The UK music industry is showing a mix of resilience and reinvention. In its latest This Is Music report, UK Music highlights how flexible deals, evolving artist strategies, and an emphasis on fan engagement are helping drive growth even as economic and technological pressures reshape the landscape.¹ What this really shows is an industry that’s both thriving and confronting very real challenges.
The Economic Backbone: Record Figures With a Slower Climb
The headline from the UK Music report is clear: the industry contributed a record £8 billion to the UK economy in 2024 up 5% from the previous year and exports reached £4.8 billion. Employment also hit a record 220,000 full‑time equivalent roles.¹
That’s impressive, but growth has slowed compared with the double‑digit increases seen post‑pandemic.¹ Analysts note this slowdown reflects broader trends in the global music market: while exports and engagement remain strong, competition for attention and revenue is steeper than ever.⁴,⁹
Tom Kiehl, Chief Executive of UK Music, described the figures as a sign of strength but also a reminder that the sector needs support to sustain its leadership.¹
Flexible Deals: Redrawing the Contract Playbook
Gone are the days when artists signed long‑term album deals out of the gate. Labels increasingly offer flexible arrangements tailored to singles, EPs, or incremental releases. This model helps emerging talent build audiences without the pressure of committing to a full album before they’re ready.¹
Central Cee’s journey illustrates this shift. The British artist released a series of singles, EPs and mixtapes before his debut album topped charts in multiple markets in 2025.¹ He initially released under his own label, then partnered with ADA (Warner), and later signed with Columbia Records (Sony) in 2023 a path that combined independence with structured support.¹
This approach gives artists more control over their trajectory, allowing them to adapt to audience feedback without being locked into long contracts.
Building Fanbases in a Fragmented Market
Growing and engaging fans today looks different from a decade ago. Social platforms, streaming playlists, and direct‑to‑fan tools allow artists to cultivate followings without traditional gatekeepers. Record deals now often reflect an artist’s existing audience strength rather than promise alone.
Artists like Olivia Dean and Sleep Token are examples of strategic audience building. Dean self‑released music from 2018 before signing with EMI (Universal) and saw major chart success with her albums Messy and The Art of Loving in 2023 and 2025 respectively.¹ Sleep Token built grassroots momentum before signing with BasicK, then Universal’s Spinefarm, and finally RCA (Sony), with their third album topping charts in multiple territories.¹
These success stories underscore a broader trend: flexibility in how music is released and marketed is becoming as important as the music itself.
The Role of Music Managers: Guides, Strategists, Gatekeepers
Music managers are often overlooked, but their influence is central to this new model. They help artists navigate release strategies, partnerships, team building, and long‑term branding. The Music Managers Forum estimates that every £1 invested in music management returns £8 to the industry, demonstrating the economic value of these roles.¹
Good management can be the difference between early promise and sustained success especially in a market where streaming revenue alone seldom pays the bills.
Challenges Ahead: AI, Growth Cycles, and Grassroots Support
The report also highlights some sticking points:
AI and rights protection. Over 90% of creators surveyed believe protections should be in place to guard against unlicensed use of their work.³
Longer development cycles. Artists are taking more time to break through, a trend reflected in the slowing global competition for attention and the crowded marketplace.³
Grassroots infrastructure. Venue closures and rising costs continue to squeeze the foundation of local music scenes, making it harder for new talent to perform and grow.³
Each of these areas points to a broader truth: innovation is not just about new models for releasing music it’s about creating a sustainable ecosystem for creators and audiences alike.
What This Means for the Future
The UK’s music industry is doing more than adapt it’s experimenting with models that could shape the global market. Flexible deals and growing fanbases are more than trends; they’re practical responses to changes in how people discover and support music.
But growth isn’t guaranteed. Without policy support, clearer rights frameworks, and continued investment in local infrastructure, the sector could lose ground to rising global competitors from Latin America to Asia where music markets are expanding rapidly.⁹
To stay competitive and culturally vibrant, stakeholders from government to labels, from managers to artists will need to rethink old assumptions and embrace change without losing sight of the art itself.