British Recorded Music Exports Reach New £800 million High in 2025

The British Phonographic Institute reported that UK recorded‑music exports rose to £800.3 million ($1.7 billion) in 2025, a 50 % increase over the £533 million recorded five years earlier. The growth, though slowing to 0.8 % year‑on‑year, reflects a strengthening export pipeline driven by emerging artists such as Olivia Dean, Lola Young and Pink Pantheress. Dean’s breakthrough hit “Man I Need” entered the Billboard Hot 100 top‑10 and her album debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200, while other British acts made maiden appearances on the US charts.

The United States remained the largest overseas market, accounting for roughly £328 million (about 40 % of total exports). A Luminate report showed a 0.8 % rise in UK artists’ share of US streaming in early 2026, citing the continued rise of Dean, Young and Pink Pantheress alongside established stars like Harry Styles. Sixty‑seven British artists each logged over one billion global streams in 2025, with Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, Arctic Monkeys and Calvin Harris topping the list.

The BPI highlighted the new generation of talent as a key factor in sustaining the export surge after several years of challenging global breakthroughs.