Huge shows by acts such as Beyoncé, Burna Boy, Harry Styles, Blur, P!nk, Elton John and Ed Sheeran helped the UK music industry contribute a record £7.6 billion (€9.1bn) to the UK economy in 2023.

UK music’s contribution to the UK economy rose 13% from £6.7bn in 2022 in terms of Gross Value Added (GVA), according to the latest edition of UK Music’s annual economic report, This Is Music 2024.

The umbrella association’s study adds that exports received a further boost from international touring by British artists, while Adele continued her residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. UK music exports revenue in 2023 hit a new high of £4.6bn – a 15% increase on 2022.

Meanwhile, total UK music industry employment hit a record 216,000 full-time equivalent posts – up 3% from 210,000 in the previous year.

“The music industry is ideally placed to turbo charge the new UK government’s mission to secure the highest sustained growth in the G7,” says UK Music chief executive Tom Kiehl. “A decade which began with the pandemic, causing much devastation to the sector, has seen a resilient music industry emerge. International appetite for UK music remains strong, with exports growing by 15% to £4.6 billion. Employment continues to rise steadily at 3%, with 216,000 people now working in the sector.”

“We are now at a tipping point, and if the problems we face are not addressed then future growth cannot be guaranteed”

While the study does not break down live’s individual economic contribution, it states that “live performance and international touring revenues continued to grow in 2023”. In a separate report published earlier this year, UK Music revealed music tourism increased by 33% in 2023, with spending surging 21% year-on-year to £8bn.

Nevertheless, Kiehl advises that it is not a time for complacency, amid a number of concerns.

“This is Music 2024 tells the story, based on real evidence and data from across the sector, that despite some very strong headline figures in 2023, the UK music industry has vulnerabilities too,” he adds. “Increasing global competition, tough financial conditions for artists and the grassroots, as well as the wild west that is generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), are all conspiring to be significant challenges for the sector.

“We are now at a tipping point, and if the problems we face are not addressed then future growth cannot be guaranteed.”

Though acknowledging the emergence of bands including The Last Dinner Party and English Teacher, the report warns that “a succession of stadium and arena tours by major artists masks major problems for touring artists as a whole and especially developing artists”.

It continues: “High inflation in the UK, the cost of international travel, increased US visa costs and a litany of Brexit-related issues have negatively impacted, to varying degrees, most of the industry too, but touring artists have been hardest hit. For developing artists building their international profiles for the first time, the impacts of Brexit have been a catastrophe.”

“There are concerns that the UK’s position as a world leader in music and culture could be threatened”

Furthermore, it references Music Venue Trust (MVT) figures showing that 76 live music venues closed entirely during 2023, with another 72 ending their live music programming, as well as data from the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), which noted 36 festival closures during 2023 followed by around 60 during 2024.

The live segment of the report finishes with a call to arms to the new Labour government.

“Concert promotion and touring have never been easy and, whilst the sector is used to finding creative ways around challenges, there are concerns that the UK’s position as a world leader in music and culture could be threatened,” it concludes.

“Labour has indicated its commitment to reforming secondary ticketing in the UK. There is scope for the new Labour government to build upon this to support the sector more generally, protecting the cultural value of live music in the UK and protecting livelihoods in the live music sector, and the talent pipeline it supports while delivering great value to the consumer.”

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UK music tourism increased by 33% in 2023 thanks to concerts from the likes of Beyoncé, The Weeknd, Harry Styles and Blur and festivals including Glastonbury, Boomtown and TRNSMT.

Around 19.2 million music tourists (national and international) attended live music events across the UK last year, up from 14.4 million in 2022, according to new research from UK Music.

This figure includes 1.014 million foreign music tourists (roughly in line with 1.053m in 2022) and 18.2m domestic music tourists (an increase of 36% from 2022 when the total was 13.3m).

London saw a 40% rise in music tourists from 4.9 million in 2022 to 6.9 million in 2023, while the South West saw an 86% increase from one million in 2022 to two million in 2023, and the North East enjoyed a 29% increase from 352,000 in 2022 to 489,000 in 2023.

“The UK’s thriving music industry continues to be one of our most powerful global exports”

Music tourism spending in 2023 also surged to £8 billion, a 21% increase from 2022 when the figure was £6.6bn.

