Adele And Muse Have Helped British Music To Crush In The Last Decade

Despite Adele taking a bit of a break from performing due to her pregnancy and the subsequent birth of her child, she’s still had a large effect on British music and the British musical economy in general. A recent report from PRS for Music has shown that music royalties revenue in the U.K. has more than doubled since 2002. We’re not saying it’s all Adele, but the singer definitely didn’t hurt the musical economy.

In the past decade, British music from Adele to the band Muse has seen increased presence on the radio. Additionally, royalties are given out anytime music is played on television, in live venues, or even on the Internet. According to BBC News British music has become far more popular for two reasons. The first is Adele. Just kidding. The first is music from the UK finding a more widespread audience, and the second involves “improved licensing” measures.

All in all, in 2002 music royalties accounted for £88 million and by this year the royalties have edged up to £187.7 million. With all of that additional money, you would think there would be additional outlets for success, and you would be right. Television has helped, with more artists finding their songs implemented in shows and commercials, sold out concert venues have helped, and collaborations have helped even more. For instance, BBC news also noted how popular American artists like Nicki Minaj and Rihanna have begun using more British musical producers, and in those cases, the royalties are split.

Overall, the U.S., Sweden and the UK are still the only main exporters of music across the globe, but this year, British music is looking especially cushy.