The Music Exports Group (MEG) is a cross industry/Government Forum that helps develop the export activity of the UK music industry. MEG’s main aims are to build partnerships between the many different Government and industry partners for the benefit of every sector of the UK music industry, and to help co-ordinate a strategic approach across Government on international work.
Chaired by Doug D’Arcy, a music industry management and investment consultant, the group includes representatives from a broad range of sectors, including record labels, trade associations, publishers, promoters, collecting societies, artists, managers and educators, as well as Government partners including DCMS, UK Trade & Investment, the British Council, and Arts Council England. There is no formal membership and people are invited on a meeting to meeting basis depending on the issues being discussed. The MEG also represents the interests of a wide range of genres: from rock, pop and urban music to jazz, roots and classical.
The UK’s Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) also regularly attend meetings and work together with MEG partners on various work strands, seeking to enhance international trade in their regions and to increasing awareness and understanding of overseas markets. If you want to find out what is happening on international work in your region you can contact Matthew Mee at matthew.mee@culture.gsi.gov.uk for contacts at your local RDA.
Visit Britain has also recently been invited to attend MEG to explore common areas of common interest, including their ‘Britain Rocks’ initiative.
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Priority territories
The MEG’s priority territories are the United States, China, India and Japan
United States
The MEG has been looking at how it can offer more support through existing services in this key territory. The UK has experienced a precipitous decline in market share in the US since the 1980s from around one third to about 8%, despite a recent upswing with such successes as Franz Ferdinand, Amy Winehouse, and Corrine Bailey Rae. With the recent success of artists like Lady Sovereign and The Streets there are also signs that our vibrant and diverse ‘urban’ music scene is also beginning to make inroads into the US market.
A US Strategy Group has been established to help more UK music and artists gain greater exposure, air-time and sales in the US. The group comprises industry experts and members of the MEG. Contact the Group at musicexportsgroup@culture.gsi.gov.uk.
The group has been developing a strategy which focuses on identifying appropriate platforms for getting music into the market through both economic and cultural routes, and on facilitating appropriate action. For example:
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Showcasing / Trade fairs
Assisting companies wanting to attend trade fairs, such as South by South West (held in Texas every March) is critical for showcasing UK artists to both industry and consumers. Along with key Industry partners such as AIM, BPI, PPL, MCPS-PRS and British Underground, UKTI coordinate a programme of promotional activities to help market the UK presence at SXSW. This includes US and UK PRs, a website and UK brochure, showcasing and networking events. Contact UKTI’s Music Export team on 020 7215 4319 for further information on the project and help available. Press cuttings of British success at SxSW are available at:
www.sxsw.com.
In collaboration with the PRS Foundation and Arts Council England, UKTI also run the British Music Abroad Scheme to nurture emerging British music talent. Funded by Arts Council England’s Grants for the Arts programme, this scheme offers financial support to emerging UK acts that have been selected for key overseas showcase opportunities. For more information on this scheme and for contact details please visit the
PRS Foundation website.
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Trade Missions
In partnership with UKTI, AIM and the BPI both currently run trade missions to the US market. These provide a programme of educational activity to inform participating British companies about how to do business in the market and industry networking events that allow the participants to present their businesses and products to key US industry representatives. Currently AIM lead a mission to New York, this year coinciding with the CMJ event in October 2007 and the BPI will take a group to Los Angeles in early November 2007 to repeat it’s highly successful Synchronisation Mission (that helps companies place their music into US Film and TV).
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China
Following discussions at the MEG, China has been defined as the second priority territory for exports after the US. Despite the high level of copyright piracy (at 90%) remaining a key concern, the UK music industry is eager to capitalise on the massive export potential.
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India
Another emerging market enjoying a period of accelerated development, India has become the world’s 4th largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity, with a population of over 1 billion. A bilateral agreement was signed in Nov 2004 between the Indian PPL and UK PPL. Under the deal, PPL India will represent UK independent labels in India for broadcast and public performance and PPL UK will be able to collect and distribute license fees to Indian labels through PPL India.
