This latest allocation is targeted at small- to medium-sized UK companies, offering them the chance to secure grants of between £5,000 and £50,000. These funds can be used for international touring, marketing and promotion campaigns, as well as other efforts to help musicians reach overseas audiences.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by UK Business and Trade (@biztradegovuk)

In this 23rd round of MEGS funding, the £1.6 million supports 58 UK artists spanning a wide variety of styles and regions. From indie rock and electronic acts to jazz, soul, and genre-blending newcomers, the sweep of recipients reflects the diversity of Britain’s musical talent. Artists who have previously received support include: HotWax, Fat Dog, court.alto, Nubiyan Twist and Wunderhorse.

The impact of the scheme, previously and going forward, is significant. Since MEGS launched in 2014, it has invested over £7.6 million and supported more than 450 artists. Advocates of the fund emphasise its strong return on investment: according to official estimates, MEGS has previously generated returns of nearly £14 to the UK economy for every £1 invested.

Government and industry leaders have underlined why this funding matters, especially in 2025’s challenging economic and cultural climate. The Business and Trade Secretary described the initiative as a key part of efforts to “amplify British creativity” and help home-grown acts “export to all corners of the globe.”, according to GOV.UK. For many independent musicians, especially those without the backing of major labels, touring abroad or launching international promotion would simply be unrealistic without this kind of support.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by BPI (@bpi_music)

More than just a grant, the new funding round represents a vote of confidence in the UK’s creative future. It offers emerging and mid-tier artists a chance to grow beyond local or national stages, and, with MEGS backing, helps maintain the UK’s long-standing global reputation as the powerhouse of musical innovation.

Applications for the fund are now open and can be found here.

Chris Bryant, the Minister for Creative Industries, Arts and Tourism crticised the ticket touting industry. Describing the practice as “indefensible,” the MP for Rhondda and Ogmore said it “preys on fans, contributes nothing to artists or the industry, and undermines trust in the ticketing system.”

“It’s indefensible. It trades off other people’s hopes. And it doesn’t return a single penny to the artists, the performers, the venue, the industry or the sport. We said we would tackle this. And that’s what we’re doing.” @RhonddaBryant

We’ve launched a consultation into ticket… pic.twitter.com/TTYj03uOSO

— Department for Culture, Media and Sport (@DCMS) January 14, 2025

Bryant suggested a licensing system for ticket resellers, alongside simplification and clarification of existing rules, regulations and legislatature to make enforcement more effective. Currently, prosecutions are rare, and international sellers often evade British laws, with one MP claiming that there has been as few as six prosecutions since sentences were introduced.  

Dynamic pricing, which adjusts ticket prices based on demand, was also brought up. Bryant acknowledged that while some instances of dynamic pricing, such as early-bird tickets, can benefit fans, the practice often leads to price surges that cause frustration, and encourages customers to act on impulse. “It seems horribly unfair for someone logged into the system to see the ticket price going up—£120, £125, £130—because that creates a sense of panic,” he said.

The Government’s proposals to take on ticket touts will reduce the need for @Ticketmaster @LiveNation to deploy dynamic ticket pricing…. won’t it? @DCMS @RhonddaBryant pic.twitter.com/AID6FcvYlU — Caroline Dinenage MP (@cj_dinenage) January 14, 2025

Caroline Dinenage, Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, supported the need for reform, arguing that “if the Government act decisively to stop large-scale touting, there will be less need for promoters like Live Nation to use dynamic pricing.”

https://t.co/V9faRqAiH3 — Culture, Media and Sport Committee (@CommonsCMS) January 10, 2025

Several MPs used the debate to stress the importance of greater transparency in ticket pricing. Iqbal Mohamed called for clear breakdowns of ticket prices and fees before purchase, allowing consumers to make informed decisions. It was also revealed that some sites wouldn’t show the original ticket price and adjusted price on the same page.

This has been an area of concern for some time, but was highlighted over the Summer after the Oasis ticket fiasco, though Robbie Williams stepped in to defend the band, placing responsibility for pricing with anybody but the artists. MP for Ealing and East Acton, Rupa Huq, has been trying to address the issue in a private members bill, which she claims has been the subject of “Friday filibustering”. Ticketmaster, the company at the heart of the controversy, recently made a £60,000 donation to the Music Venue Trust.

Who’s the biggest artist you’ve seen before they got big?@efoody welcomes the Government’s commitment to real music fans, and @RhonddaBryant makes it clear why putting the fan experience first is so important. pic.twitter.com/soRgGhvMrt

— Co-operative Party (@CoopParty) January 14, 2025

Beyond ticketing, Bryant emphasised the broader importance of live events to the UK’s musical heritage. He called for a “whole-of-music” approach, including better funding for grassroots venues and creative education. “Wouldn’t it be good if every child had the opportunity to go to live music at least once a year?” he asked.  

