UK Government Unveils Major Plan to Boost Music Industry
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has published Turn It Up: Our Plan for Music, a package aimed at strengthening the UK music sector, which is worth around £8 billion. The plan combines direct investment, new access schemes and regulatory changes designed to support artists, managers, labels, venues and creative practitioners across music, film and media.
Significant Investment for Industry Growth
Central to the announcement is a £45 million Music Growth Package, delivered through Arts Council England over three years. The fund targets mid-career artists, managers, independent labels and publishers, and is expected to support more than 2,000 projects and benefit over 40,000 artists. The programme will cover development, capacity building and market access, offering a route for established talent and teams to scale activity.
New Initiatives to Cultivate Talent and Access
Funding drawn from dormant assets backs two headline schemes. Music in Libraries receives £12.5 million, developed with the Ed Sheeran Foundation, to set up free studio spaces, equipment and learning resources in public libraries. A £10 million Creative Mentoring programme will deliver targeted support for care-experienced children, spanning music, art, film and drama and aligning with the broader Every Child Can agenda. These schemes are routed through the National Lottery Community Fund to reach local communities.
Bolstering Live Music and Leadership
The plan sustains a £1 ticket contribution for grassroots venues via the LIVE Trust to help cover running costs and resilience work. Regulatory updates aim to make live events more straightforward, including longer festival licence durations and reforms to Temporary Event Notices to reduce administrative barriers for promoters. Michael Dugher has been appointed the UKs first Music Champion to represent the sector, coordinate cross-government action and work closely with UK Music and the LIVE Trust.
This package sets out practical routes to investment, access and regulatory relief. For artists, managers, venues and creative organisations, the plan offers new funding streams, spaces and advocacy to support the next phase of the UKs music ecosystem.
