The UK commercial music industry is to be represented by a new organisation in a bid to establish a unified music business position against illegal file sharing.
UK Music, which will be headed by chief executive Feargal Sharkey and chairman Andy Heath, has launched a strategic programme to champion the industry's creative and commercial issues.
The programme includes a cross-industry submission to government on illegal file sharing and a music industry manifesto.
The establishment of UK Music follows the recent government-led memorandum of understanding signed by ISPs and record labels in a bid to crack down on illegal file sharing and develop new revenue models such as unlimited music bundled with broadband subscriptions.
UK Music has also commissioned a research project to follow up its survey of digital consumption patterns of young music fans.
Sharkey and Heath, both formerly of British Music Rights which becomes UK Music, aim to establish the organisation as the industry's unit for public policy and lobbying, public communications and public opinion, research and analysis and industry relevant education and skills.
Sharkey said, "The launch of UK Music marks a bold new chapter for the UK's commercial music industry. [It] will serve a huge spectrum of the commercial music sector, and championing our industry's creativity and shared commercial interests will be at the heart of what we do."
Heath said, "Until now, it has been incredibly difficult to establish a unified music business position, whether that's concerning illegal file-sharing or music education. In that sense, this new organisation, which pulls together and represents such a wide range of interests, is a real game-changer."
UK Music founding members include the record label trade body the BPI, the Association of Independent Music, the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters, performing rights body the MCPS-PRS Alliance, the Music Managers Forum, the Music Publishers Association, the Musicians Union and Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL).
