Music Education - CMU | the music business explained

Revamped UK government needs to do more than “tinkering around the edges” to deliver on promises regarding arts and music education

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Music Education • 2 min read

Revamped UK government needs to do more than “tinkering around the edges” to deliver on promises regarding arts and music education

With a new education secretary being appointed by newly installed UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, the Musicians’ Union, Equity and others have said it’s time for ministers to “fully restore the status of arts subjects” like music within English schools rather than just “tinkering around the edges”…

Chris Cooke • 24 Jul 2026

Music Producers Guild launches new guide on producer deals

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Music Producers Guild • 2 min read

Music Producers Guild launches new guide on producer deals

The Music Producers Guild launched a new Producer Deals Guide during The Great Escape in Brighton earlier today. Produced with CMU and the MMF, it explains how the deals agreed between studio producers and artists and labels work, and how they have changed as artists release music in different ways…

Chris Cooke • 15 May 2026

Axing of controversial EBacc is a “step in the right direction” for music education says Ed Sheeran

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Music Education • 3 min read

Axing of controversial EBacc is a “step in the right direction” for music education says Ed Sheeran

The UK government has axed the controversial EBacc, which deprioritised creative subjects like music in English schools. In a letter to Ed Sheeran, Prime Minister Keir Starmer says changes now being made to the English schools curriculum will ensure “creativity isn’t a privilege, but a right”…

Chris Cooke • 05 Nov 2025

Programme and first speakers announced for Music Industry + Music Education Conference

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Music Education • 1 min read

Programme and first speakers announced for Music Industry + Music Education Conference

The Music Industry + Music Education Conference from the Pathways Into Music Foundation returns to Manchester next month. The event’s programme has been announced, as well as initial speakers including Music Mark’s Bridget Whyte, AIM’s Nina Radojewski and creative strategist Kate McBain…

CMU • 29 Oct 2025

Music Industry + Music Education Conference to return to Manchester

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Music Education • 1 min read

Music Industry + Music Education Conference to return to Manchester

CMU’s Pathways Into Music Foundation presents an annual conference bringing together music industry and music education. This year’s edition will put the spotlight on music career resources; accreditation in music education and the industry; and how music companies can best support future talent…

CMU • 04 Sep 2025

Ed Sheeran wants £250 million from Keir Starmer to pay for better music education

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Ed Sheeran • 3 min read

Ed Sheeran wants £250 million from Keir Starmer to pay for better music education

Having set up his own foundation to support education initiatives, Ed Sheeran is now calling on Keir Starmer to commit to a £250 million package to support music education in schools and beyond. That is required, he says, to “repair decades” of governments “dismantling” support for young musicians…

Chris Cooke • 24 Mar 2025

Ed Sheeran launches foundation supporting music education

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Ed Sheeran • 1 min read

Ed Sheeran launches foundation supporting music education

Ed Sheeran last week visited talent development projects in Cardiff, Coventry, Edinburgh and Belfast to formally launch a new foundation that will support music education. The foundation aims to ensure more young people have access to instruments, performance opportunities and industry pathways…

Chris Cooke • 13 Jan 2025

Youth Music calls on industry and education to collaborate to “close the gap from learning to earning”

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Youth Music • 2 min read

Youth Music calls on industry and education to collaborate to “close the gap from learning to earning”

A new report from Youth Music makes four recommendations for how the music industry can collaborate with music education to better support its future workforce. It calls for more joined-up thinking, career skills in the curriculum, funding for non-formal pathways and safer working cultures…

Chris Cooke • 03 Dec 2024

Liberal Democrats pass “Fair Deal For Musicians” conference motion

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Liberal Democrats • 3 min read

Liberal Democrats pass “Fair Deal For Musicians” conference motion

The UK’s Liberal Democrats have passed a motion at their annual conference calling for greater support for the music sector, including ticketing reform, music education funding, planning policy around venues - and says the government must introduce a ticket levy to support grassroots live sector…

Sam Taylor • 20 Sep 2024

Pathways Into Music and Un-Convention bring together music educators and music industry for new conference this autumn

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Music Education • 1 min read

Pathways Into Music and Un-Convention bring together music educators and music industry for new conference this autumn

CMU’s Pathways Into Music Foundation runs various programmes connecting music industry and music education. This November it is teaming up with Un-Convention to present a Music Industry + Music Education Conference in Manchester, bringing together everyone involved in supporting new music talent…

CMU • 11 Sep 2024

Government should invest in long-term strategy to support young music creators, says Youth Music

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Youth Music • 2 min read

Government should invest in long-term strategy to support young music creators, says Youth Music

Youth Music has published the results of a new survey that concludes that “young people’s relationship with music is changing”. The charity calls on government to invest in a new strategy to support young music creators and on the industry to remove barriers for those pursuing a music career…

Chris Cooke • 10 Jul 2024

Music organisations back demand for politicians to end the Arts Apocalypse in UK schools

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Music Education • 2 min read

Music organisations back demand for politicians to end the Arts Apocalypse in UK schools

The Musicians’ Union, Black Lives In Music and Music For Youth are among fourteen organisations calling on UK politicians to address the crisis facing arts education in schools. They say that a downgrading of arts subjects and funding cuts across the board have created an ‘Arts Apocalypse’…

Chris Cooke • 13 May 2024