The international breakthroughs of British artists including Olivia Dean, Lola Young and PinkPantheress helped push U.K. recorded music exports past £800 million for the first time in 2025, according to new figures from the British Phonographic Institute (BPI).
British recorded music exports totaled £800.3 million ($1.7 billion) in 2025, marking a new high since the BPI began tracking the data in 2020. The latest figure is up 50% from the £533 million ($713 million) recorded five years ago.
Despite a slowing rate of growth (0.8%) compared with last year, the BPI said the emergence of a new generation of artists suggests the U.K.’s export pipeline is strengthening after several years in which breaking new talent on the global stage has become increasingly challenging.
Among the biggest contributors was Olivia Dean, whose star accelerated during the second half of 2025. Toward the end of the year, Dean earned her first Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit with “Man I Need” (No. 2), while sophomore album The Art of Loving debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200.
Elsewhere, a number of British artists have made their maiden appearances on the Billboard Hot 100 throughout 2026, including Sam Fender (“Rein Me In” featuring Olivia Dean), Lola Young (“Messy”), PinkPantheress (“Stateside”), Myles Smith (“Nice To Meet You”), Sienna Spiro (“Die On This Hill”), and Dave (“Raindance” featuring Tems). Elsewhere, RAYE’s “Where Is My Husband!” peaked at No.11, marking the singer’s biggest U.S hit of her career to date.
The U.S. also remained the biggest overseas destination for U.K. recorded music last year. It accounted for around £328 million ($438 million) of revenue, more than 40% of the annual exports total, according to the BPI.
In June, Luminate reported that U.K. artists increased their share of the U.S. streaming market by 0.8% during the first quarter of 2026, driven by the continued rise of Dean, Young and PinkPantheress alongside the return of established global stars including Harry Styles.
The Luminate report also detailed that 67 British artists each accumulated over 1 billion streams globally during 2025. Coldplay were the most-streamed U.K. act around the world last year, followed by Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, Arctic Monkeys and Calvin Harris. Alongside legendary acts such as The Beatles, Elton John and Oasis, the top 20 most-streamed U.K. artists last year also included Charli xcx and Central Cee, whose debut album Can’t Rush Greatness became the first by a British rap artist to reach the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart in January.
Dr. Jo Twist OBE, BPI chief executive, said in a statement: “What was notable about last year’s record-breaking recorded music export figures was not just the contribution of a new generation of U.K. stars, but also the long journey they often had to undertake to build and connect with audiences. It is harder than ever to break an artist internationally, and it now takes longer for the mainstream to embrace new artists.
“While these figures are impressive, the slowing rate of growth highlights the need for continued international trade and export initiatives like the Music Export Growth Scheme, and for a supportive business environment in the U.K. to enable label businesses to continue to invest in British talent.”
The Music Export Growth Scheme (MEGS), established in 2013, is administered by the BPI with joint funding from the Department for Business and Trade and the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS), as well as from the wider British industry. It provides grants to independent U.K. music labels and management companies; the latest round of funding was announced in March with £1.4 million ($1.8 million) being distributed among 68 artists.
