It Is Time For A National Music Strategy

ATTN Brits - This is our opportunity to be global leaders. Let's seize it.

Now is the time to invest in a national music strategy, and I want to help.

For our population, the UK's music industry is significant compared to other nations of similar size. The music industry is valued at £6.7 billion. France’s music sector, by comparison, is valued at €968 million. We are the third largest music industry in the world (behind the United States and Japan). We are one of only three countries that are net exporters (The United States and Sweden being the other two). For comparison, UK steel, by contrast, is valued at £2 billion. UK fisheries are worth £3.7 billion. Steel and fish are essential, but imagine a country without music - something that we may not need to live, but most of us would struggle to live without.

Before the pandemic, there was a push to develop a national music strategy. Unfortunately, when the world stopped, those responsible for writing it were seconded to pandemic-related tasks. Since then, we’ve seen some countries develop music strategies and some, including our competitors, launch well-funded music offices. France launched the Centre National de Musique in 2020 with a budget of over €80m. Australia launched a revamped Music Australia in 2023, backed by AUD 69m (£35.5m) in initial investment. It’s being done elsewhere. It is time to do it here.

Photo by Benjamin Elliott on Unsplash

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So what does this mean? How would we go about it? Here are some thoughts.

A national music strategy aims to create the best possible path of least resistance to the buyer. I say this because ‘music’, from a national strategic perspective, has many different ‘buyers’, or ‘objectives’. The buyer may be a musician or a label, but it could also be a large employer we’re trying to attract, an international student, someone seeking treatment for a medical condition, or a property developer working on a regeneration scheme.

Bringing these paths together, understanding how the component parts (or outcomes) impact each other, and making confident, strategic decisions on what to invest in, for how long, and for what reason requires this joined-up approach. In the UK, we haven’t had that. There have been many investments in music over the last 14 years, both nationally and locally. Many cities have developed music strategies, and programs have been initiated - from empowering diverse voices to supporting mental health - have launched. DCMS has folks working on music, day in and day out. Music has been featured in trade and export programs, including the expansion of the Music Export Growth Scheme. The national music education plan was updated. Planning laws were amended to support grassroots music infrastructure. Lots has happened.

What has been missing—in general—is an ecosystem approach, understanding how one decision here impacts another there. And this is what we can address.

If I were part of supporting a national music strategy, I would separate it into six goals or missions, each with aligned targets, goals, and indicators. They are:

1. CREATING A GLOBAL LEADING INDUSTRY FUELLED BY INNOVATION, SKILLS, AND GROWTH—Several issues can be incorporated into this, with associated goals assigned. These include the impact of AI, streaming and remuneration, training and apprenticeship, attracting investment and developing modern, creating fit-for-purpose skills locally, tax incentives, and the role of local business accelerators, to incorporating music jobs and skills into broader industrial strategy - recognising music as a core industry and having policies to grow it - top-down and bottom-up, will accelerate growth everywhere (which could, over time, help ‘level up’ and will support all devolved nations and regions).

2. MAKING MUSIC WORK LOCALLY, EVERYWHERE - From reforming and improving local planning and licensing regulations to investing in music (and broader art) and youth hubs, re-starting local music industry development organizations (each county had one before 2010) to ensuring access to instruments (potentially at a library) to supporting grassroots music venues to addressing inequities in VAT and business rates/valuation, music’s economic (and social) success begins locally. Being intentional everywhere to ensure music is accessible everywhere must be at the heart of the strategy's work.

3. PLACING MUSIC AT THE HEART OF OUR NHS AND HEALTHCARE RENEWAL- The health, well-being, and associated economic and social benefits of music as a therapeutic are extensive. From addressing mental health to supporting stroke victims to caring for dementia patients, music is a scientifically proven treatment for various conditions. But it is not incorporated - like other treatments - into the core of our health service delivery. Being a global leader in music and healthcare is something within our grasp and could elevate the role of music across the UK - and bring widespread benefits alongside.

4. IF WE DON’T EDUCATE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY, WE WON’T HAVE AN INDUSTRY FIT FOR THE 21ST CENTURY. The UK has an impressive foundation of music education infrastructure, which could be better optimized if incorporated into a holistic national music strategy. We should focus not only on creating great musicians but also on creating great audiences. We should abolish the term ‘STEM’ and replace it with ‘STEAM.’ We should understand that music education does not just happen in classrooms; it is not just for young people. We should leverage the wider music business as a case study for general education (from law to IP, business to politics - music is a great path to teach other subjects). But this requires a rethink - and now is the time.

5. MUSIC IS ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE TRULY GREAT AT. IT IS TIME TO RECOGNIZE THAT- As we forge closer relationships with our European partners, for example, let’s address the challenges that Brexit has created for touring, taxation, and freedom of movement. Let’s also acknowledge that music (along with the broader creative economy) is a sector in which the UK is - bar none - a global leader and lead. We need more intentional soft diplomacy and structured, actionable policies to better utilize one of our greatest exports, with better frameworks to allow our musicians and artists to tour abroad while being as open as possible to welcome artists from abroad to come here.

6. MUSIC - AND THE WIDER CREATIVE ECONOMY - CAN FIGHT THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY. AND WE CAN BE GLOBAL LEADERS IN THIS - Some of the most progressive music and climate initiatives - from A Greener Festival to Music Declares, Julie’s Bicycle to the UN-led Sounds Right initiative backed by Earth Percent, have originated in or are led by the UK. Along with other nations, we are a leader in incorporating music into addressing the climate emergency. But we can go much further, from influencing planning approvals on new music infrastructure, leveraging artists’ fanbases to foster change, and pioneering how festivals can become more sustainable. This, like our music export, is a place we already lead.

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I am sure there are more goals that I am missing, but I’d start here.

Also, reading this, I am sure you see that multiple government departments are responsible for the goals. DCMS leads industry development. Planning, regeneration, and working with cities, towns, and metro-mayors are for the Department of Communities and Local Government. Licensing is for the Home Office. International export is for the Department for Business and Trade. The Department of Health and Social Care is responsible for the NHS. The money comes from the Treasury. The Department for Education governs our schools. Everyone has a role to play in addressing the climate emergency.

Photo by Jason Rosewell on Unsplash

This is the challenge (and opportunity) that is best addressed by the development of a national music strategy. There needs to be a single point of contact building the data and evidence base in government for government and one that engages with the sector (across all its sub-sectors) to communicate and engage. While music has been incorporated into all these departments at one point or another, there has never been a single point of contact to set agendas and be proactive and reactive.

We have the foundation to do this. We have UK Music, a type of organisation (a trade association for trade associations to bring the sector together) that does not exist in many countries (including France before CNM was established). Multiple trade associations represent sub-sectors robustly, such as the live sector, publishers, artists, grassroots venues, independent labels, major labels, copyright management organisations, specific genres, the sync sector and more. We have London, one of the world’s most important music-business cities. We have incredible talent, diversity, and a small enough land mass to enable cost-effective touring. We have terrific advocates inside and outside government. There are a few All Party Parliamentary Groups for music. There are advocates in the House of Lords. Most UK cities have music strategies, boards, and commissions (as do some towns and villages). And, let us not forget, we have done this before (New Labour tried it in 1998/1999).

We have it all.

So what do you think? Are you with me? I’m sure you are.

So, to our new Secretary of State for Culture, Lisa Nandy, and Minister in DCMS, Chris Bryant, and your teams. To the sector as a whole. Let’s get to work.