That figure includes £4.2bn spent directly by music tourists attending concerts and festivals in the UK, including the cost of a ticket, on-site spend, travel, accommodation, and meals while travelling to events. A further £3.8bn was spent indirectly through the value chain, including costs such as fencing and security or a restaurant paying for ingredients.

Total employment sustained by music tourism increased too, surging 17% from 53,000 in 2022 to 62,000 in 2023.

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is likely to give a further significant boost to figures for 2024, making the UK one of the global touring centres, says umbrella association UK Music.

“The UK’s thriving music industry continues to be one of our most powerful global exports and an important driver of economic growth,” says UK culture secretary Lisa Nandy.

“In towns and cities across the country, the music industry provides entertainment, employment and inspiration to millions. This government will work hard to ensure our creative industries get the support they need to flourish, driving opportunity and economic growth into every community and inspiring the next generation of performers.”

“We’re looking forward to working with the new Government to ensure that all our towns and cities have thriving music ecosystems”

Despite the growth in UK music tourism, independent festivals and grassroots music venues are still struggling with rising costs and changes in ticket-buying habits.

The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) reported that 50 UK festivals have completely closed or been postponed or cancelled for 2024, while the Music Venue Trust (MVT) reports that 125 venues in 2023 either shut or stopped live music.

“While music generates huge benefits for our local areas, beyond a handful of very successful musicians the opportunities for many artists are becoming increasingly squeezed,” says UK Music Chief Executive Tom Kiehl.

“Grassroots music venues and festivals, studios and rehearsal spaces are facing tough economic pressures and it’s vital that the music ecosystem that enables musicians and artists to perform is supported to ensure that everyone – no matter where they live – can have access to music.

“We’re looking forward to working with the new Government to ensure that all our towns and cities have thriving music ecosystems that support the growth of the industry – generating thousands more jobs, boosting economic growth and making their areas even more attractive to visitors.”

Last week, live music business organisations in the UK delivered their verdicts on the King’s Speech, which outlined the new Labour government’s legislative priorities.

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The Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) Committee has backed calls for a new arena and stadium ticket levy, plus tax relief, to safeguard UK grassroots music venues (GMVs).

The recommendations feature in a new report from the cross-party committee, which launched the inquiry at the Music Venue Trust’s (MVT) Venues Day in October 2023 and heard about the “cost of touring crisis” facing the sector, against a backdrop of small venues closing at a rate of two per week.

It says that a voluntary levy on arena and stadium concert tickets – as lobbied for by the MVT – would be the most feasible way to have an immediate impact on the business, creating a support fund for venues, artists and promoters, administered by a trust led by a sector umbrella body, and is appealing for the industry to ensure the levy cost is not passed on to music fans. In addition, it is calling for a temporary VAT cut based on venue capacity.

The conclusions have been warmly welcomed by bodies including the MVT, along with trade bodies LIVE (Live music Industry Venues & Entertainment), UK Music, the Music Managers Forum (MMF) and Featured Artists Coalition (FAC).

“These recommendations provide a clear pathway forward to a positive future for the UK’s grassroots music venues, a set of actions that are deliverable, affordable, and will genuinely have a positive impact on live music in communities right across the country,” says MVT CEO Mark Davyd. “We look forward to working with the music industry and with the government to deliver on these recommendations as swiftly as possible.”

Davyd owns Tunbridge Wells Forum in Kent, which recently pledged to become the first venue in the UK to introduce a grassroots ticket levy. Throughout this month, £1 from every ticket sold will be donated to the Music Venue Trust’s (MVT) Pipeline Fund at no additional expense to customers.

The MVT has described 2023 as the most challenging year for the sector since the trust was founded in 2014, as the number of GMVs falling from 960 to 835.

“It’s clear that the committee has recognised the many challenges faced by venues, promoters, events and artists at the grassroots level, and the steps required to address them”

“We would like to thank all the thousands of music fans that have supported our work across the last 10 years,” adds Davyd. “It has taken much longer than any of us would have liked to get the positive change we all wanted to see, but we could not have achieved this fantastic outcome without your continued support for your local live music venue.”

If there is no agreement by September, or if it fails to collect enough income to support the sector, the report says the government should step in an introduce a statutory levy.

