Independently released music claimed 29.2% of U.K. recorded music consumption in 2023, up from 28.6% in 2022 and nearly a third higher than in 2017, according to figures from the BPI.

Last year was the sixth consecutive year of growth, when using the Album Equivalent Sales metric (AES), for the British indie sector. Figures come from the BPI’s recently published yearbook, All About The Music 2024.

According to BPI analysis based on Official Charts data, more than 60 albums released by independent labels made the weekly Top 10 of the Official Albums Chart in 2023. These included seven chart-topping releases by rapper Ren, rock bands Enter Shikari and The Reytons (pictured) and Kylie Minogue.

Other Top 10 albums came from rapper Casisdead, singer-songwriter PJ Harvey, pop star Claire Richards and punk rock veterans The Damned.

Independent successes on the Official Singles Chart last year included a #1 hit for record-breaking BRITs winner RAYE and Top 10 entries for Central Cee and Bugzy Malone & Teedee.

There was an even greater presence for the independent sector in the physical music market, which counted for 35% of all album sales in 2023. Nearly four in every 10 (39.1%) vinyl LP bought was an independent product, with more than 200 indie titles selling at least 1.5k copies last year. Independent releases made up nearly one-third (32.8%) of CDs sold in 2023.

Other insights from the yearbook include vinyl sales rising in 2023 for a 16th consecutive year. That's partly attributed to the rising popularity of pop releases: The genre’s share of vinyl sales lifted to 23.7% from 19.6% in 2022, headed by releases from Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo and Lewis Capaldi.

Hip-hop grew its share of the vinyl market to 5.3% in 2023, led by a re-issue of De La Soul’s 1989 debut, 3 Feet High and Rising (Chrysalis), although rock remained comfortably the biggest genre with a 55.5% share. That’s reflected by the 10 biggest-selling vinyl artists of 2023, Arctic Monkeys, The Beatles and Pink Floyd.

James and Mark Knopfler are battling it out for this week’s U.K. Official Albums #1. Over on singles, Hozier is set for a second week at the top.

James’ 18th album Yummy (Nothing But Love Music) leads the charge at today’s halfway point. Should it hold onto its position for Friday, it will be the Manchester band’s second #1.

One Deep River (EMI) from the former Dire Straits leader Knopfler is just 3k sales behind at #2.

British rock band Kris Barras Band could have their first Top 10 with Halo Effect (Earache) a new entry at #4. Linkin Park’s Papercuts (Singles Collection 2000-2023) (Warner Records) could become their ninth U.K. Top 10, starting at #5 today.

English Teacher’s This Could Be Texas (Island) is new at #6; Scottish band Gun are #7 with Hombres (Cooking Vinyl); and Maggie Rogers’ Don’t Forget Me (Capitol) is #8.

Lifeblood (Sony) by Manic Street Preachers is in the Top 10 for the first time at #9 thanks to a 20th anniversary reissue. WE STILL DON’T TRUST YOU (Boominati/Freebandz/Republic/Epic) by Future & Metro Boomin is #10.

On the U.K.’s Official Singles midweeks, “Too Sweet” (Island) by Hozier is heading for a second week at #1.

“Supersonic” (Big Brother) by Oasis, who are celebrating 10 years since the release of their debut single, might enter the Top 10 for the first time at #6. The track peaked at #31 in 1994.

Little Mix member Perrie could claim this week’s highest new entry at #7 with her debut solo release, “Forget About Us” (Columbia), which was co-written with Ed Sheeran. Dua Lipa’s “Illusion” (Warner Records) could be the third consecutive Top 10 single from her upcoming set, Radical Optimism. It’s on track to debut at #8.

Two charts, two new #1s. The Libertines have their first U.K. Official Albums #1 in 20 years and Hozier has his first top-charting single.

All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade (EMI) is The Libertines’ second U.K. chart-topper. The first was their self-titled second set, which hit #1 in 2004.

Beyoncé’s COWBOY CARTER (Columbia/Parkwood) slips down one to #2 today.

Earlestown band The K’s are new at #3 with their debut, I Wonder if the World Knows? (LAB). Conan Gray has a career-best with his third set, Found Heaven (Island), at #4.

10. Cole’s Might Delete Later (Interscope), charting at #7, is his fourth Top 10. Feeder’s Black / Red (Big Teeth Music) rounds off this week’s new Top 10 entries at #8.

On the U.K.’s Official Singles Chart, “Too Sweet” (Island) is Hozier’s first #1. The track rose three places this week to top the chart on 61k sales and 6.7m streams. It’s Hozier’s second Top 10 single following “Take Me to Church,” which peaked at #2 in 2014.

DJ Artemas has jumped into the Top 5 for the first time with “i like the way you kiss me” (Parlophone) rising one to #5 today.

Dasha’s “Austin” (Warner Records) is up seven to #8, entering the Top 10 after a seven-week climb.

“Belong Together” (Hundred Days Records) by TikTok sensation Mark Ambor moves up eight to #14. Irish DJ duo NewEra also have their first Top 20 with “Birds in the Sky” (Warner Records) up two to #18.

British CMO PPL set a revenue record in in 2023, pulling in £283.5m, the highest total in the org’s 90-year history.

The growth of 4% over 2022 was driven by a rise in income from the use of recorded music in public places , which is up 11% to more than £111m in 2023, surpassing the pre-pandemic high.

PPL’s revenues from the licensing of recorded music for radio, TV and online increased 2.5% to £96.4m in 2023, partly driven by the negotiation of several new licenses for TV services.

International revenue, collected by PPL for the use of members’ music around the world, reached £75.4m last year, which is down 3% on 2022. Growth in collections from the majority of CMOs in 2023 was offset by the impact of declining revenues from monies for past periods, combined with the residual effect of several years of disrupted collections due to the repercussions of COVID-19.

