SXSW Keynote: Keeping British Music a Global Headline Act

06 June 2025 - Press release

Dr Jo Twist OBE – BPI CEO
5^th June 2025 

 

Introduction 

It’s a pleasure to be with you this afternoon at the inaugural SXSW London. There’s been a fantastic range of keynotes and panels so far, with many more to come.  

I’m Dr Jo Twist, CEO of the British Phonographic Industry (that’s “phonographic”…) 

My career has spanned the creative sectors: multiplatform TV, tech journalism, interactive entertainment, games, and music. It’s phenomenal to be part of an industry that is evolving all the time, and developing new and exciting ways to invest in and support the UK’s exceptional music talent. 

It is also a joy to be in an industry which produces such an emotional response and provides the soundtrack to our lives. Music, and the people who make and support it, are more important than ever as we move into increasingly complex times.

Firstly, a bit about us. We have some 500 diverse members – ranging from home-grown independent labels to the world’s three largest global music companies. 

Our mission is to champion – to protect, promote and grow - British music; speaking with policy makers, the media, fans and colleagues across creative and business sectors. We do this in numerous ways: from celebrating artistry through the BRIT Awards, the Mercury Prize and the Official Charts, to embracing the power of music in promoting creative education and music therapy through our charitable arm The BRIT Trust.

Our team collaborates with industry and government colleagues to promote UK music globally and boost British music exports with events like the LA Sync Mission with the MPA and Department for Business and Trade, or our upcoming trade mission to Tokyo and Osaka to explore new opportunities in the world’s third largest economy.

We also run the Music Export Growth Scheme, which I’ll come onto, and work with a host of partners to organise international music showcases like the British Music Embassy, a SXSW Austin institution which is an incredible springboard for new acts and has introduced many UK success stories to international fans over the years from Dave to Glass Animals, Little Simz to IDLES.  

You may have experienced some of that magic this week, as SXSW London hosted some superb performances from emerging artists at the very-first British Music Embassy to take place on UK soil.

We’re also proud champions of British innovation and technology, which as we all know goes hand-in-hand with music. Transformative shifts in technology, consumer trends, hardware and software mean we are constantly forging new relationships and exploring new opportunities. Last year, we were honoured to have been selected to deliver Grow Music, a music tech accelerator funded by our friends at London & Partners, alongside other partners. The programme supports the next generation of innovators and brings them to the heart of the music and entertainment industries.

The driving motivation at the heart of everything we do is ensuring the UK’s human creativity – the kind that truly connects us as people, and as society – is given every opportunity to flourish. And this is exactly the type of critical role a trade body can play – helping to lay the foundations for great business connections. 

 

The power of music
Now, one thing that constantly strikes me is that music is uniquely indispensable and integral to our lives as humans. As a Midia report from last year showed, UK consumers would rather give up movies, TV and streaming, social media and games before giving up music. But of course, music infuses every one of these industries. 

In the age of the attention economy, many have asked whether music will maintain its importance and staying power in generations to come. The answer is a resounding yes: music means as much to young people today as it does to older generations. Because we are human. 

Next week, together with Blackstar and Lemontank, we will be releasing a new report of qualitative insights from five hundred 18-25 year olds from across the UK. 

It shows that music is a key part of their lived experience. It soundtracks everything they do; it provides emotional support, and is a powerful means of self-expression; it helps them to build and solidify social connections in both real-world and virtual settings. Music tells stories and helps humans tell their own stories. 

In short: music isn’t going anywhere. As one of the purest expressions of our humanity, it transcends generations.  

And the global cultural power of British music remains undeniable. From the Beatles to BRAT Summer (which seems to have lasted a fair few seasons), the UK’s musical strength is globally renowned. 

What’s less widely recognised is that the British music industry is also an economic powerhouse. 

At just 1% of the world’s population, we are responsible for just shy of 10% of global recorded music consumption. And we’re the world’s second-biggest exporter of recorded music, with our exports hitting an all-time high of £794 million last year. 

More than that, we are a critical partner to our collective creative industries. 

Our powerhouse creative industries employ millions of people, and generate billions for our economy. Our creativity is a huge export, and a part of our soft power. British creativity means business, and has enormous growth potential. 