“It’s clear that the committee has recognised the many challenges faced by venues, promoters, events and artists at the grassroots level, and the steps required to address them,” says LIVE CEO Jon Collins. “LIVE set out to the committee the actions we believe that the government needs to take to help unleash the economic potential of the sector, such as a reduction in the damaging and uncompetitive rate of VAT on tickets, as well as the actions that sit with us as an industry, notably the creation of a charitable arm, the LIVE Trust.

“We are pleased that the committee’s report addresses both of these matters positively and has entrusted our sector to implement the industry-led solution of a voluntary levy on arena and stadium tickets, gathering and distributing funding that will benefit the whole grassroots music ecosystem. We look forward to working with government on the review of VAT and regularly updating on our progress on the LIVE Trust.”

“Grassroots music venues are a crucial part of the music industry’s ecosystem and have been faced with a series of unprecedented threats for a number of years,” adds UK Music interim chief executive Tom Kiehl. “We welcome the House of Commons CMS Committee taking the opportunity to consider the challenges these venues and the artists that tour in them face.”

Artists and managers previously spoke out in favour of the MVT’s calls for a compulsory £1 levy on tickets sold for UK live music events above 5,000-cap during evidence sessions held in March.

“As the organisations representing artists and managers, we wholeheartedly endorse all the committee’s recommendations,” says a joint statement by FAC CEO David Martin and MMF chief executive Annabella Coldrick. “Most important is their recognition of the ‘cost of touring crisis’, and that the benefits of a ticket levy must flow down to artists, managers, and independent promoters – as well as to grassroots music venues. The entire ecosystem needs support. While we still believe this mechanism should be mandatory, the clock is now ticking to get a process in place before September 2024.”

“The ongoing wave of closures is not just a disaster for music, performers and supporters in local communities up and down the country, but also puts at risk the entire live music ecosystem”

Among the report’s other recommendations are for the government and Arts Council to make it easier for the live music sector to apply for public funding and for stakeholders across the industry to continue to support the FAC’s campaign to end punitive fees on artists’ merchandise.

“We are also delighted to see the committee endorse the 100% Venues campaign, and hope this will trigger action from the UK’s largest live music venues to overhaul outdated practices on merchandise commissions,” continue Martin and Coldrick. “The sale of T-shirts, vinyl and other physical products represent a crucial income stream for artists. It is only fair that they should retain the bulk of that revenue.”

In closing, the report also calls for a comprehensive fan-led review to be set be set up this summer to examine the long-term challenges to the wider live music ecosystem.

“We are grateful to the many dedicated local venues who gave up their time to take part in our inquiry,” says Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, chair of the CMS Committee. “They delivered the message loud and clear that grassroots music venues are in crisis. The ongoing wave of closures is not just a disaster for music, performers and supporters in local communities up and down the country, but also puts at risk the entire live music ecosystem.

“If the grassroots, where musicians, technicians, tour managers and promoters hone their craft, are allowed to wither and die, the UK’s position as a music powerhouse faces a bleak future. To stem the overwhelming ongoing tide of closures, we urgently need a levy on arena and stadium concert tickets to fund financial support for the sector, alongside a VAT cut to help get more shows into venues.

“While the current focus is on the many grassroots music venues falling silent, those working in the live music sector across the board are also under extraordinary strain. It is time that the government brought together everyone with a stake in the industry’s success, including music fans, to address the long-term challenges and ensure live music can thrive into the future.”

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UK live music trade body LIVE has described Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s latest budget as “another missed opportunity” after calls for a reduced VAT rate on ticket sales went unheeded once again.

Hunt did announce, however, that orchestra tax relief (OTR) would become permanent at a rate of 45%.

The current temporary 50% rate of OTR was due to taper down from April 2025 and drop eventually to its original rate of 25%. A theatre tax relief rate of 40% (and 45% for touring productions) will also remain.

“LIVE welcomes the Chancellor’s announcement that the tax reliefs for orchestras and theatres will be made permanent,” says LIVE CEO Jon Collins. “However, today’s Budget represents yet another missed opportunity to accelerate the growth of the live music sector and the wider economy while also providing urgently needed support for grassroots music through the reintroduction of a lower VAT rate.

“20% VAT on tickets in the UK is vastly out of step with our competitors in Europe and North America and has become a material factor limiting the number of gigs, tours and festivals our world class industry can put on.

“Fewer shows mean reduced economic activity in towns and cities across the country – an estimated £1m is spent in local businesses for every 10,000 people who attend a gig – and heaps further pressure onto grassroots music venues that are closing down at an alarming rate. We need urgent action to ensure the whole sector can prosper in the long term.”

Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) chief John Rostron also laments a lack of support for the sector, despite a spate of recent cancellations.

“We’re disappointed that our calls for support for the UK music festival sector have not been met”

“We’re disappointed that our calls for support for the UK music festival sector have not been met,” says Rostron. “Festivals need a temporary reduction in VAT on ticket sales from 20% to 5% in order to recover from the impact of Covid and Brexit, which has created a credit crunch that is seeing successful festivals having to postpone or cancel this year months before their events are due to take place.

“Yet another festival fell yesterday – the 15th event to fall already in 2024. Theatre has made the case for tax relief, which is being extended indefinitely. We urge the Chancellor and the Treasury to now turn to festivals and offer a fraction of that support to ensure more events do not make 2024 their last.”

UK Music interim CEO Tom Kiehl also welcomes the move to make OTR permanent.

“I welcome that the Chancellor has listened to industry calls to put in place extensions to the orchestras tax relief on a permanent basis,” he says.

“The government should use this opportunity to clarify our further calls as to whether touring choirs and other singing groups are also eligible for this important relief.

“We welcome the indirect benefit to music of the introduction other creative sector tax reliefs and seek further government consideration for the introduction of a tax credit to encourage new UK music production.”

Introduced in 2016, OTR is aimed at supporting live orchestral performances. The headline rate was rate uplifted to 50% in 2021 in the wake of Covid and was extended in 2023 for a further two years until April 2025.

The Musicians’ Union and the Association of British Orchestras were among the groups that had called to make the relief permanent.

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UK live music attendance reached an all-time high in 2022, with 37 million people generating ticket revenue, ancillary spending at venues and merchandise sales.

Stadium tours by acts such as Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and Lady Gaga are credited alongside the return of Glastonbury and the expansion of BST Hyde Park from seven shows to nine.

The findings form part of the 2023 edition of British music industry umbrella organisation UK Music’s annual This is Music report, which puts UK music export revenue for last year at £4 billion – a figure boosted by the return of international touring.

“2022 was packed with live shows, including rescheduled dates from 2020 and 2021 in addition to newly announced shows for 2022,” states the report. “Demand for stadiums was so high, venue operators, promoters, and agents had to be flexible with routing – in some cases, sourcing alternatives.

“Wembley Stadium hosted a record 16 concerts in 2022, up from 14 concerts in 2019.”

“Costs for promoters and artists have soared over the past two years owing to inflation, extremely high energy prices, and supply chain costs”

Furthermore, the report reveals that the UK music industry contributed £6.7 billion to the UK economy in 2022 in gross value added (GVA), while total employment in the business was 210,000. But despite some positive headline figures, the organisation notes that the overall landscape is not entirely rosy, with the Music Managers Forum (MMF) reporting that its members saw cost increases of 35% last year.

“Costs for promoters and artists have soared over the past two years owing to inflation, extremely high energy prices, and supply chain costs, some of which were influenced by Brexit,” it says.

“Rising costs squeezed margins for promoters and artists, especially for those shows scheduled in 2020 and 2021 because ticket prices and fees were already set and could not be amended. Even where tickets were on sale for the first time in 2022, promoters and artists were limited in the extent to which they could increase prices.”

It continues: “In many instances, promoters and artists looked to cut costs, but this had a knock-on impact on others within the music ecosystem. For example, in some cases, artists and their managers have had to make tough decisions about the size of their road crews, the number of touring musicians performing with an artists’ live band, and so on.

“It is also the case that some artists have had fewer invitations to perform as promoters reduce the number of acts on the bill or look for cheaper alternatives.”

“The added burden of the cost of living crisis and soaring energy bills has further exacerbated the problem for small venues”

The report also underlines the threat facing grassroots music venues and independent music festivals, with the Music Venue Trust reporting that venue closures of 66 in the last 12 months are at an all-time high.

“Many venues have struggled to recover from the pandemic, but the added burden of the cost of living crisis and soaring energy bills has further exacerbated the problem for small venues,” it adds. “Rising costs are also a problem for festivals, according to the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), with costs up 30%, but ticket prices have only risen by 12-15%. This increases the risk for festival promoters, and one in six independent
festivals did not survive the pandemic.