UKTI do not offer a Sector specific trade mission to India however there are numerous cross sectoral visits available through the regional units of UKTI. Please contact your local adviser for details.
Meanwhile, the MEG will soon be holding an Asian Music Sub Group meeting. The meeting will look to assist and support UK Asian music producers/labels etc to generate greater opportunities and income in India and secondly to identify any support that would help UK Asian music producers to export more usefully in other territories in particular in regions with significant Indian Diaspora (e.g. US and Canada). For more details contact Andy Thomas at MEG Secretariat on 0207 211 6448.
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Japan
UKTI has funded a Music Trade Mission to Japan for the last four years and is the most successful music export activity in terms of business outcomes for project investment. Co-ordinated and co-funded by the BPI, the most recent mission took place in August 2007. The event’s growing profile has led to increasing private industry sponsorship being obtained for the project. The next mission is expected to take place in August 2008 and will coincide with key activity in the market such as the Fuji Rock and Summersonic Festivals which are also expected to feature British Music promotions in partnership with UKTI. UKTI and industry are also working closely with the British Embassy in planning stages for UK-Japan 2008.
MEG does not restrict its discussions to these territories and is always interested to hear of musical trends or events across the world, so please get in touch if you want to highlight anything that may be of interest to the group.
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Urban Music Sub Group
MEG tries to represent the broad range of interests across the music industry and recognise that the urban music sector is an important part of the UK scene. We therefore held a meeting in November 2006 to discuss issues of relevance for the urban music sector with regard to exporting and to see how Government and industry can work best together to ensure UK urban music is given the support it needs internationally. If you want to find out more about the Urban Music Sub Group please contact the Chair: Ameena McConnell at info@creativefruits.net.
If you want to find out more about the work of MEG, the minutes of the last three meetings can be found in the 'Related information' section of this page. We very much value the input of all sectors of the industry so if you want to contact the MEG with any questions or ideas please do so at musicexportsgroup@culture.gsi.gov.uk or call Andy Thomas at the Secretariat direct on 0207 211 6448.
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For further information on the help available for companies wanting advice on exporting, you can contact UKTI’s Music Export team on 020 7215 4319. You should also contact the UKTI International Trade Adviser in your region:
English Regions
- Jonathan Webber - UK Trade & Investment, West Midlands
Email: j.webber@birminghamchamber.org.uk
- Anne McInerney - UK Trade & Investment
Email: anne.mclnerney@uktinorthwest.co.uk
- Christine Johnson - UK Trade & Investment, Leicestershire
Email: christine.johnson@uktiem.co.uk
- John Marshall - UK Trade & Investment, Eastern England
Email: john@screeneast.co.uk
- Sanjay Purohit - UK Trade & Investment, Hertfordshire
Email: sanjaypurohit@eeia.com
- Jeff Sanders - UK Trade & Investment, Business Link Tyne & Wear
Email: jeff.sanders@ukti.rito.co.uk
- Norris Myers - UK Trade & Investment, West
Email: norris.myers@uktisouthwest.org
- Jo Kelly - South Yorkshire, International Trade Centre
Email: jkelly@syitc.com
- Nigel Goddard - South Yorkshire, International Trade Centre
Email: nigel.goddard@project-box.co.uk
- Roger Figg - UK Trade & Investment, South East
Email: roger.figg@uktisoutheast.com
- Teri Carnegie - UK Trade & Investment, South East
Email: teri.carnegie@uktisoutheast.com
- Keith Moses - UK Trade & Investment, London International Team
Email: keithmoses@uktilondon.org.uk
- Emma Hill - Music Adviser, UK Trade & Investment, London International Team
Email: emmahill@uktilondon.org.uk
- Karen Holden - UK Trade & Investment Lancashire
Email: Kholden@uktinorthwest.co.uk
Devolved Administrations