 

The UK’s recorded music market
So now, a quick snapshot of the UK’s recorded music market.  2024 was another milestone year, with recorded music consumption rising by 9.7% to over 200 million albums or their equivalent. 

Streaming continued to grow significantly, and what’s more, over 600 British artists achieved more than 100 million streams globally, underpinned by the long-term investment and backing of record labels. That’s almost 3 times as many artists as in 2022.

We also saw a record-breaking performance by women across both the Official singles and albums chart – 60% of 2024’s top 10 albums were by women. 

And vinyl sales continued to go from strength to strength, with physical album sales increasing year-on-year for the first time in two decades. 

2024 marked the tenth year of consecutive trade revenue growth for British recorded music. 

The nature of that consumption has of course changed, perhaps most notably with the rise of streaming – but thanks to a healthy music ecosystem and a dynamic industry, these changes have come as an opportunity to British music, not at a cost, and have helped to usher in a golden age of choice for artists and fans alike.

Despite challenges on the horizon – which I will come to discuss – British music has enormous potential for continued growth and global impact. 

I’m often asked what it is that makes British music such a globally compelling prospect. 

 

What makes British music a global success?
Now, being an urban geographer by training and having worked across the creative industries for 25 years, including video games, I love a good, well functioning system. And during lockdown, I was lucky enough to have access to a garden. During that time, I became intrigued by the ecosystem I was witnessing change every day, and the important role that each insect, plant, and animal played in creating a balanced ecosystem.  

Music can only thrive in a healthy ecosystem, one in which many different elements work together in a symbiotic way to support creators and businesses.  

As in the garden, when one element of the ecosystem thrives, it can positively benefit everything else around it. But if certain components fail to work in harmony, the whole system suffers. 

A music ecosystem is at its healthiest and most resilient when every element can work together and adapt to changing environments, and continue to grow over time. 

Every country’s music ecosystem is unique, each a product of its own environmental idiosyncrasies, its own balance of species and stakeholders. And I’d like to spend some time with you exploring some of the driving forces behind the enduring cultural power and global economic success of Britain’s music ecosystem. 

 

People
It always starts with people. People are the storytellers, the ones who carry emotion and experience, the ones who make and support the music and the process of making music. From artists, to producers, to managers, to record company employees and everyone in between – music is a distinctly human endeavour.

Every corner of the UK is home to an incredible array of creative and technical talent who, given the opportunity, can rise to the occasion on the global stage. In recent years, we’ve witnessed a new generation of British stars break through, including the likes of Myles Smith, Lola Young, Sam Fender and the Last Dinner Party. 

If you watched this year’s BRIT Awards, you’ll have seen the UK’s creative excellence on full display throughout the night’s powerhouse performances, as well as newly-minted icons like Charli XCX capping off an enormously successful year with a haul of five awards, including ‘Artist of the Year’. 

 

Diversity
And what drives the power of human creativity and innovation is diversity. Diversity – be it of lived experience, of perspective, of identity - is the engine of creativity and innovation.

British music plays back that diversity of thought, of lived experience, of talent that exists in every corner of the UK.

The idea that Britain’s music ecosystem and economy are concentrated within London and the South of England is a fallacy. Every corner of the UK can lay claim to more than its fair share of musical success stories. 

And these artists are all products of their environments. They found their feet in local scenes; they connected with early audiences at grassroots venues; they were supported and nurtured by regional industry and grassroots community groups. 

Talent knows no borders, and we’re seeing more and more industry support coalesce across devolved nations and regions, with organisations dedicating themselves to helping new generations of talent find opportunity wherever they are. 

This year, we’re delighted to be partnering with Newcastle City Council, the North East Combined Authority, and music development agency Generator to take the Mercury Prize outside of London for the very first time in Newcastle-upon-Tyne: a true music city with a growing local industry.

It’s imperative that we do what we can to build on the cultural heritage and diverse identities throughout the UK, that we showcase home-grown talent, and that we give people from all walks of life the ability to recognise and cultivate their creative and technical skills – the opportunity to tell their stories. 

 

Creative opportunities
If we want to continue to nurture our long-term creative success, we need to cultivate seedlings and support green shoots. Creative opportunities are vital for the UK’s smart skills, and critical to recognising our music ecosystem’s potential. 

