17.02.2026: UK Music has unveiled a five-point plan in its Manifesto for Music Scotland to create thousands of jobs and boost economic growth ahead of key elections to Holyrood.
The organisation, which champions the UK music industry, believes the blueprint could further increase the record 2.3 million “music tourists” who visited Scotland in 2024.
UK Music is urging all the candidates fighting for a seat in the Scottish Parliament in the May 7 elections to back the five-point plan to boost homegrown music businesses, nurture emerging music creators, make touring at home and abroad easier, and grow the economy.
Music drew 2.3 million visitors to Scotland in 2024, delivered £857 million in revenue, and supported 7,160 jobs, according to UK Music’s latest figures.
Scotland has produced some of the world’s best-loved bands, artists and songwriters, ranging from Biffy Clyro, Young Fathers and Simple Minds to KT Tunstall, Calvin Harris, Nicola Benedetti and Lewis Capaldi.
Ahead of the May 7 elections, UK Music is now urging political leaders to create more music jobs and drive economic growth by supporting the five-point plan outlined in its Manifesto for Music Scotland.
The five key recommendations in UK Music’s Manifesto for Music Scotland are:
- Develop a Scottish Music Growth Plan
- Bring Down Barriers to Exporting Scottish Music
- Guarantee High Quality Music Education For All
- Ensure Artificial Intelligence Policy Supports Homegrown Creativity
- Use Music to Drive Scottish Tourism
The main points include: setting up a new Scottish Music Production Fund to encourage homegrown music making and grow the domestic music industry; a drive to tear down the barriers that have made touring the EU unviable for many emerging Scottish performers; a new strategy to grow grassroots music and protect venues; a drive to boost music exports; greater efforts to stop AI firms stealing the work of Scottish music creators; measures to improve music education in schools; and a bid to put music at the heart of a renewed Scottish tourism strategy to bring in thousands more music fans (full details of all the recommendations are below under notes to editors).
UK Music Chief Executive Tom Kiehl said: “Scotland has an incredible array of fantastic bands, performers, musicians, songwriters and music creators that bring in fans from across the world to its brilliant venues.
“Music is at the heart of a creative industry which helps drive the economy and create jobs. However, there are major challenges when it comes to protecting Scotland’s cherished music venues, tackling the costly barriers to touring at home and abroad, facing the threat posed by AI to music creators, and ensuring we nurture the next generation of musical talent.
“Our Manifesto for Music Scotland sets out the challenges and the solutions that we hope all the candidates for Holyrood can get behind and support in the next Scottish government to help create new jobs, economic growth and a new army of Scottish music fans.”
Iconic venues such as King Tuts Wah Wah Hut and the Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow, Sneaky Pete’s and the Usher Hall in Edinburgh, the Ceilidh Place in Ullapool and the Lemon Tree in Aberdeen are a key part of the Scottish music ecosystem.
Festivals help bring music to every corner of Scotland, from Belladrum in the Highlands to Celtic Connections in Glasgow, and Mendelssohn on Mull in the Inner Hebrides.
Music also plays a vital role in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where live music is a core part of the programme and a big draw for visitors.
The manifesto covers the huge diversity of Scottish music and its creators along with the importance of its cherished music venues, studios and music businesses.
The manifesto also includes case studies from Glasgow-based artist manager Hamish Fingland, who founded Bounse Management and The Touring Network (Highlands & Islands). Both give a fascinating insight into the workings of the Scottish music industry.
You can read the manifesto in full here.
Among those who covered the manifesto were:
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