£3m to help independent music businesses export product

Independent music companies are being offered exporting help, following an industry meeting at Downing Street, chaired by the Prime Minister.

The Government say £3m, available in grants ranging from £5,000 to £50k, will be allocated to independent firms in the sector through the Music Export Growth Scheme.

UKTI will run the scheme in conjunction with BPI, the trade body representing British recorded music businesses.

The scheme aims to alleviate barriers that small firms face when launching and marketing their artists overseas.

BPI chief executive Geoff Taylor commented: “Independent labels are an important part of what makes British music so special. With global interest in UK artists at such high levels, we want to ensure that indie artists and labels have the best possible chance to achieve success overseas.

“We are delighted that government has listened to calls from BPI and AIM for export support that will help British music do even better around the world.”

Applications will be open to all UK independent record labels and music management companies meeting the application criteria.

Decisions on individual awards will be made by a panel of music industry experts with marketing expertise from organisations including the Music Managers Forum (MMF), representatives of independent record labels and BPI. The scheme will be administered by BPI.

Companies must part-fund from their own resources, demonstrating their own commitment to the proposed activity, and the first round of applications will commence this month.

Korda Marshall, who has a played a key role in developing the early career of many artists, including the likes of Muse and more recently Mercury Prize winners Alt-J, is the founding chairman of leading indie label, Infectious Music

He said: “I’m delighted by this announcement, as, I imagine, many other independent music companies will be. British labels have a fantastic track record when it comes to bringing through great new music, but it can be so frustrating when you know you’ve got a really special band on your hands but don’t always have the means to raise their profile internationally as quickly as you would like.

“There’s clearly is a huge appetite for British music overseas, so if this new scheme helps to feed this, it can only be good news for anyone that loves British music and wants it to do well.”