“While much has changed in the 90 years since PPL was formed, the power of music to drive commercial value for businesses in the U.K. and beyond remains ever constant,” said PPL CEO Peter Leathem. “Research repeatedly shows that music increases both consumer dwell time and propensity to buy, and also drives greater productivity and attention to detail in the workplace. More and more businesses are investing in the power of music and its benefits.

“In these somewhat precarious times for performers, we are proud to deliver a consistent stream of income for them and recording rights holders.”

The results follow on from PPL’s 2023 distribution numbers, which hit £276.6m in 2023, up 14.3% year-on-year.

Association of Independent Music COO Gee Davy is taking over the org as Interim CEO following the resignation of CEO Silvia Montello, who is stepping down for personal reasons.

Davy, who joined the org in 2017, has also been appointed to the new position of Chief Policy Officer and will continue to lead the organization’s work in championing the independent music community in key policy discussions.

“It’s unfortunate that we are losing Silvia so soon into her tenure, but on behalf of the board I wish her well in her next endeavors,” said AIM Chair and Beggars’ Director of Live Licensing Ruth Barlow.

“I’m very pleased that Gee Davy has agreed to step up into a newly expanded role. The board and I are working closely with Gee and the AIM team as we continue to support and promote the independent music sector, delivering and creating value for our community via our membership events and activities schedule, industry affairs work and beyond.”

Montello took over from Paul Pacifico, who left the helm of AIM at the end of 2022, and has led AIM in advocating for its members in ongoing discussions over streaming reform and successfully reformatted the AIM Independent Music Awards.

Apple’s Global Senior Director of Music Publishing Elena Segal will receive an Ivors Academy Honor in recognition of her contributions to the U.K. music industry.

The Honor celebrates individuals that champion songwriters and composers while creating positive change within the music industry.

Calling Segal “one of the most accomplished and respected music executives in the U.K.,” Ivors Academy Chair Tom Gray said, “throughout her career, Elena has consistently championed the value of songwriters and music publishing. Notably, she has been at the forefront of global music licensing as technology transformed the industry.”

Segal will receive the award at The Ivors ceremony in London on 5/23.

In her current role as Apple’s Global Senior Director of Music Publishing, Segal is responsible for all aspects of Apple’s relationships, whether commercial, strategic, operational or creative, with songwriters, music publishers and other licensors of rights in compositions.

In 2006, she joined iTunes and was directly involved in the store’s expansion across the world. More recently, Segal oversaw the licensing of all music publishing rights ex-U.S. for the launch of Apple Music in more than 100 countries. She also played a key role in the Apple Music Festival that ran for a decade in London.

Segal began her career in music in 2001 as an associate at Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP.

The U.K. Government has been urged to introduce measures to improve streaming royalty rates and better remunerate creators for private copying. The Culture, Media and Sport Committee spells it out in a new report from.

Creator Remuneration makes a host of recommendations to achieve “fair remuneration” and improve working conditions across the creative industries.

CMS proposes that the U.K. introduce a payment scheme for private copying (where individuals use digital devices to download, store, copy and share content for private use). The lack of it, and existence of such provisions in other countries, means that payments from abroad are under threat due to a lack of reciprocity, argues the report.

The CMS is also asking for a “package of reforms” relating to royalties from music streaming following on from its Economics of Streaming report that demanded a ‘total reset” of the market. Measures to address the “pitiful returns from streaming” that songwriters and publishing rightsholders, in particular, continue to receive are part of this.

Other recommendations span the protection of creators’ rights when works are being used by AI systems and the appointment of a dedicated person to advocate in the interests of freelance workers.

Umbrella creator body The Council of Music Makers welcomed the report, while criticizing the Government for lack of action three years after the publication of the Economics of Streaming report. “None of the issues around music-maker remuneration have been discussed, let alone addressed,” they say.

“This report provides a good summary of the issues and some of the proposed solutions, with MPs stating that they ‘expect to see tangible steps to improve musicians’ remuneration and performer rights in the next 12 months.’ For this to happen we need stakeholders from across the music industry to stop denying reality and to, instead, come to the table with solutions, whether that’s the copyright reforms proposed by MPs or a negotiated agreement.”

Label trade body the BPI is naturally less enthusiastic. Org CEO Dr Jo Twist welcomed the concerns around generative AI but said the report “fails to recognize that, with the support of their labels, more U.K. artists are succeeding in the streaming economy than ever before and that the real challenge facing all of us is how we can enable continued growth so even more creators stand to benefit.”

London-based label and publisher Bella Figura Music, led by Alexi Cory-Smith, has closed a significant equity funding round to expand its portfolio of music catalogs.

Private equity firm Freshstream (a previous investor of BFM) led the round, with co-investment secured from Canadian pension fund OPTrust, a strategic family office and a Dutch private equity investor.

Cory-Smith, who founded BFM in 2022 alongside Neelesh Prabhu following a successful tenure leading BMG U.K., said: “We have achieved a lot in just over two years but there is so much more we have planned. We aim to continue building and enhancing our catalog of beautiful music while generating significant value for creators and rights owners.

“Bella Figura is built for the digital music age, unburdened by legacy systems with a strategy that truly reflects how we all access and consume music in today’s world.”

In the last six months, BFM has acquired the music catalogs of Jeff Silverman (Aloe Blacc, Adele, Lee Fields, Truth & Soul) and Adrian Wright (The Human League).

They build upon the company’s existing collection, which include David Gray’s record label IHT, R3HAB’s pre-2022 recordings catalog, and Guy Chambers’ publish catalogue, which includes Robbie Williams hits such as “Angels,” “Feel” and “Let Me Entertain You.”