“A decline in the number of tours at that level and the number of dates per tour has significantly added to these challenges, especially for small venues. Artists are not touring in the way that they used to. Rather than going from town to town, the focus has swung increasingly towards bigger cities where demand is felt to be more reliable.”

UK Music interim CEO Tom Kiehl says the music business requires additional government assistance to continue to compete on a global level.

“The UK music industry and its exports have grown beyond doubt to hit new heights, which is fantastic news in terms of our sector’s contribution to jobs and the economy,” he says. “However, the competition for international markets is intensifying rapidly. The UK’s competitors are increasingly well funded and can often count on far more support from their governments.

“South Korea, Australia and Canada have invested heavily in music and cultural export offices to help grow their overseas markets. The UK has several successful export schemes, such as the Music Export Growth Scheme and the International Showcase Fund.

“However, we need far more support – otherwise we risk the UK being left behind in the global music race and that would be a bitter blow for music industry and a missed opportunity to grow our export market.”

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UK Music CEO Jamie Njoku-Goodwin has announced his departure from the organisation after three years to become the UK prime minister’s new director of strategy.

Njoku-Goodwin joined the trade body in September 2020 as chief executive and helped steer the sector through the Covid-19 pandemic.

In addition to helping secure vital financial support for the sector during the pandemic, he championed the importance of music education, playing a key role in drawing up the new National Plan for Music Education.

Working alongside live music trade umbrella organisatuon LIVE, he helped lead efforts that secured the safe return of live music after its shutdown due to the pandemic, acted as a champion for the power of music to transform people’s health and wellbeing, and boosted UK Music’s work on diversity and inclusion.

More recently, Njoku-Goodwin has coordinated the sector’s response to the challenges posed by the impact of artificial intelligence (AI), stressing the need for effective copyright protection.

“Jamie joined UK Music when the sector was in the midst of a crisis due to impact of Covid,” says UK Music chairman Lord Watson. He swiftly played a key role in securing the vital support the industry needed to help get back on its feet.

“He is a passionate advocate for our sector and has worked tirelessly on behalf of UK Music and our members in our shared determination to grow our industry, create skilled jobs, boost music education and help make the music business an inclusive and welcoming place to work.

“Over his three years, Jamie has been a stellar success and I can fully understand why the prime minister would want him in a very senior Downing Street role. I’m sure he will deploy his considerable skills for the country in the same way he has for the music industry.

“The UK music industry is one of this country’s great national assets, and it’s been a privilege to represent it”

“We wish him the very best in his new role and look forward to seeing him ensure the government supports our world-leading UK music industry just as strongly as he has done.

“On a personal note, I’d like to thank Jamie for his friendship, advice and most importantly his very impressive piano playing. We will all miss him, but know he will make a difference in his new role.”

UK Music chief executive Jamie Njoku-Goodwin says: “The UK music industry is one of this country’s great national assets, and it’s been a privilege to represent it for the past three years.

“Leading UK Music through what was the toughest of times for our sector during the pandemic, when the music industry faced an existential struggle, has been an immense honour. I’m delighted our sector is in much better shape now to take on the challenges and opportunities it faces in the future.

“I would like to thank Tom Watson, the UK Music Board and the fantastic team at UK Music for all their hard work and dedication. And also the countless people across the sector who have been so supportive of me over the past three years. I wish UK Music every success for the future, and hope policymakers continue to give it the support it needs and deserves.”

Before taking up his role at UK Music, Jamie was a government special adviser. He is a trustee of Britten Pears Arts, and sits on the board of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Arts Council England’s National Council. He is also member of council of the Royal College of Music.

UK Music deputy chief executive Tom Kiehl will be interim chief executive.

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US authorities have paused plans for a huge hike in the cost of visas for foreign touring musicians and crew.

Under proposals announced in January, the cost of visas needed for musicians working in the United States would increase by more than 250%.

The current petition fee would rocket from $460 to $1,655 (a 260% increase) for a regularly processed ‘O’ work visa and soar to $1,615 (251%) for a regularly processed ‘P’ visa – putting 50% of all UK tours of the US under threat according to data from trade body LIVE.

However, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the US Department of Homeland Security have now reportedly agreed to delay the implementation of the rise. Consequence of Sound reports the USCIS is now delaying the rate hike until at least March 2024 and is considering lowering the rate increase altogether.

The report has been welcomed by UK Music deputy chief executive Tom Kiehl.

