British Phonographic Industry
Encyclopedia
The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British record industry's trade association.
, EMI
, Sony Music Entertainment
, and Universal Music Group
), associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies representing literally thousands of labels.
.
for the British music industry, as well as the Mercury Prize
for the Album of the Year. In September 2008, BPI became one of the founding members of UK Music
, an umbrella organisation representing the interests of all parts of the industry.
, the Trust offers young people the opportunity to enhance their lives through music.
is a joint venture between and The BRIT Trust and the Department for Education and Skills (DfES). Based at Selhurst in Croydon, the school is the only non fee-paying performing arts school in the UK. It teaches 750 students each year from 14–19 years in music, dance, drama, musical theatre, production, media and art & design. Students are from completely diverse backgrounds and are not required to stick to their own discipline; dancers learn songwriting, pianists can learn photography. Nor do students have to work/perform in the evening to pay for the tuition; all they have to do is show their determination to succeed in the competitive creative industries.
. The level of the award varies depending on the format of the release and the amount sold. BPI certificates are not automatic; the record company must pay a fee to the BPI and they carry out an audit
into the release in question. Certificates are usually awarded on the basis of the amount of units the release has shipped, rather than the amount it has sold.
Source: BPI
Structure
Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies (Warner Music GroupWarner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
, EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
, and Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
), associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies representing literally thousands of labels.
History
It has represented the interests of British record companies since being formally incorporated in 1973 when the principal aim was to fight copyright infringementCopyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
.
Awards
It founded the annual BRIT AwardsBrit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
for the British music industry, as well as the Mercury Prize
Mercury Prize
The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British...
for the Album of the Year. In September 2008, BPI became one of the founding members of UK Music
UK Music
Launched on September 26, 2008 UK Music is an umbrella organisation which represents the collective interests of the production side of UK's commercial music industry: artists, musicians, songwriters, composers, record labels, artist managers, music publishers, studio producers and music collecting...
, an umbrella organisation representing the interests of all parts of the industry.
The BRIT Trust
The charitable arm of the BPI, the trust was conceived in 1989 by a collection of leading music industry individuals with a mission to give young people a chance to express their musical creativity regardless of race, class, sex or ability. The BRIT Trust is the only music charity actively supporting all types of education across the entire spectrum of music. Through the projects it supports, which include Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy and The BRIT SchoolBRIT School
The London School for Performing Arts & Technology is a British school located in Selhurst, Croydon, in London, England, with a mandate to provide education and vocational training for the performing arts, media, art and design and the technologies that make performance possible...
, the Trust offers young people the opportunity to enhance their lives through music.
The BRIT School
Opened in September 1991, The BRIT SchoolBRIT School
The London School for Performing Arts & Technology is a British school located in Selhurst, Croydon, in London, England, with a mandate to provide education and vocational training for the performing arts, media, art and design and the technologies that make performance possible...
is a joint venture between and The BRIT Trust and the Department for Education and Skills (DfES). Based at Selhurst in Croydon, the school is the only non fee-paying performing arts school in the UK. It teaches 750 students each year from 14–19 years in music, dance, drama, musical theatre, production, media and art & design. Students are from completely diverse backgrounds and are not required to stick to their own discipline; dancers learn songwriting, pianists can learn photography. Nor do students have to work/perform in the evening to pay for the tuition; all they have to do is show their determination to succeed in the competitive creative industries.
Sales certificates
The British Phonographic Industry awards certificates for music releases in BritainUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The level of the award varies depending on the format of the release and the amount sold. BPI certificates are not automatic; the record company must pay a fee to the BPI and they carry out an audit
Audit
The general definition of an audit is an evaluation of a person, organization, system, process, enterprise, project or product. The term most commonly refers to audits in accounting, but similar concepts also exist in project management, quality management, and energy conservation.- Accounting...
into the release in question. Certificates are usually awarded on the basis of the amount of units the release has shipped, rather than the amount it has sold.
| Format | Status | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver | Gold | Platinum | |
| Album Album An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album... |
60,000 | 100,000 | 300,000 |
| Single Single (music) In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear... |
200,000 | 400,000 | 600,000 |
| Music DVD | — | 25,000 | 50,000 |
BPI council
- Geoff Taylor – Chief Executive Officer
- Tony Wadsworth – BPI Chairman, EMI Recorded Music UK & Ireland
- Mike BattMike BattMichael Philip "Mike" Batt is a British songwriter, musician, producer and Deputy Chairman of the British Phonographic Industry...
– BPI Deputy Chairman, Dramatico Entertainment - Kiaron Whitehead, General Counsel, BPI
- Scott Cohen – The Orchard (Co-opted)
- John Craig – First Night Records
- Nick Gatfield – EMI Records
- Ian Grenfell – SimplyRed.com (Co-opted)
- David Joseph – Universal Music UK
- Max Lousada – Atlantic Records UK
- Harry Maloney – The Independent Record Company
- Korda Marshall – Infectious Music
- Emma Pike – Sony Music UK
- John Reid – Warner Music International
- Michael Smith – Sony BMG Music Entertainment
- Adrian Sear – Demon Music Group/2entertain
- Peter Stack – Union Square Records
Source: BPI
Similar organisations
- RIAA, the Recording Industry Association of America, is the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
' music industry association. - IFPIIFPIThe International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a not-for-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland...
, the International Federation of Phonogram and Videogram Producers is the worldwide music industry group. - FACTFederation Against Copyright TheftThe Federation Against Copyright Theft is a trade organisation in the UK established to represent the interests of the its members in the film and broadcasting business on copyright and trademark issues. Established in 1983, FACT works with law enforcement agencies on copyright-infringement issues...
, the Federation Against Copyright Theft, is the UK anti-copyright infringement organisation for the motion picture industry. - ARIAAustralian Recording Industry AssociationThe Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
, Australian Recording Industry Association, is the Australian industry association.