Major investment to power next generation of UK music talent

23 June 2025 - Press release

 

• Up to £30 million for music industry announced in UK Government's Creative Industries Sector Plan

• Funding forms part of the wider Industrial Strategy, which aims to grow the economy and deliver the Government's Plan for Change

• Measures to support grassroots sector and help UK artists break through on a domestic and international stage

 

A major investment to drive growth in the UK music industry, worth up to £30 million, has been announced as part of a landmark Creative Industries Sector Plan.

The plan, which will be published next week as part of a major Government Industrial Strategy, identifies the music industry as a high-growth sub-sector along with film and TV, video games, and advertising and marketing.

The plan's Music Growth Package, which more than doubles current government funding from £4.1 million to up to £10 million annually for three years, will deliver concrete benefits for artists, venues and music lovers by: 

• Creating new touring, performance, mentoring and export opportunities for emerging talent to help them break through at home and abroad

• Delivering a significant uplift in funding for the grassroots sector to support small venues and help them to platform more high-potential artists

 

Building on the Government's commitment to ensure a robust copyright regime and support British IP, the plan will also include the establishment of a Creative Content Exchange. It will act as a trusted marketplace for selling, buying, licensing and enabling permitted access to digitised cultural and creative assets, opening up new revenue streams for content owners.

To help boost earnings for creators, the plan also commits the Government to broker an industry-led agreement on music streaming, including helping legacy artists to renegotiate their contracts and increasing remuneration for session musicians.

This is the latest move in the Government's Plan for Change, which is building the foundations of a stable economy, delivering investment and reform, creating more jobs and putting more money in people's pockets.

 

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said:
"The UK music industry is truly world-leading — home to exceptional talent, iconic venues, and live events that draw fans from around the world.

"That's why music will be a key pillar of our Sector Plan, with the power to drive economic growth and create good jobs in every part of our country, as we deliver our Plan for Change.

"From helping artists tour internationally to supporting grassroots venues, this plan will ensure the music industry continues to thrive for generations to come."

The Sector Plan follows the Government advocating for the widespread adoption of a voluntary, industry-led levy on arena and stadium tickets to support small music venues and enable more artists to tour nationally. 

The UK boasts a world-leading music industry, with British artists like Dua Lipa, Adele, Stormzy and Coldplay among some of the most renowned and globally impactful in history. The Government's ambition is for the UK to be the best place in the world to make, perform and enjoy music, as part of the wider growth agenda.

The package builds on existing creative infrastructure investments, including the new £85 million Creative Foundations Fund to ensure cultural buildings and institutions - including music venues - are fit for future generations, and complements Arts Council England's £446 million National Portfolio funding that continues to support artists, creatives and organisations.

Developed in partnership with the Creative Industries Taskforce, Creative Industries Council, (CIC) as well as businesses, devolved governments, regions, experts and other stakeholders, the Sector Plan aims to establish Britain as the world's leading creative superpower by 2035.