Growth of Indie sector and vinyl in UK recorded music

Sales from UK independent music labels rose for a sixth consecutive year in 2023, and are more than a third higher than in 2017, according to data from the BPI’s All About The Music yearbook.

Independently-released music made up 29.2 per cent of Album Equivalent Sales (AES) in 2023, up from 22.1 per cent in 2017. Alongside this growth, the continued resurgence of vinyl sales was another feature of the yearbook produced by BPI, the trade association for the UK’s record companies and labels.

According to BPI analysis based on Official Charts data, more than 60 albums released by independent labels made the weekly Top 10 of the Official Albums Chart in 2023. The diversity of the acts bringing out these albums ranged from rapper Ren, rock bands Enter Shikari and The Reytons to BRIT Awards 2024 Best Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Act Casisdead, singer-songwriter PJ Harvey, pop star Claire Richards, and punk rock veterans The Damned.

During the year, successful independent label artists included BRITs winner RAYE and rappers Central Cee and Bugzy Malone & Teedee.

Nearly four in every 10 (39.1 per cent) of vinyl LPs bought across the year were independent products, with more than 200 indie titles selling at least 1,500 copies last year. These included releases by alternative rock band Bdrmm, R&B star Jorja Smith and singer-songwriters Arlo Parks and The Japanese House. Independent releases also made up nearly one-third (32.8 per cent ) of CDs sold last year.

In total, almost 400 indie singles and albums reached new BRIT Certified Platinum, Gold or Silver award levels in 2023.

Dr. Jo Twist OBE, BPI Chief Executive Officer, said: “The growing success of the UK’s independent sector is just one of many stories in the BPI’s essential All About The Music 2024. At a time when the ways we can enjoy music continue to evolve, our yearbook unpicks and analyses this ever-complex ecosystem. It shows an energetic and hugely successful UK recorded music sector, driven by our incredible artists and the record labels that support them.”

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