News
Stay informed with the latest from the SMIA, including our own news, developments, and exclusive features, alongside key music industry updates from Scotland and beyond.
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New exhibition at Riverside Museum celebrates Glasgow’s historic record stores
A new exhibition opened today in Glasgow Riverside Museum celebrating the city’s rich record store history. ‘Spinning Around – Glasgow’s Remarkable Record Shops’ is a celebration of the numerous music stores that thrived in the city from the 1980s to the mid-1990s. The exhibition includes 134 objects from more than 60 Scottish bands and artists who were active between…
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Scotland’s Music Convention Wide Days announces official showcase at SXSW
Scotland’s Music Convention Wide Days is set to host an official showcase at the USA’s leading music industry conference South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas next month, supported by Creative Scotland. The line-up will present a cross-section of emerging Scottish talent, encompassing indie rock, jazz, post-punk and acoustic-folk. Constant Follower, Georgia Cecile, Hamish Hawk,…
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Glasgow launches campaign to become the UK’s number one music city
Glasgow Life has joined forces with VisitScotland to help restart the city’s music and night-time industries. A new campaign has been launched to promote Glasgow as the number one destination for music fans to visit in the UK. Glasgow Life has joined forces with VisitScotland to help restart the city’s music and night-time industries as…
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BBC Introducing in Scotland launches search for the best new music and artists
BBC Introducing in Scotland is inviting musical acts from all over the country to enter their music in a bid to become BBC Introducing Scottish Act of the Year. Presenters Phoebe I-H and Shereen Cutkelvin are inviting artists from all over the country to get involved and send in their music whatever the style –…
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MMF REVEALS THE NEXT WAVE OF TALENTED MUSIC MANAGERS TO JOIN THE ACCELERATOR PROGRAMME 2022
The Music Managers Forum is delighted to reveal the 24 hugely talented music managers who will participate in our 2022 Accelerator Programme for Music Managers. Supported by YouTube Music, Arts Council England, Creative Scotland and the Scottish Music Industry Association, Accelerator is a groundbreaking grants and training initiative aimed specifically at the wider management community. The…
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Investigation launched to examine music streaming market
The competition watchdog has launched a wide-ranging investigation into the music streaming market. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) confirmed last October an intention to examine the sector but was yet to determine the full scope of its inquiry. It follows a report by MPs the previous month that raised “deep concerns” about the position of major…
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Sony Music Publishing launches Songwriter Assistance programme
Sony Music Publishing has launched Songwriter Assistance, a new programme which will provide its global roster of songwriters and composers with access to free, confidential counselling services and wellness resources. Starting February 1, Songwriter Assistance will offer 24/7 counselling support via global hotlines, as well as ongoing counselling services for emotional health matters such as stress,…
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The British Music Embassy reveals SXSW 2022 line-up
50 hotly-tipped UK artists to perform, including Baby Queen, Priya Ragu, Self Esteem and Yard Act The British Music Embassy, SXSW’s venue for break-out UK music stars, today announces its line-up of the best new British music. BBC and DIY tipped artists Priya Ragu and Yard Act feature, as well as BBC Music Introducing Artist of the…
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Live events recovery at risk from shortages and delays, new survey finds
PLASA and #WeMakeEvents have published a detailed global survey report on the current position and future recovery of the live events industry. The survey ran from 1 November 2021 to 21 December 2021 and was completed by 1,948 respondents in over 40 countries in five different languages. The data provides strong and clear evidence of…
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Lickd signs with Merlin to open up indie artists’ music to YouTube creators
Merlin has announced a multi-year deal with Lickd, the platform that helps YouTube content creators legally use music on the platform. Merlin is the digital licensing agency for the independent label sector. The partnership injects music from tens of thousands of labels and hundreds of thousands of artists across the globe into the flow of usable content,…
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PRS Foundation’s ‘Power Up’ Programme Open for Applications for Second Year
The Power Up Participant Programme is designed to elevate exciting Black music creators and industry professionals and address barriers for those at crucial career stages. Creating a long-term network across the UK, each year the Participant Programme will support: 20 x Black music creators artists, songwriters, composers and producers who are involved in the creative…
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Restrictions on indoor events and hospitality will be scrapped from Monday (24 January) and vaccine passports will not be extended
Restrictions on indoor events and hospitality which have been in place since Boxing Day will be scrapped from Monday (24 January), Nicola Sturgeon has announced. The Scotsman, Tuesday 18 January Scotland’s First Minister described a “much more positive” situation in Scotland in an update to MSPs on Tuesday, pointing to a reduction in case numbers and…
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Free therapy sessions with Music And You for those working in the live music sector
Music & You have teamed up with beauty cosmetics company Lush, author and entrepreneur Zoe Sugg aka Zoellla and mental health campaign #IAmWhole to create a fund, providing free therapeutic support to those who are working or used to work in the live music sector pre-pandemic. With gigs, festivals and other music events all but…
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UK recorded music market growth continues with 147 billion streams in 2021
Recorded music consumption in the UK increased by 2.5% year-on-year in 2021, with 159.3 million albums or their equivalent either streamed or purchased across all formats. The Album Equivalent Streams (AES) figure covering sales and streams reported by the BPI, based on Official Charts Company data, was up on the 155.4m albums equivalent figure in 2020 (a 53-week…
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Physical music sales grow for the first time in 20 years
New figures from ERA reveal the full extent of the vinyl revival and its impact on the physical music market. For the first time in two decades, the Entertainment Retailers Association has recorded a year-on-year increase in physical sales revenue. It follows the BPI’s market figures based on unit sales, which revealed the continuing rise in vinyl and…
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£21 million to support culture and events
Additional funds for organisations and freelancers A £21 million package to support cultural and events organisations and freelancers experiencing cancellations due to the rapid spread of the new Omicron variant has been announced. This is to help manage the significant impact of the new guidelines around social distancing and the limitations on the number of…