The music sector creates thousands of high-quality jobs of the future, both on and off the stage, and the skills taught through specialist creative education are central to this.

Expanding access to creative education and helping human creativity flourish is vital, not just to the music industry but to our sister sectors too. Because these creative skills can cross pollinate other sectors.

Specialist education providers, like the industry-backed BRIT School in Croydon and ELAM in Bow, as well as university-level institutions across the country, are the places that help future generations recognise and practice their talents, that create important new educational and employment pathways, that fuel creative sparks and turn dreams into sustainable careers. 

 

Industry
And our ecosystem’s success is also down to the hundreds of record labels working to nurture and promote UK artists. Behind many successful British acts are dedicated, innovative teams who provide support, help them harness new trends in music consumption, tech and fandom, and empower them to thrive globally.  

Today, artists have greater choice than ever in how to release their music – while many work with an independent or major record label, others choose to take a DIY approach or one of many other routes in between. 

But UK labels make an enormous difference – helping artists cut through the noise by providing investment, strategic guidance and marketing and promotion.  Over the last five years, our members have invested over £2bn in artist A&R and global marketing. 

 

Government support
Ultimately, artistry and industry can only prosper in a policy environment which enables it, rather than hinders it. Government support and partnership is central to ensuring that British creativity can continue to thrive, and that British music retains its global impact and influence. Afterall, governments do not create jobs: businesses do. 

The UK government has quite rightly identified the creative industries as a key growth driver for the economy. A big part of our role as the BPI is ensuring that government understands the music industry’s economic importance and acts to support its continued growth. 

It’s vital our policy makers ensure there is a healthy regulatory foundation for businesses to create jobs and make economic and cultural returns to UK PLC. 

There are a number of ways in which government can support our ecosystem, including prioritising the education and skills needs to support our sector; protecting the UK’s gold-standard copyright regime, which is a cornerstone of music’s economic value and is key to industry growth; and keeping British music globally competitive. 

When government and industry come together in this way, the results can be incredible.  

One powerful example of such collaboration is the Music Export Growth Scheme – MEGS for short. 

MEGS provides much-needed funding to help small-to-medium-sized music businesses break new acts on the global stage, supporting independent talent internationally.

It is a successful partnership between industry and Government, with joint funding from the Department for Business and Trade and the Department for Culture, Media & Sport alongside investment from the recorded music industry. 

The scheme has supported the international careers of more than 450 British artists including Self Esteem, Jungle, Young Fathers, Kae Tempest and more. 

And economically, the results speak for themselves. Over eleven years, MEGS has invested over £7.9 million in UK artists for an almost 10x return to the British economy.

As touring conditions for British artists get harder and international competition rises, it’s never been more important that we work together to promote and fund our diverse creative talent. 

So what does a thriving music ecosystem look like when UK artists are given the right creative opportunities and education, are supported into success by a healthy industry, and are boosted by Government support? 

 

Case study – Ezra Collective 
I wanted to take a moment to touch on an incredible UK act and a personal favourite, the jazz ensemble Ezra Collective, whose continued rise is a great showcase of our ecosystem coming together.

Ezra Collective was borne in part out of Tomorrow’s Warriors, a non-profit which has helped to develop young artists and provide music education for decades. 

The organisation has had an immeasurable impact on British jazz, and helped create an open and inclusive environment for musicians to hone their craft and start sustainable careers. It’s a great testament to the power that grassroots organisations can have in fanning the early flames of musical creativity.

Having found their footing , the collective went on to receive a MEGS grant which helped fund an international tour, they performed at the BME showcase in Austin in 2019, and then they joined the roster of Partisan Records in 2022, who helped the group achieve new commercial and critical heights. 

In 2023, Ezra Collective was deservedly awarded the Mercury Prize, becoming the first jazz group to take home the award – and just over a year later, they won a BRIT Award for Group of the Year, closing out the 2025 BRITs with a truly triumphant performance with Jorja Smith.

Now, every artist’s career and experience is uniquely theirs, but this is a great story of the success that can be grown with a healthy ecosystem. 

 

Innovation
As with all ecosystems, of course, new environmental conditions will emerge, and adaptation is required. Music has always been at the forefront of innovation. From the invention of the gramophone in 1887, to the launch of the BBC’s first radio broadcast in 1922 all the way to the modern day, music has been a catalyst for technological change. 

