British Phonographic Industry facts for kids
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| Abbreviation | BPI |
|---|---|
| Formation | 4 September 1973 |
| Legal status | Nonprofit organization |
| Purpose | Music industry in the United Kingdom |
| Location | |
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Region served
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United Kingdom |
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Membership
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British music companies |
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Chair
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YolanDa Brown |
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Chief executive
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Sophie Jones (interim) |
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Main organ
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BPI Council |
The BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited, also known as the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), is a group that helps music companies in the UK. It's like a club for the British music industry.
The BPI is famous for running the BRIT Awards. It also helps with the Mercury Prize. The BPI works with another group called the Entertainment Retailers Association to own the Official Charts Company. This company creates the official music charts in the UK. The BPI also gives out special awards for music sales in the UK, called BRIT Certified Awards.
Contents
What the BPI Does
The BPI works to support and promote British music. It helps record companies and artists. It also tries to stop illegal copying of music.
Who Belongs to the BPI
Hundreds of music companies are members of the BPI. This includes big companies like Sony Music UK and Universal Music UK. It also includes over 500 smaller, independent record labels.
The BPI Council is a group that makes important decisions for the BPI. It includes the BPI Chair and other leaders. It also has 12 people from the music industry. Six are from the big music companies, and six are from independent labels.
A Look at BPI History
The BPI started in 1973. Its main goals were to promote British music and fight against illegal copying.
In 2007, the BPI changed its official name to "BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited".
In September 2008, the BPI helped start UK Music. This is a larger group that represents all parts of the music industry.
In July 2022, YolanDa Brown became the Chair of the BPI. She took over from Ged Doherty. In July 2023, Jo Twist became the chief executive.
Music Awards
The BPI created the yearly BRIT Awards in 1977. These awards celebrate the best in British music. Later, they also started the Classic BRIT Awards. The company that organizes these awards is owned by the BPI.
Money earned from the BRIT Awards goes to The BRIT Trust. This is a charity arm of the BPI. Since 1989, The BRIT Trust has given almost £30 million to good causes across the country. In 2013, the BPI gave the first ever BRITs Icon Award to Elton John.
The BPI also supports the Mercury Prize. This award is for the best album of the year. The BPI has organized this prize since 2016.
The BPI has also managed the BRIT Certified Awards since 1973. These awards give Platinum, Gold, and Silver status to songs, albums, and music videos. This is based on how many copies they sell.
The BRIT Trust
The BRIT Trust is the charity part of the BPI. It was started in 1989 by the BPI and people from the music industry. The BRIT Trust helps support music education.
Money from the BRIT Awards and other music industry awards goes to The BRIT Trust. It has given almost £30 million to charities. As of 2024, some of the groups it helps include The BRIT School, Nordoff and Robbins, and East London Arts and Music.
The BRIT School
The BRIT School opened in September 1991. It is a special school for performing and creative arts. It is located in Croydon, London, and it's completely free to attend.
The school teaches over 1,400 students each year, aged 14 to 19. They learn about music, dance, drama, and art. Students come from many different backgrounds. They can also try different subjects, like dancers learning songwriting.
In August 2023, the BPI got approval to open a new creative school in Bradford. It will be similar to the successful BRIT School.
Music Certifications
The BPI gives out BRIT Certified Platinum, Gold, and Silver awards for music in the UK. These awards show how many copies a song or album has sold. The number of sales needed for each award depends on if it's an album, single, or music video.
Before 2013, awards were based on how many copies were sent to shops. Now, since July 2013, the BPI automatically gives awards based on actual sales data.
Since July 2014, online streaming has been included for singles. From June 2015, audio streams were added for album awards. In July 2018, video streams were also included for singles.
In April 2018, a new Breakthrough certification was added. This award is for an artist's first album that sells 30,000 copies. The awards program was also renamed "BRIT Certified".
In May 2023, the BPI started the BRIT Billion award. This award celebrates artists who have had over one billion streams in the UK. Artists like Billie Eilish, Queen, and Coldplay have received this award. In Autumn 2023, Ed Sheeran was the first British artist to get a special Gold BRIT Billion Award for over ten billion UK streams.
| Type of Release | Award Level | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver | Gold | Platinum | |
| Album | 60,000 | 100,000 | 300,000 |
| Single | 200,000 | 400,000 | 600,000 |
| Music DVD | — | 25,000 | 50,000 |
Fighting Music Piracy
The BPI works hard to stop music piracy. Piracy means illegally copying and sharing music without permission. The BPI uses special computer programs to find illegal copies of music online. They send requests to Google to remove these links.
The BPI also has staff who work with the City of London Police. They help a special police unit that deals with crimes involving creative works, like music.
See also
In Spanish: Industria Fonográfica Británica para niños
- Home Taping Is Killing Music
- Official Charts Company
- List of music recording certifications
- Parental Advisory
