Liverpool City Region Music Sector Thrives as £2m Strategic Investment Fund Delivers Jobs, Growth and Innovation

A landmark new report has revealed how the Liverpool City Region Music Industry Development Programme, funded through the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s Strategic Investment Fund (SIF) and delivered by the LCR Music Office with strategic oversight by the Liverpool City Region Music Board, has transformed the region’s music sector — exceeding targets and positioning Liverpool as a leading UK creative cluster.

Launched in 2020, the £2m programme provided targeted support through crisis and recovery and built the foundations for long-term sector growth. Despite the challenges of COVID-19 and wider economic uncertainty, the programme surpassed contracted outputs, strengthened inclusivity, and attracted new investment. Crucially, it laid the ground for the award of £6.75m for MusicFutures, a UKRI Creative Cluster that will establish Liverpool as a global hub for music research, development and innovation.

As well as celebrating the positive implications of SIF, the report also supports future work by the Music Board and MusicFutures by identifying challenges and areas for improvement, and highlighting opportunities and recommendations for further growth. Produced by the University of Liverpool’s Institute of Popular Music (IPM), the report applies academic rigour to evaluation, research and sector mapping, ensuring findings are robust enough to underpin future strategy and investment.

Key Impacts

• Business growth and survival: 88 music businesses supported, with 86% sustaining or expanding their operations. All businesses funded during Phase 1 and Phase 2 remain operational and headquartered in Liverpool City Region.
• Job creation: Over 50 new full-time jobs created through Future Yard’s programmes in Birkenhead alone.
• Young people and skills: More than 3,200 young people engaged in careers advice, training and placements. This includes 52 paid traineeships delivered through employers such as Ditto Music, Sentric and 24 Kitchen Street.
• Equality, diversity and inclusion: 24% of funds were ring-fenced for projects aligned with the Music Board’s Black Music Action Group manifesto and the ReMap report, ensuring significant investment in Black-led and underrepresented groups.
• Inward investment: Rough Trade, Boxpark and 30 Century Management established new operations in Liverpool, alongside the launch of an Institute of Contemporary Music Performance (ICMP) campus.
• Economic value: £4.57m GVA generated from £1.387m of direct spend, with small grants creating significant leverage. An £85k capital investment in Future Yard attracted £2.4m of further funding.
• Sector innovation: PRS Foundation piloted Momentum Accelerator in Liverpool before rolling it out elsewhere, demonstrating the region’s role as a testbed for national talent development models.

Case Studies

The report highlights a wide range of projects and individuals who benefitted from SIF investment:

• Pixey: The Liverpool-raised multi-instrumentalist and producer received PRS Foundation Accelerator funding (supported by SIF), which helped her achieve BBC Radio 1 airplay, Spotify editorial playlists and appearances at major festivals such as Leeds and Reading.
• Red Rum Club: Sefton-based band Red Rum Club used SIF export support alongside BPI’s Music Export Growth Scheme to tour the United States, securing a licensing deal with a New York label and increasing their North American audience share from 10% to 25%.
• Future Yard’s Sound Check: A pioneering live music skills programme that has trained over 120 young people from Wirral, many of whom are now working in event production. The scheme has since become an accredited training course and a pipeline for local employment.
• Michael Aldag: After being dropped by a label, the LIMF Academy graduate used SIF growth funding to record new music and build his independence as an artist, going on to perform at the Reading and Leeds festivals.

Quotes

Kevin McManus, Head of UNESCO City of Music, said:
“This programme has been transformational. It gave our sector a lifeline during its most difficult period and created the conditions for innovation, growth and inclusivity. Without it, Liverpool City Region would not have secured the MusicFutures Creative Cluster award.”

Councillor Mike Wharton, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Business, Investment and Trade, said:
“Liverpool City Region is proving how investment in culture drives economic growth. We’ve built a thriving music ecosystem that is creating jobs, nurturing talent, and strengthening our global reputation as one of the world’s greatest for music. We’re creating opportunities for the next generation, making sure that our area isn’t just a place with a rich musical history, but a global leader in the music of the future.”

Jon Collins, Chair of LCR Music Board and CEO of LIVE (Live Music Industry Venues & Entertainment), said:
“This report clearly shows the power of strategic public investment to deliver lasting change for the music sector. The Liverpool City Region has demonstrated what can be achieved when government, industry and local partners work together around a shared vision.

Through the Strategic Investment Fund, we’ve seen businesses grow, jobs created, young people supported into careers, and greater diversity across the ecosystem — all of which strengthens the UK’s live and recorded music infrastructure as a whole.

As both Chair of the LCR Music Board and CEO of LIVE, I see this as a model for how targeted, long-term investment can underpin the national Creative Industries Sector Plan, ensuring that music continues to thrive in every part of the UK.”

Download the Report

The full report, “Strategic Investment Fund for Music in Liverpool City Region: Its Implementation, Outcomes and Impacts”, is available to download here: Report – SIF for Music Sector Development in the LCR.