“UK Music is pleased that damaging proposals to severely increase US visa petition fees have been paused,” says Kiehl. “The US is a key market for UK acts and breaking America is as important now to artists’ careers as it was in the days of The Beatles.

“While we appreciate the USCIS decision to delay final rulemaking on this issue until March 2024, NIVA will continue working to stop the proposed fee increases”

“We will continue to work with music industry bodies from both the UK and overseas to ensure touring in the US is affordable for all performers and their crew.”

Stephen Parker, executive director of the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) in the US, says the proposed hike “poses a severe economic and cultural threat to independent live entertainment” in the country.

“It undermines the vital role these performers play on our stages,” adds Parker. “While we appreciate the USCIS decision to delay final rulemaking on this issue until March 2024, NIVA will continue working to stop the proposed fee increases.”

The Music Managers Forum (MMF) and Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) stepped up their #LetTheMusicMove campaign earlier this year in order to oppose changes to US visa applications.

#LetTheMusicMove was originally established in June 2021 to campaign for reductions in post-Brexit costs and red tape for UK artists and musicians when touring in Europe, but extended its focus following the announcement by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

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A new report by UK Music highlights the economic impact of the post-Covid return of touring, as 14.4 million music tourists helped generate £6.6 billion (€7.7bn) in spending.

The trade body’s Here, There and Everywhere study reveals that total attendance at UK music events in 2022 was 37.1m (30.6m concerts/6.5m festivals), with the number of music tourists totalling 13.3m domestic (defined as fans who have travelled more than three times an average commute) and 1.1m foreign.

Music tourism spend covers both direct and indirect spend, including ticket sales, food and beverage sales, merchandise, venue parking, camping fees, accommodation, travel, and additional spending outside of venues while visiting the UK for a live music event, as well as spending indirectly supported by such businesses’ supply chain.

“Music is one of our country’s great assets – not only is it absolutely critical to the economic success of our local areas, but it also generates huge amounts of soft power and helps put our towns and cities on the global map,” says UK Music CEO Jamie Njoku-Goodwin.

“In 2022, music pulled more than 14 million tourists into local areas and supported £6.6 billion of spending in local economies across the UK. This is testament to just how important a thriving musical ecosystem is for our towns and cities.

“But while music generates huge benefits for our local areas, the infrastructure and talent pipeline that it relies on still faces huge challenges. With a venue closing every week, one in six festivals not returning since the pandemic, and many studios facing huge economic pressures, it’s vital that we protect the musical infrastructure that does so much for our towns and cities.”

“Post-pandemic, the role of music in transformative placemaking is more important than ever”

Total employment sustained by music tourism in 2022  –the first full year of post-pandemic festivals, gigs and concerts in the UK – was 56,000.

A key part of the report, meanwhile, focuses on the action that towns and cities across the UK can take to use music to help boost their local economies and support jobs.

A special toolkit contained in the study outlines how local authorities and others can utilise existing funding and spaces to help music thrive across the UK, and includes four recommendations for local councils on how to build their own music communities.

“Post-pandemic, the role of music in transformative placemaking is more important than ever – and this report provides a valuable toolkit for local authorities to help them seize the benefits of being a ‘music city’,” adds Njoku-Goodwin.

“By harnessing the power of music, nations and regions across the UK can generate thousands more jobs, boost economic growth and attract even more visitors to the local area. This report shows how to turn that potential into reality.”

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UK Music is calling on business and trade secretary Kemi Badenoch to help block plans for a huge rise in US visa costs for UK musicians and crew.

The organisation has written to the cabinet minister urging her to persuade her American counterparts to drop the “deeply damaging” hike that it says would see fees rise by at least 251%.

In the letter, signed by organisations from across the British industry, UK Music CEO Jamie Njoku-Goodwin highlights the potential impact of the proposed increase in fees by the US Department of Homeland Security for certain types of touring visa fees for non-US citizens.

Music industry leaders are also urging foreign secretary James Cleverly to join efforts to scrap the hike, which is also being fiercely opposed by the American music industry.

“America is one of the most important global markets for British musicians, and breaking into the States can be critical to a musician or band’s career – but this increase in visa fees risks making a US tour unaffordable for emerging acts,” says Njoku-Goodwin. “These deeply damaging proposals would be catastrophic, both for UK artists and for their American audiences who have a huge appetite for British music. These plans must be scrapped.

