{"id":46117,"date":"2014-08-06T23:15:59","date_gmt":"2014-08-06T23:15:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=59e08887733323bf8ec7889ad8c671c3"},"modified":"2014-08-06T23:15:59","modified_gmt":"2014-08-06T23:15:59","slug":"press-release-uk-music-exports-hit-a-high-note-with-government-support","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=46117","title":{"rendered":"Press release: UK music exports hit a high note with government support"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Fifteen talented British music acts to receive financial support for touring overseas.<\/p>\n

British music companies behind some of the UK\u2019s most hotly-tipped artists are to receive government funding to support the promotion of the nation\u2019s music around the world. <\/p>\n

Award-winning multi-instrumentalist, Imogen Heap, and the support band for AC\/DC\u2019s famous Black Ice World Tour, Belfast\u2019s The Answer, are amongst the artists signed to independent labels who will benefit from funding being made available through the Music Export Growth Scheme<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Music Export Growth Scheme has been established by UK Trade and Investment (UKTI<\/abbr>) and the BPI<\/abbr><\/a> (British Recorded Music Industry) to help small and medium-sized independent music companies increase international sales.<\/p>\n

UKTI<\/abbr> Chief Executive Dominic Jermey said:<\/p>\n

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The British music scene is brimming with talent and around the world UK acts are helping to sell out festivals this summer, from London Grammar at South by South West in the United States to Portishead at Melt! in Germany to Tom Jones back home at the British Summer Time festival.<\/p>\n

Through the Music Export Growth Scheme we are helping a new generation of upcoming British talent to capitalise on this success and make their mark in countries around the world, bringing jobs and growth to the UK economy.<\/p>\n

I am pleased that acts who we have already supported such as Public Service Broadcasting and the Crookes are really benefitting from our support and growing their international fanbase.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The announcement comes as new figures released by the BPI<\/abbr> show that independent companies continue to enjoy great success in the recorded music market. In the first half of this year (2014), independent artists accounted for more than a quarter (27.4%) of all album sales, up 2% year-on-year on the 2013 figure (25.4%). This follows on from a strong year for independent repertoire in 2013 where the share of album sales from indie labels tallied 25.1% – the sector\u2019s highest level in many years – thanks to the popularity of acts such as Arctic Monkeys, Passenger and London Grammar.<\/p>\n

Chris Tams, BPI<\/abbr> Director of Independent Member Services, said:<\/p>\n

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Landmark albums and popular records from the canon of British music continue to form a strong core of UK music sales around the world. And in recent years we have started to witness more artists from the independent community top the charts and perform sell-out shows on the international circuit. The Music Export Growth Scheme has a role to play in this success and we are already seeing an encouraging return on the investment made by the government, as bands embark on tours with iconic bands like The Rolling Stones and the Manic Street Preachers.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s great to see our first 2 Northern Irish acts make the short-list in this round of funding and we are calling on more great talent from across the nations to apply. It\u2019s an invaluable funding opportunity for developed UK acts and one which can help to springboard them from a local name to global fame.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Just over \u00a3250,000 will be provided to independent music companies representing artists who span a cross-section of genres including alternative\/rock, electropop, dance, hip hop and soul music:<\/p>\n