- UK Music’s 2018 Measuring Music report reveals UK music industry exports rose by 7% to a record £2.6 billion last year
- Big rises in recorded music and publishing revenues help fuel export growth
- Music industry jobs rose by 3% to a new high of 145,815 people
- The UK music industry grew by 2% in 2017
The UK music industry grew by 2% in 2017 to contribute a record £4.5 billion to the economy – up by £100 million on 2016, a new report by UK Music reveals today.
UK Music published the findings of its Measuring Music 2018 report today (Thursday 1 November) to highlight the scale of the industry’s contribution to the economy.
Successful acts and thriving live music scenes
The flagship annual economic study by UK Music and its members showed that the music industry continued to grow last year across almost every sector.
Among the big success stories were the record music sector which saw a rise of 9% to £700 million and music publishing which grew by 7% to £505 million in 2017.
Successful British acts including Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, Rag’N’Bone Man, Stormzy, Harry Styles and Depeche Mode helped exports of UK music soar in 2017 by 7% to £2.6 billion.
Millions of fans who poured into concerts ranging from giant festivals to grassroots music venues generated a contribution of live music to the UK’s economy of around £1 billion (£991 million).
Download the full report
UK Music measures the health of the music business each year by collating data from our partners about the industry’s contribution in goods and services, known as Gross Value Added (GVA), to the UK’s national income or Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Exports are part of this contribution.
You can download the full Measuring Music report from UK Music’s website.