Liberating Creativity

Last year UK Music produced Liberating Creativity. This is the first time ever that the commercial music industry has come together to unite behind a vision for the future.

By 2020, it is our ambition to take on North America as the biggest music-producing country in the world.

 The report takes the current strength of the UK’s music industry as a starting point:

· The UK is second only to the USA as a source of repertoire

· As a nation, UK consumers buy more music per capita than almost anywhere else in the world

· The UK industry is hugely diverse – 81% of music companies employ less than 5 people

· Music contributes at least £5bn annually to the economy, of which £1.3bn comes from export earnings

· Our live music is legendary. We host the world’s biggest greenfield festival, the most successful ticketed venue and a diverse - yet fragile – grassroots network of clubs, pubs and bars

Building on this foundation of strength, Liberating Creativity sets out the scale of our ambitions for the next decade, and what we need to do to get there.

It is a call to action for both Government and industry.

Feargal Sharkey, Chief Executive of UK Music said: “This country has a phenomenal musical heritage, and our artists are globally-renowned for their innovation and creativity. Our ambition is to take what is quite clearly a national asset and for music to be recognised as a great professional industry. In 2008, four of the biggest selling artists in the world came from the UK. With the right support, we can challenge North America and take their crown.”

The report comes as the music industry enters a new decade, characterised by greater cooperation with the technology sector, new commercial partnerships and a renewed focus on nurturing grassroots talent.

Andy Heath, Director of Beggars Group and Chairman of UK Music added: “What we call the music industry is now impressively diverse. It covers thousands of individuals and companies and what they produce impacts upon a vast range of businesses.

“However, when all’s said and done, they are founded on one thing: great music. There are challenges to be faced and we must continue to adapt with technological change, but the nurturing and investment in great musical talent has always been the UK’s strength. That talent is absolutely key to our future.”

The first recommendation we make is to demand a grown-up industrial policy, and the establishment of a Creative Industries Cabinet Committee.

The UK’s creative sector is as big as the whole building sector to our economy. Collectively, it employs twice as many people as in financial services. It represents key economic and cultural assets with huge potential for growth. They demand coherent and strategic policy-making across Government departments, something that is currently lacking.

From here, Liberating Creativity sets out recommendations to take full advantage of the digital marketplace – advocating new partnerships that realise the value of music and deliver greater choice to fans.

Crucial to this is the ability of our entrepreneurs to access finance in order to innovate.

There follows recommendations on access to finance, competition issues, copyright in the digital age and business support.

Finally, the report addresses music’s cultural and social power, and we continue to develop both the UK’s creative talent and our future workforce. There follows recommendations on: music rehearsal rooms for young people, exemptions from licensing for small venues, education, skills and training, and public subsidies for the arts.

To download the full document please see below:

Liberating Creativity.pdf