The music industry and business support organisation Business Link London are to forge a strategic alliance aimed at advancing the growth of London’s music sector.
Following a successful collaboration last year between the music industry and Business Link, providing advice to small music businesses on accessing finance, the intention is to extend the partnership to cover a wide range of business services essential to the development of a vibrant and professional music industry in the nation’s capital.
Discussions are underway between AIM, BACS, BMR, BPI, and MPA – who together represent the majority of London-based record labels, music publishers, and individual songwriters and composers – and Business Link London on an ambitious on-going programme to benefit the capital’s music entrepreneurs, from solo music writers/performers through to the larger publishing companies, record labels and all types of music businesses.
The programme of specialist business support for the music sector aims to help music enterprises achieve their growth potential. This programme would bring in business experts to meet with music companies and music entrepreneurs to advise on business strategies relating to market growth - such as marketing, advertising, digital sales, and cross-sector business collaborations.
It is intended that larger seminars would be complemented with small, intensive advice sessions on core business functions such as financial management, business planning, negotiation and presentation skills, and corporate governance. All of the sessions would be designed specifically for music related businesses.
Garry Kemp of Business Link London said, “The creative industries are the crown jewel in London’s economy. The capital is a magnet to the hundreds and thousands of music-loving entrepreneurs whose energy and vision are the driving force behind music related businesses. When they succeed, everybody else in London shares in that success. It’s in our interest to help them achieve their potential.”
Chris Green, chief executive of the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters, said, “We see the creative abundance in our membership. There is no shortage of talent, but we need to support that creative talent by building strong businesses underneath it. A good business can be the best springboard for developing talent.”
Remi Harris, general manager of the Association of Independent Music said, “This is an exciting opportunity for London music businesses. We have achieved a perfect alignment of interests, with Business Link working in harmony with the music industry to offer both an incredibly valuable mix of both generic and music specific business services for music entrepreneurs.”
Jon Webster said “This relationship gives us the opportunity to create a new generation of music enterprises with the sharpest business acumen to underpin the greatest of talent. It shows vision and ambition. With this kind of dynamism, London can become the creative capital of the world, eclipsing even New York.”
Stephen Navin, chief executive of the Music Publishers Association, said, “As the Government prepares the final touches to their green paper on the creative industries, we hope they will find inspiration in this fruitful initiative in London. Our members in other regions could certainly benefit from the type of support that our London members will soon enjoy. We hope policy makers will sit up and take notice.”
The recent talks come as a result of two successful events piloted last year in a collaboration between Business Link London and music trade bodies. Both events were sold out, clearly showing an appetite for such targeted business support aimed at growing the sector. Research from the Department for Culture, Media & Sport published in 2006 identified the lack of business and management capacity as a serious hindrance holding back growth in many music enterprises.
Costed proposals are currently being drawn up as internal discussions continue.
For further information please contact:
Garry Kemp
Specialist Account Manager – Creative Industries
Business Link for London
0207 010 1322
Stephen Navin
Chief Executive
Music Publishers Association
0207 637 4025
Chris Green
Chief Executive
British Academy of Composers and Songwriters
0207 636 2929
Remi Harris
General Manager
Association of Independent Music
020 8994 5599
Matt Phillips
Head of Communications
BPI
0207 803 1395
Cathy Koester
Senior Political Adviser
British Music Rights
020 7306 4442
Notes to editors:
1. Business Link London is an LDA funded business support organisation and is part of the Serco Group of Companies. Also see www.bllondon.co.uk
2. British Music Rights is the consensus voice of Britain’s composers and songwriters, music publishers and their collecting societies. The members of British Music Rights are the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters, the Music Publishers Association (MPA), the Mechanical-Copyright Protection Society (MCPS) and the Performing Rights Society (PRS). Also see www.bmr.org
3. The Association of Independent Music is a non-profit-making trade organisation for independent record companies and distributors in the UK. Also see www.musicindie.com
4. The BPI is the British record industry's trade association. Also see www.bpi.co.uk