Innovation helps bring our creativity and humanity to life, and enables us to evolve and push our creative frontiers.

A healthy music ecosystem is one which recognises the power technology has to support and amplify human creativity, and one which ensures that technology is harnessed correctly and responsibly, to the benefit of human creators. 

The UK’s artists and label businesses are among the world’s most forward-thinking when it comes to meeting fans where they are, including in immersive and virtual environments. 

Last year, the teams at Sony Music and RCA Label Group UK worked with Myles Smith, one of 2024’s British breakout stars, to create an exclusive performance in Fortnite, one of the world’s most popular virtual platforms. 

We’re seeing more and more examples emerge of artists working with their teams to develop innovative and authentic ways to engage with fans – and it’s exciting to think what the future has in store. 

 

Risks to the UK’s music ecosystem
So yes, the UK’s music ecosystem is truly a global success story. 

But it’s not something that we can take for granted. Like with anything, new support structures and nourishment are required. 

Our world-leading status is at risk. As figures released last week show, British music exports, while still growing, are growing at a declining rate. 

The decline in our export growth also comes at the same time as UK artists and music businesses face a host of other challenges. 

For all the good news numbers, in 2024 no British artists ranked among the 20 most-streamed artists globally, compared to three artists the year before. And while we account for just under 10% of the music consumed globally, this figure was as high as 17% just ten years ago. 

Artists now face more competition than ever, with over 120,000 new tracks uploaded to streaming services every day. As a point of comparison, in the pre-streaming era, only a few thousand releases would come out a year.

And, with streaming offering near-limitless access to all music, new artists are now finding themselves competing against not just new releases, but against every other track that’s ever been released. 

At the same time, the UK’s grassroots venues are in crisis, and British acts are finding it tougher and more expensive than ever to tour at home and internationally. Creative education is also at risk – with  nearly a thousand fewer music teachers in the UK than there were in 2012. 

 

AI
And, of course, we now have the new frontier of generative AI to navigate, and our ecosystem once again finds itself challenged. 

AI has long existed as a tool in music creation and helps artists discover and connect with fans in smart ways, but until now this technology has primarily been in support of human artistry, and within the control of artists and rights-holders. 

Today, British music and the wider creative industries face a starker future: the UK Government is currently proposing to weaken our gold-standard copyright regime to allow global AI companies to train their models on British music without authorisation or payment, unless artists and rights-holders ‘opt-out’ of allowing this to happen – something which is impossible to do in practice. 

The BPI is firmly opposing these proposals. We believe there should be an ‘opt-in’ model of licensing, where creators and rights-holders are able to permit or refuse permission to AI companies to use their music for training, and given the opportunity to strike mutually-beneficial licensing agreements. 

As much as Big Tech might claim to the contrary, this is perfectly feasible. Record labels and AI companies know how to negotiate deals that meet consumer expectations, embrace innovation, and reward risk and investment. 

We’re also calling for more transparency measures to be introduced for AI companies, requiring them to keep records of what is being used to train AI models, and for what purpose. 

Without the right checks and balances in place, the ‘move fast and break things’ ethos of international Big Tech could cause lasting damage to our world-class creative industries and our music ecosystem.

So in recent months, the music industry and the creative industries have come together to push Government to protect our rights and make sure AI is developed fairly. 

You may have seen the ‘MAKE IT FAIR’ campaign across the front of major newspapers earlier in the year – and supported by many of the artists that we were with us at The BRIT Awards in March.

We still have a long way to go to change Government minds – and if you feel strongly, please do support the campaign, or even write to your MP. 

 

Conclusion
So today, we are presenting our calls to action, both for industry and policy-makers, to support our ecosystem and keep British music a global headline act. 

- Prioritise creative education and the skills needed to support talent and the industry

- Support diversity in all its forms

- Protect human creativity - don’t let AI steal our music

- Keep British music globally competitive

- Build the worlds of music and technology in tandem

 

We will continue to press for all these key priorities as we look to create an environment in which artists and music can thrive, and one that is also diverse, inclusive and sustainable – just as every healthy and successful ecosystem should be.

Thank you.