Photo credit: yakub88/ShutterstockThe plan also commits at least £12.5m ($16.8m) to a Music in Libraries initiative, which will be co-designed by the Ed Sheeran Foundation
The UK Government has launched a plan to support the country’s music industry.
Turn It Up: Our Plan for Music was unveiled on Monday (July 13) at the UK Music Summer Party, where Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy addressed the industry.
It arrives with a GBP £15 million (USD $20.1 million) injection into the government’s Music Growth Package, taking that fund to £45 million ($60.3m) over three years, plus the appointment of former UK Music CEO Michael Dugher as the government’s first Music Champion.
Originally announced last year in the Creative Industries Sector Plan as a £30 million ($40.2m) fund, the Music Growth Package will run from 2026 to 2029, and will now receive a further £15 million from Arts Council England.
It will support more than 2,000 projects and at least 40,000 artists and music professionals over three years, and for the first time will fund mid-career artists, band managers, labels and publishers, the government said.
UK-based recorded music body the BPI will deliver a £4.8 million ($6.4m) Music Export Growth Scheme within the package, while Arts Council England manages the overall rollout.
The £45 million is split across three strands: grassroots infrastructure, domestic touring and showcasing, and international market expansion.
Grants of up to £100,000 ($134,000) will be available for established organizations and trade bodies to scale up existing schemes, with the funds opening in summer 2026.
The plan also commits at least £12.5 million ($16.8m) of so-called ‘dormant assets funding’ to a Music in Libraries initiative, which will be co-designed by the Ed Sheeran Foundation.
According to the Ed Sheeran Foundation, all 152 library authorities in England will be able to apply for the money to create studio spaces, recording booths and mixing desks.
A further £10 million ($13.4m) of so-called “dormant assets funding” will support a Creative Mentoring scheme for care-experienced children and young people, with both programs delivered by The National Lottery Community Fund.
On live music, the government will loosen the licensing system, raising the number of Temporary Event Notices from 15 to 20 per year and total event days from 21 to 26.
Festivals and other events will be offered longer licenses, with minimum three-year contracts for new events and five-year contracts for existing ones, according to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
Alongside the funding, the government named Michael Dugher – who was appointed CEO of UK Music in 2017, and previously served as a Labour MP and Shadow Culture Secretary – as its first Music Champion.
The role is a year-long, unremunerated appointment that began on July 13, DCMS said.
“But pop is getting posher, and that must change,” said Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy. “Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not.”
“After a decade of mindless vandalism that stripped culture and creativity from too many classrooms and communities, we are putting music back at the heart of education, investing in creative careers and backing grassroots music across the country.”
Lisa Nandy, UK Secretary of State for Culture
“After a decade of mindless vandalism that stripped culture and creativity from too many classrooms and communities, we are putting music back at the heart of education, investing in creative careers and backing grassroots music across the country,” Nandy said.
The plan also addresses music streaming, pointing to a set of label-led principles developed by the BPI to boost income for UK creators.
The government said it will review progress on the principles in 2027 to determine whether further intervention is needed.
On AI, the government will launch a consultation on “digital replicas” this summer and set up a taskforce on labeling AI-generated content.
According to UK Music‘s This Is Music 2025 report, cited in the plan, 66% of music creators believe AI poses a direct threat to their careers, while 90% are concerned about the lack of protections for their voice, image and copyrighted work.
“Despite our relatively small size, the UK is still the third-largest music market in the world and has huge cultural reach, connecting with fans globally.”
Dr Jo Twist OBE, BPI
BPI CEO Dr Jo Twist OBE said the plan “rightly recognises our industry as a priority sector.”
“Despite our relatively small size, the UK is still the third-largest music market in the world and has huge cultural reach, connecting with fans globally,” said Twist, whose organization reported over 210 billion UK audio streams in 2025.
Roberto Neri, CEO of The Ivors Academy, welcomed the £45 million package “and the government’s recognition that the music industry starts with its creators.”
“This plan is an important step, but there is much more to do,” said Neri. “Songwriters and composers are the foundation of the music industry, and they must share fairly in the value they create.”
“This plan is an important step, but there is much more to do,” said Neri. “Songwriters and composers are the foundation of the music industry, and they must share fairly in the value they create.”
Roberto Neri, The Ivors Academy
The Council of Music Makers – which brings together The Ivors Academy, the Featured Artists Coalition, the Musicians’ Union, the Music Producers Guild and the Music Managers Forum – also welcomed the plan and Dugher’s appointment.
The group said “music-makers sit at the very heart of the music industry”, and that the plan and the new role “should significantly help” its work with government on copyright, streaming, AI, ticketing, touring, visas and education.
The Ed Sheeran Foundation, which co-designed the Music in Libraries scheme, said it marked “an important step forward for music education.”
“By expanding access to music beyond the classroom, our library network can help ensure that children and young people from communities across England have the opportunity to engage with music, regardless of where they live,” said Dr Renuka Fernando, the foundation’s CEO.
On Tuesday (July 14), the Culture, Media and Sport Committee published the government’s response to its fan-led review of live and electronic music, which the government said had informed the Music Plan.
“By expanding access to music beyond the classroom, our library network can help ensure that children and young people from communities across England have the opportunity to engage with music, regardless of where they live.”
Dr Renuka Fernando, Ed Sheeran Foundation
Caroline Dinenage MP, the committee’s chair, said the plan and the response “make the right noises about supporting the music industry”, but that it was “disappointing that the government has not gone further on ensuring the planning system protects grassroots venues.”
“We’ve also been waiting for action on the £1 ticket levy to support grassroots venues and the government has just kicked the can down the road,” said Dinenage.
“We’ve also been waiting for action on the £1 ticket levy to support grassroots venues and the government has just kicked the can down the road.”
Caroline Dinenage, UK MP
The Music Plan sits alongside other government measures unveiled over the past year.
These include a £1 ($1.34) voluntary ticket contribution on arena and stadium shows with a capacity above 5,000, with proceeds going to the LIVE Trust.
The LIVE Trust, which supports grassroots music, has distributed £1.5 million ($2m) to date, the government said.
The government has also moved to ban the resale of tickets above face value, which it estimates will save fans around £112 million ($150m) a year.
It has confirmed a 15% business rates relief for live music venues, with bills frozen for two years.
The UK’s music industry contributed a record £8 billion ($10.7bn) to the economy in 2024 and supported 220,000 jobs, according to UK Music.
The government said its wider ambition is to grow business investment in the creative industries from £17 billion ($22.8bn) to £31 billion ($41.5bn) by 2035.Music Business Worldwide
