UK recorded music exports topped £800 million for the first time last year, according to new stats from record label trade body BPI. However, the growth of those exports has been slowing in recent years amid increased competition from established markets like the US and growing markets like South Korea, with the BPI stressing the importance of continued government support for British music exports.
According to BPI number crunching, recorded music exports rose 0.8% in 2025 to £800.3 million. That’s a 50% increase on 2020, when the BPI first started tracking the value of music exports and documented an export figure of £533 million. However, growth rates are declining. By comparison, exports rose 1.9% in 2024 and 7.6% in 2023.
In a statement, BPI says that, “unprecedented competition from long-established players such as the US and Canada, as well as from the likes of South Korea and territories across Asia and Latin America, has made it increasingly more difficult for British music artists to compete around the world”.
BPI boss Jo Twist adds that, while exceeding £800 million in exports is “impressive”, the “slowing rate of growth highlights the need for continued international trade and export initiatives like the Music Export Growth Scheme, and for a supportive business environment in the UK to enable label businesses to continue to invest in British talent”.
That said, the BPI does include some optimism in its stats update. It says that, despite an increasingly competitive and challenging export market, “2025 shows signs of a sustained fightback, with fresh UK names including Olivia Dean, Lola Young, YUNGBLUD, PinkPantheress and Sleep Token achieving success in a number of leading music markets around the world”.
And those particular successes continue and are potentially having a bigger impact this year, which means “the full contribution of several new and rising artists will only be realised in 2026’s figures”.
The UK government did include export as one of its ten areas of focus in the recently published ‘Turn It Up’ plan for music, committing to expand on its funding for music export initiatives.
It said that the Music Growth Package that is now going into effect “marks a significant increase in government export support, to help independent artists, songwriters and their supporting businesses break into global markets”.
It then added that, “by extending successful existing programmes such as the Music Export Growth Scheme and scaling up the International Showcase Fund, this package will support established acts to tour and stream to new markets, while introducing new vital funding for grassroots international activity”.