British Phonographic Industry facts for kids
 |
|
| Abbreviation | BPI |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1973 |
| Legal status | Nonprofit organization |
| Purpose | Music industry in the United Kingdom |
| Location |
|
|
Region served
|
United Kingdom |
|
Membership
|
British music companies |
|
Chair
|
YolanDa Brown |
|
Chief executive
|
Sophie Jones (interim) |
|
Main organ
|
BPI Council |
The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is a group that helps the music industry in the UK. It's like a club for record companies. The BPI is famous for running the BRIT Awards, which are big music awards in Britain. They also help with the Mercury Prize for the best album. Plus, they work with the Official Charts Company to track music sales. The BPI gives out special awards for how many copies songs and albums sell in the UK.
Contents
What the BPI Does
The BPI works for hundreds of music companies. This includes big names like Sony Music UK and Universal Music UK. It also includes over 500 smaller, independent record labels. The BPI helps these companies with many things.
Protecting Music
Since 1973, the BPI has worked to protect British music. A main goal is to stop copyright infringement. This means they fight against people illegally copying music. They want to make sure artists and companies get paid for their work.
Working with Others
In 2008, the BPI helped start UK Music. This is a larger group that represents all parts of the music industry. It helps everyone in music work together.
Who Leads the BPI?
The BPI has leaders who guide the organization. In 2022, YolanDa Brown became the chair of the BPI. In 2023, Dr Jo Twist OBE became the Chief Executive. These leaders help make important decisions for the British music industry.
Music Awards and Certifications
The BPI is well-known for its music awards. These awards celebrate the best music and artists.
The BRIT Awards
The BPI started the annual BRIT Awards in 1977. These are some of the biggest music awards in the UK. Later, they also created the Classic BRIT Awards for classical music. The money made from these shows goes to a charity called The BRIT Trust. This charity helps many good causes across the country. In 2013, the BPI also created the BRITs Icon Award. Sir Elton John was the first person to receive this special award.
The Mercury Prize
Since 2016, the BPI has also organized the Mercury Prize. This award celebrates the best album of the year. It's a very respected award in the music world.
BRIT Certified Awards
The BPI gives out special awards for music sales. These are called BRIT Certified awards. They show how many copies a song or album has sold.
- Silver means a certain number of sales.
- Gold means even more sales.
- Platinum means a huge number of sales.
These awards are given for singles, albums, and music videos. The BPI uses information from the Official Charts Company to track sales. Since 2014, online music streams are also counted towards these awards. This means listening to music on streaming services helps artists get these awards.
In 2018, a new Breakthrough award was added. This is for an artist's first album that sells 30,000 copies. The BPI also launched the BRIT Billion award in 2023. This award celebrates artists who have had over one billion streams in the UK. Famous artists like Billie Eilish and Coldplay have received this award. In 2023, Ed Sheeran was the first British artist to get a special Gold BRIT Billion Award for over ten billion streams!
| Type of Music | 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 |
The BRIT Trust and BRIT School
The BPI also supports education and charity through The BRIT Trust and The BRIT School.
The BRIT Trust
The BRIT Trust is the charity part of the BPI. It was started in 1989. This trust helps music education in many ways. Money from the BRIT Awards goes to The BRIT Trust. Since it started, the trust has given almost £30 million to charities. Some of the groups they help include The BRIT School and Nordoff and Robbins.
The BRIT School
The BRIT School opened in 1991. It's a special school for performing and creative arts. It's completely free to attend! The school teaches over 1,400 students each year, from ages 14 to 19. Students learn about music, dance, drama, and media. They can also try different subjects, like dancers learning songwriting. In 2023, the BPI also got approval to open a new creative school in Bradford. This new school will be like The BRIT School in Croydon.
See also
In Spanish: Industria Fonográfica Británica para niños
- Home Taping Is Killing Music
- Official Charts Company
- List of music recording certifications
