BPI (British Phonographic Industry)

BPI promotes recorded music in the UK & worldwide and champions the rights and interests of a broad range of members, including over 370 independent labels and the UK’s three major record companies – Sony Music, Universal Music & Warner Music. Its members accounts for around 85 per cent of the recorded music consumed in the UK – the world’s third largest music market – while in 2015 British artists claimed one in every six albums sold around the world. BPI’s Content Protection work and portal helps to protect its members’ recorded music content whilst its Research Department publishes BPI’s annual Music Market yearbook and monthly market reports as a leading source of authoritative industry data. BPI further supports its members with free training courses to ensure they are up-to-date with changing industry trends. To promote British music overseas, BPI works with UKTI and other partners to organise a series of international trade missions, providing members with the opportunity to break into new markets and grow their business. BPI also administers the Music Export Growth Scheme (MEGS), which to date has distributed over £1.6m to independent music companies, helping over 100 artists promote their music in new territories. BPI owns and organises the annual BRIT Awards, with substantial proceeds going to the BRIT Trust, BPI’s charitable arm that has donated over £16m to education-related causes, including the world-famous BRIT School, Nordoff Robbins and War Child, since its foundation in 1989. BPI works with and supports a wide range of community-focused initiatives and organisations, including The BIG Music Project, and Creative Access, which promotes diversity across the industry. The BPI is now also home to The Mercury Prize, while it co-owns the Official Charts with the retailers’ association ERA. BPI administers the iconic Platinum, Gold and Silver Awards Programme, which certifies recordings as they achieve various milestones.