The Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA) has revealed the first nationwide strategy for the country's music business.
Published this week, the Scottish Music Industry Roadmap 2026-30 sets out eight national priorities and calls on the Scottish government, public bodies, funders and the industry to work together on the "policy, investment and practical changes" needed to take them forward.
Among its core aims, it seeks to make music careers more sustainable, move from short-term survival towards long-term development, strengthen the industry around Scotland’s musical talent and give music greater weight in Scotland’s future.
"We often hear that Scottish music punches above its weight," said SMIA CEO and creative director Robert Kilpatrick (pictured). "We should be proud of what we achieve, but we also need to ask what it takes from the people making it possible. For too long, too many across our sector have had to focus on survival rather than development.
“An authentic Scottish strategy is essential for a distinctive and diverse Scottish music industry. With culture devolved, we need a shared direction for the decisions and investment that Scotland can take forward itself, alongside effective access to UK-wide support. This Roadmap gives us that direction, shaped with the people it aims to support.
“We want government, public bodies and funders to work with us to put it into practice. People across the sector can also use it in their own work, build partnerships and take action. Scotland’s music industry and cultural identity are shared, and shaping their future takes all of us.”
This Roadmap will play a vital role in ensuring that the right infrastructure exists to nurture and develop new talent and support music businesses for many years to come
Tom Kiehl, UK Music
Development of the Roadmap was backed by Creative Scotland through the SMIA’s multi-year funding, with UK Music contributing partnership support.
“Scotland’s incredible musicians deserve to be seen and heard by eager audiences at home and abroad," said Alan Morrison, Creative Scotland's head of music. "However, if Scotland is to provide a strong, sustainable and supportive environment for our artists, all aspects of our music sector need to work together on their behalf.
“The SMIA is well positioned to be the bridge between funding bodies and the commercial industry, with a voice that is heard and respected at government level. The annual SMIA Summit offers a space where the music sector can meet on equal terms to identify challenges and put forward solutions, with the Scottish Music Industry Roadmap now providing a vision for a future that benefits us all.”
The Roadmap's launch follows the UK government’s Turn It Up: Our plan for music, published in July, alongside a £45 million Music Growth Package.
UK Music estimates that music tourism generated £937 million in direct and indirect spending in Scotland in 202, but the Music Venue Trust’s 2025 Scottish figures show that only 33% of grassroots music venues reported a profit.
“For generations, Scotland has produced some of the biggest and best acts on the planet, from Annie Lennox, Biffy Clyro and Texas, to Lewis Capaldi, Franz Ferdinand and Calvin Harris, contributing enormously to the £8 billion the UK music industry generates for the economy and the 220,000 jobs it supports," said UK Music CEO Tom Kiehl.
"This Roadmap will play a vital role in ensuring that the right infrastructure exists to nurture and develop new talent and support music businesses for many years to come.”
The Roadmap sits alongside the SMIA’s Scottish Music EDIA Manifesto and Action Framework, published earlier this year,
The SMIA Summit 2026, the first major national conversation since its publication, will take place tomorrow (October 8) at the Old Fruitmarket in Glasgow.
PHOTO: Daniel Blake
