09.11.2023: To celebrate the launch of This is Music 2023 and mark International Trade Week, UK Music partnered with the Department for Business and Trade to deliver The Future Global Music Economy event. 

The day at the north London venue House of KOKO included a range of discussions and insights, with key industry figures gathered to shed light on the global music outlook and the significant economic impact of the UK music scene. 

The event was opened by Minister for Exports Lord Offord of Garvel and Minister for Media, Tourism, and Creative Industries Sir John Whittingdale. Both highlighted the key figures from UK Music’s new report This is Music 2023: £6.7 billion in gross value added (GVA); £4 billion generated from music exports, and a total of 210,000 people employed in the UK music industry. 

[pictured: Exports Minister Lord Offord of Garvel (left) and DCMS Minister Sir John Whittingdale MP (centre)]

 The day’s first panel focussed the global music outlook, emerging trends, and how the Government can support the sector. The panel featured UK Music’s Interim Chief Executive Tom Kiehl, PPL CEO Peter Leathem, PRS for Music CEO Andrea Czapary Martin, Music Managers Forum Vice-Chair Kwame Kwaten.

[pictured from left to right: Kwame Kwaten, Andrea Czapary Martin, Peter Leathem and Tom Kiehl]

In the conversation, the panellists called on the Government boost its investment in grassroots music and emphasised the need to set up a music export office to amplify UK music exports. 

This was followed by a discussion on the state of the UK’s live music scene. Chaired by LIVE chief executive Jon Collins, much of the discussion focussed on touring issues that have emerged following the UK’s exit from the EU. The panellists noted that until the Government resolves these barriers to touring, UK music exports will be hampered and the UK could potentially lose a new generation of artists and bands. 

[Pictured at Live Music Panel from left to right: Craig Stanley,  Steve Zapp, Annabella Coldrick, Sophie Lewis,  Jon Collins.]

Next up was the panel focussed solely on music exports. This featured contributions from Phil Patterson (Department for Business and Trade), Chris Tams (BPI), Joe Frankland (CEO of PRS Foundation) and Pat Carr (Found of Remote Control Agency.

The group discussed showcasing the successes of Government/music industry partnerships to boost music exports such as the BPI-administered Music Export Growth Scheme and the International Showcase Fund run by the PRS Foundation. The success of these initiatives prompted industry representatives on the panel to call for increased funding to sustain and expand these impactful programmes. 

The final conversation of the day centred on music technology, a particularly pertinent topic given current issues regarding artificial intelligence (AI). The panel delved into issues surrounding copyright protections for creators in the context of AI-generated music, examining both the challenges and opportunities AI presents for the music industry.

Former Spotify economist, Will Page, also provided a valuable explanation of ‘glocalisation’, a trend in which is sees national music charts increasingly dominated by artists singing in their own language.  

[Music technology panel from left to right: Faron McKenzie, Head of BBC Radio 1Xtra; Dr Jo Twist, CEO of the BPI; Will Page, Financial Times economist; Tendai Chetse, Head of Creative Industries, Department for Business and Trade (moderator)]

 Overall, the event served as an important platform to showcase the value of UK music in front of Government Ministers and officials.  UK Music is determined to ensure that the Government recognises our industry’s contributions and takes the necessary steps to support its continued growth. 

Read our annual economic report This Is Music here.