THE UK music industry contributed £4.5 billion to the nation's economy last year, according to a report.
Ed Sheeran is among the British artists driving a multibillion-pound surge in revenues and exports as the UK continued to punch above its weight in 2017, the report by UK Music said.
The UK has the fourth biggest music market in the world and more than 145,000 people are now working in the industry, it added.
Industry experts warned that the foundation for financial success is being undermined by declining music education and unfair rewards for artists, who receive only a fraction of the wealth they generate and often earn below the average UK wage.
The report tallied the total generated by the industry at £4.5 billion in gross value added to the economy last year - a £100 million rise.
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