“We call on ministers to urgently raise this issue with their US counterparts and work with them to avoid an outcome that would be mutually detrimental”

“The UK and US have enjoyed decades of mutually beneficial musical exchange that have strengthened our special relationship and brought huge social, cultural and economic benefits. We should be making it easier for musicians to tour the States, not harder. We call on ministers to urgently raise this issue with their US counterparts and work with them to avoid an outcome that would be mutually detrimental to both our countries.”

In a survey by UK Music members, Music Managers Forum (MMF) and the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC), 70% of their members said the increased visa charges would mean they were no longer be able to tour the USA. Little Simz cancelled her US tour last year, even before the proposed price hikes were announced, citing the financial unviability for an independent artist.

According to the Musicians Union, 96% of their members surveyed said that increased fees will impact the feasibility of future touring, and 26% noted that they will now make a loss on their tours because of this.

Data from trade body LIVE shows that these proposals will put 50% of all UK tours in the USA under threat. The proposals mean that petition fees for the P visa – used for acts to perform temporarily in the US – will increase by 251% from $460 (£385) to $1,615 (£1352) and the O visa – used for a longer-term working visit – would climb by 260% from $460 (£385) to $1,655 (£1,375).

Also, the time for fast processing of applications is being increased from 15 calendar days to 15 working days, without a decrease in costs, for a service that already costs $2,500 (£2,080).

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UK Music has published the results of its 2022 Workforce Diversity Survey, which reveal an increase in the number of women in the business and a decrease in ethnically diverse communities.

A total of 2,980 people from the music industry’s workforce (not creators) responded to the trade body’s survey, which was conducted in summer 2022.

It found that more than half (52.9%) of individuals working in the UK music industry in 2022 identified as a woman, up from 49.6% in 2020. However, the findings do show that women start to leave the industry in their mid-forties.

In addition, the survey reveals that parents and carers are underrepresented in the music industry (29.7% compared to 44% of UK working population). Of the 68% respondents with no care responsibilities, the majority are female, pointing to a loss of female talent when they become mothers or carers.

There has also been a loss of ethnically diverse communities compared to the 2020 survey results. Just over one-fifth (21.04%) of individuals working in music identify as Black, Asian or from an ethnically diverse background. This is down from 22.3% two years ago.

Just over one-fifth (21.04%) of individuals working in music identify as Black, Asian or from an ethnically diverse background

Meanwhile, just over 14% of the industry reported a disability, up from 12.2% in 2020. According to UK Music, this statistic could indicate that more individuals with a condition are working within the industry or that a greater number of individuals are comfortable disclosing their condition.

For the first time, UK Music has used the survey to collect data relating to women or menstruating persons experiencing the menopause and the impact this could be having on their career.

More than one in ten (11.2%) respondents said they have experienced menopause/perimenopause. Almost half (47.5%) have had their work affected by its symptoms, yet three-quarters of these individuals (76.6%) have not taken time off work to manage their symptoms.

In addition to publishing the 2022 survey results, the UK Music Diversity report also sets out a new music industry action plan, dubbed The Five Ps, to accelerate positive change by boosting diversity and inclusion in music businesses.

“We must not take our foot off the accelerator when it comes to driving positive changes”

The plan focuses on people, policy, partnerships, purchase and progress and outlines suggested policies drawn both from UK Music’s survey findings and the lived experiences of those from diverse communities via a series of round-table events.

The 15 recommendations in the plan include: cultivating a transparent, safe and consciously inclusive culture for all staff; increasing opportunities for underrepresented groups; working towards a five-year EDI strategy and vision; incorporating EDI into every part of an organisation or businesses structures; publishing data on gender, ethnicity and disability pay gaps annually in larger employers; and ensuring there is a strong EDI mindset at the heart of all tendering and procurement processes.

“Our 2022 survey shows how those from Black, Asian and other diverse communities have been hardest hit by the impact of Covid-19,” says UK Music Diversity Taskforce chair Ammo Talwar MBE.

“The drop in the percentage of employees in several sectors of the industry is further evidence of why we must not take our foot off the accelerator when it comes to driving positive changes on diversity and inclusion as swiftly as we can.

“We need to create a consciously inclusive culture right across the music industry and right across the UK. Our hope is that the Five Ps – our Music Industry Action Plan – provides a robust and clear framework that anyone can use to help deliver that change.”

Read the full report here.

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