26.01.2026: In UK Music’s This Is Music report into the financial health of the sector, we take a look at how the industry is innovating, from flexible deals to finding new ways to grow fanbases.

The UK music industry has been adapting to these challenges over the past decade. Record labels are offering more flexible deals, which can be structured around singles and EPs before committing to an album. Artists also have more options to release music and build audiences, and music managers help shape this strategy. 2025 saw a number of significant emerging British artists across multiple genres come to prominence.

Central Cee is a notable success story, releasing a series of singles, EPs, and two mixtapes over a number of years before his debut album in January 2025, which reached number 1 in four markets and top 10 in the USA. Key to his success was building profile in the UK and across multiple international markets simultaneously.

He also took a flexible approach to his business, first releasing under his own label, then striking a distribution deal with Warner’s ADA division, before signing with Columbia Records (part of Sony Music) in 2023.

Olivia Dean is a BRIT School graduate who began self-releasing her own music in 2018, before signing with EMI (Universal Music) in 2019. Like many artists, she had to navigate the pandemic without the benefit of an established fanbase before releasing her debut album Messy in 2023, which peaked at number 4 in the UK. Olivia’s second album, The Art of Loving, released in September 2025, reached number one in six markets, including the UK, and reached the top 10 in the USA.

Rock band Sleep Token began self-releasing music in 2016, before signing to independent label BasicK, then Spinefarm (Universal Music), and most recently RCA (Sony Music), culminating in the release of their third album Even in Arcadia which reached number one in nine markets, including the UK and USA. Key to their success was a flexible approach to business, while focusing on building a strong connection with their fanbase.

There are many other examples including artists such as beabadoobee, Myles Smith, Lola Young, Griff, Sampha, and Ezra Collective, who are building their careers in more innovative ways. RAYE developed her career as a world-class songwriter (for Beyonce, Charli xcx, and others) and as a featured vocalist, alongside building her career as an artist.

Music managers build strategies that take an artist from initial self-release, to breakthrough success. This involves building a team, which may evolve over time, finding investment and striking partnerships. The MMF estimates that for every £1 invested in music management, it returns £8 to the music industry.

While there is tangible evidence to demonstrate the underlying strength in UK talent, there is still a lot of work to do. As this report demonstrates, the level of competition and challenges have increased, and government has an important role to play to help ensure the UK music industry remains a success story.

You can read the report in full here.