reflected.

MPA Invited to Join Government’s AI and Copyright Expert Working Group

The MPA has been formally invited to join the UK Government’s AI and Copyright Expert Working Group. The group has been launched as a joint project from both the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Science, Innovation and Tech. The working group aims to find practical, balanced solutions that support both AI-driven innovation and the strong protection of human creativity. It follows a government consultation launched in December 2024, which received more than 11,500 responses from stakeholders across the creative and technology sectors. Key issues under discussion include improving transparency for rights holders around the use of their works by AI developers, ensuring responsible and ethical access to training data while respecting intellectual property rights, and fostering greater collaboration between AI developers and the creative industries.

The insights gathered through this group will directly inform the government’s final policy measures arising from the consultation. The MPA will continue to advocate for the interests of our members, ensuring that any future framework upholds the value of creative works and secures appropriate protections for rights holders in the age of AI.

Ofcom Confirms Final Ruling on BBC’s Digital Radio Expansion

Following an extensive consultation process, Ofcom has published its final decisions on the BBC’s plans to expand its digital radio offering. The regulator has given the green light to three new DAB+ stations: Radio 1 Dance, Radio 1 Anthems, and Radio 3 Unwind. It has also approved extended broadcasting hours for Radio 5 Sports Extra.

However, Ofcom has rejected the BBC’s proposal for a new Radio 2 extension, which would have featured music and archive content from the 1950s to the 1970s. While acknowledging that the proposal might deliver some public value, Ofcom concluded that this benefit did not outweigh the potential harm to fair and effective competition, specifically, concerns around reduced incentives for commercial radio investment.

As part of the consultation, the MPA submitted evidence and met with the BBC’s Director of Music to explore how these new services might support the UK music industry. We’ll continue to engage with both the BBC and Ofcom to ensure public service radio evolves in ways that meaningfully support artists, rights holders, and the wider music ecosystem.