AIM - Spring Statement response

27 March 2025 - Press release

Gee Davy, CEO of the Association of Independent Music (AIM)

"Independent music businesses and entrepreneurs understand the government's ambitions to drive growth and its need to carefully balance the books in an insecure global climate, but employment schemes and living wage increases won't work if music businesses are unable to trade. Creative sectors have a uniquely important part to play in fostering hope, opportunity and national wellbeing during challenging times, but there is an urgent need for targeted support for music. Increased labour, export, and touring costs, business rates, and the effects on consumer spend are having a disproportionate impact on the grassroots and on independent music businesses, workers and artists; yet music creation has been excluded from creative sector tax reliefs schemes which have been so successful for areas such as British film and TV. This government has the opportunity to fix that omission and help the music sector help itself, incentivising internal and external investment in new music, with benefits to be reaped across the sector. This represents a no-cost policy that aligns with the government's defining mission to create growth and opportunity."