During a "particularly strong" 2011, UK songwriters and composers earned £187.7m globally - up 10% on 2010. Income earned abroad has doubled in the last decade, the PRS added. Royalties are generated any time a song is played - whether it is on TV, radio, online or at a live event - and distributed between composers and performers.
PRS said that revenues had jumped from £88m in 2002 for two reasons: The popularity of British music abroad and "improved licensing". Live music incomes saw substantial growth from £2.2m to £21m since 2002, due to sell-out stadium concerts for acts such as The Rolling Stones, Muse and Paul McCartney.
Q Awards - Britpop bands Pulp and Blur won major prizes at this year's Q Awards, while Muse were named best act in the world. Blur took the trophy for best live act, in the wake of their Hyde Park gig at the close of the Olympics, beating the likes of The Stone Roses and Radiohead. Dance act Underworld, who put together the music for the London 2012 Games, also received the Innovation In Sound award from director Danny Boyle. Meanwhile, Jarvis Cocker picked up the Inspiration Award for his band Pulp.
"It's been the most incredible year for British music," said Q Magazine's editor Andrew Harrison. "Our bands and our anthems transformed the Olympics... and amazing comeback shows from Blur and the Stone Roses showed the enduring appeal of our best-loved musicians." Other prizes went to soul singer Emeli Sande, who was named best solo artist, beating perennial Q cover stars such as Noel Gallagher and Adele. Sande performed at both the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2012 Games.
Streaming Opera - A Viennese opera has been broadcast live over the internet for the first time, giving audiences around the world free access to a classical production. Gioachino Rossini's La cambiale di matrimonio - The marriage contract - was streamed from Vienna's Kammeroper theatre on Sunday. The live opera stream is the first web-based platform for streaming classical productions from the Austrian capital. The experimental performance starred an international cast of singers. Speaking ahead of the performance, Lithuanian bass-baritone Igor Bakan who played Tobia Mill, said he hoped "avid fans and newcomers" would benefit from the opportunity to watch online.
(Jim Evans)
