The Impact of the BBC - Music
At the heart of the UK music sector
The BBC’s commitment to music has been at the core of our identity for over 100 years.
Across TV, Radio and Online, we bring audiences the very best musical talent, stories, and experiences, each and every day. From live events and performances, major series and documentaries, to our dedicated music stations and offer on Sounds, we provide a wide and wonderful range of musical enjoyment to suit everyone’s taste, including beloved music often not played elsewhere.
And we have a broader responsibility, serving as an essential partner to the UK music sector. The BBC plays an unrivalled role in helping musicians and artists get their first break, providing expert support and offering exposure through national broadcast channels and events. We champion new talent for the whole of the sector, with schemes and entry points into everything from pop to classical, to specialisms such as folk and jazz.
At the heart of the UK music sector
31 million
The UK’s no.1 radio brand - each week, 31m people tune in for live output across our network, including six music-dedicated national stations; three newly launched DAB+ music stations; and music across our Nations and Local stations
2.5 billion
BBC Sounds is seeing record growth – over 2.5 billion plays in 24/25 – with live and on-demand music contributing around 35% of all plays
No. 1
We are the biggest commissioner of new music in the UK, hundreds of composers create music for us each year; we are one of the biggest employers of musicians in the UK; and we work with nearly 100 partners across the sector
150k+
We broadcast over 150k hours of commercial music across our Radio services each year, and synced over 22k hours into original TV content, generating vital royalties and income for music creators
Bringing the nation together for unforgettable experiences
- We host live events across the UK from Radio 1’s Big Weekend, Radio 2 in the Park, 6 Music Festival, to Asian Network Certified and BBC Proms, the world’s greatest classical music festival; plus performances from the BBC’s Orchestras and Choirs across nations and regions
- We cover the Mercury and MOBO Awards, Leeds and Reading, TRNSMT, Celtic Connections, Leeds Piano Competition, and more, while iconic shows such as Later... With Jools Holland bring live performances to millions as part of a range of music programming across TV and iPlayer
- Glastonbury coverage alone reaches millions across BBC TV, Radio and Online; and the Proms reached nearly 12m on TV and over 6m streams on iPlayer and Sounds in 2025
- Radio 2 is the UK’s most popular radio station and Radio 1 the biggest station for under 35s
Discovering and championing new artists from across the UK
- Radio 1’s Biggest Songs of 2025 list included nearly 50% UK artists; nearly 50% of music played on Radio 2 and 6 Music is from UK artists, nearly 25% from new artists; 85% of artists on 6 Music were signed to indie record labels
- We champion new talent for the whole of the sector, from Young Musician to BBC Introducing, and Young Composer to Radio 3’s New Generation Artists - we’ve helped to launch the careers of everyone from Nicola Benedetti and Sheku Kanneh-Mason to Ed Sheeran, Olivia Dean, Sam Fender, Raye, Myles Smith and many more
- 1,400 tracks are played across 30 BBC Introducing shows on our airwaves each week; over 1m original tracks are uploaded to the BBC Introducing uploader, and there are 300k artists registered
- BBC Proms featured over 80 artists making their debut performance in 2025
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