Music is one of the UK’s greatest strengths: a source of public pride, its cultural impact helps define how we are seen around the world. It enriches lives, supports wellbeing, brings communities together and creates shared experiences that strengthen identity, place and belonging.
Music also has a major economic impact: as the world’s second-largest music exporter, in 2024 music generated £8 billion for the UK economy and supporting 220,000 UK jobs.
In recognition of the cultural and economic value it brings this country, the UK Government has identified music as a priority growth sector. The Music Growth Package, a major Creative Industries Sector Plan commitment, aims to drive innovation, enhance local economies, and support the music workforce with a focus on supporting sustainable and inclusive growth across the industry.
As lead delivery partner for the Music Growth Package – a UK Government fund, supported by additional investment from the National Lottery – Arts Council England will help artists, music creators and music businesses across both live and recorded music to develop new opportunities, strengthen their resilience and attract further investment.
Our investment will deliver improved outcomes and greater scale, promote fairer working conditions and broaden opportunities, strengthen skills, and support a more diverse workforce that better reflects the nations and regions of the UK today.
The Music Growth investment funds will support emerging talent, strengthen grassroots music infrastructure and help UK artists, music creators and businesses reach, develop and respond to music fans and new audiences at home and across the globe.
The Music Growth Package supports new music, which we define as original music (i.e. live performance, sound recording or musical work) recently or newly created or performed by living, UK-based artists or music creators.