Bryant’s suggestion of a “musical education” hints at trying to make the wider public aware of the value of music, and bring about an appreciation of smaller artists and venues too. However, this effort will be in vain if the government doesn’t get their approach to grassroots venues and the incoming ticket levy right. While there is no right way to address the issue, Robert Smith, frontman of The Cure, recently suggested a £25 cap on tickets. While this would do little to help smaller venues, it would eat into the profits of ticket companies, removing the incentive to hike prices and use dynamic pricing.

Lots of talk on the news about gig ticket prices, and setting limits on how much people can resell tickets for. I’d like to see a levy on tickets sold for arena gigs, with the money raised going to @musicvenuetrust to help ensure new acts have places to play, securing the future. — Phil Seymour (@announcerphil) January 10, 2025

While MPs largely agreed on the need for reform, it is the enforcement of any new rules that will give the government the most challenges. Julian Lewis raised concerns about the ease with which touts could bypass regulations through small, undercover sales on sites like eBay, as well as sales that take place in person. This would remove any of the existing legal protections offered by the current system.

While Bryant seems armed to answer any question thrown at him, only time will tell if the governments changed approach wil achieve the desired outcome, and hopefully the consultation will give suggestions on the best course of action for the general public.

The hearing will begin at 10am and stream live on parliamentlive.tv, with Parklife co-founder Sacha Lord and Boomtown Communications and Strategy Director Anna Wade appearing to speak along with CEO of UK Music Jamie Njoku-Goodwin, CEO of the AIF Paul Reed and the General Secretary of the AFO Steve Heap.

According to a press release, they will explore the requirements “for UK-based music festivals to survive the impact of Covid-19 and the health and financial barriers to planning festivals in 2021.” Many other festivals and venues have been attempting to find strategies to manage the virus and still hold events, including Glastonbury and Primavera.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Boomtown Festival (@boomtownfairofficial)

Usually held in South Downs National Park in August, Boomtown posted to their Instagram last week to celebrate the new year, writing, “The dawn of 2021 is a chance to allow real and tangible change to take place; towards a better planet and care for all living things.” This year’s five-day event will run from 11th-15th August. In Parklife’s last Instagram post on 7th December 2020, they explained that they have moved their weekend dates to 11th and 12th September, to allow them time to plan. They assured fans that “a huge lineup is almost ready, that we can’t wait to show you in January. Trust us when we say it’s going to be worth the wait.”

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

A post shared by Parklife (@parklife_festival)

“At present, Spotify is believed to pay between £0.002 and £0.0038 per stream, while Apple Music pays about £0.0059. YouTube pays the least – about £0.00052 (or 0.05 pence) per stream.”. Music is an important part of our lives, and streaming is “such a useful and much-used method of consuming media content in this day and age” and is the easiest way to get widespread music listens and attention. it also tracks how many streams a song gets. However, Nile Rodgers and Fiona Bevan are among the new musicians shedding the harsh light on streaming royalties

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Fiona Bevan (@fionabevan)

Bevan, who is a songwriter for artists, has gone on record to say that “Right now, hit songwriters are driving Ubers. It’s quite shameful.”. Bevan has been credited for writing songs for well-known artists like One Direction, Steps, and Lewis Capaldi revealed just how much she would earn from a song “she had earned just £100 for co-writing a track on Kylie Minogue’s number one album, Disco.”. She added that even the most successful among songwriters are struggling to pay their bills this year.

CHIC frontman Nile Rodgers has also spoken to MP’s on the matter of streaming royalties. Rodgers admitted that before this year he never truly looked into how much he made through royalties because “my tour revenue has been so substantial that I could support my entire organisation”. Rodgers links the issues to the none-discloser agreements that are set between record labels and the songwriter.  

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Nile Rodgers (@nilerodgers)

Rodgers wants transparency on the matter saying that “record labels retain up to 82% of the royalties generated from music played on services like Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music” and has branded the system as just ridiculous. Rodgers also accused the record labels of deliberately withholding money from songwriters “I look at the record labels as my partners. And the interesting thing is that every single time I’ve audited my partners, I find money.”

“We don’t even know what a stream is worth… and there’s no way you can find out”

Chic’s Nile Rodgers gives evidence to MPs’ music streaming inquiry https://t.co/fiaZzkpggH pic.twitter.com/mAZKTLPsQB

— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) December 8, 2020

As it stands, each stream of a song is counted as a sale of that song which then gives the record label the largest share of that ‘sale’. However, Rodgers believes that each stream is more akin to a radio broadcast, “or a licence of the recording, which would give artists 50% of the royalties” and that labels won’t want to change this as it maximises their profits. “Artists and songwriters need to update clauses in their contracts to reflect the true nature of how their songs are being consumed – which is via a licence. It is something that people are borrowing from [the streaming services]”. You can read our reporting on the first hear from artists to the DCMS here!