From punk to pop to pioneering audio engineering, the UK’s impact on music has been both cultural and technical. Its artists have sold to the world; its studios, gear and production know-how have defined entire genres.
Now, a new generation of music tech startups is building on that legacy — not with guitars and amps, but with AI-driven collaboration tools, algorithmic mixing engines, and rights-management platforms that promise to change how music is made, shared and monetised.
There are companies like RoEx,for instance, leading the charge, whose Automix platform uses assistive tech to make multitrack mixing faster and more accessible.
“We’re ahead of the game… not many startups do that,” says RoEx’s head of partnerships, Tom Nield.
Then there’s Spitfire Audio, whose high-end virtual instruments have become a staple in scoring for film, TV and games. Or Aiode, which developed an AI architecture that captures the essence of different musicians for live collaboration.
RoEx’s Tom Nield
While founded abroad, Aiode chose the UK as its R&D base, partnering with Abbey Road’s RED platform which offers mentorship, resources and cultural cachet to music tech founders.
“The UK is still one of the two main markets when it comes down to music tech,” says Aiode CEO Idan Dobrecki. “The music industry is really embedded in its culture. We found it very easy to find producers, musicians and engineers who would collaborate and help us with our journey.”
Innovation meets heritage
This blend of cutting-edge tech and deep-rooted musical credibility is what sets the UK apart. From legendary institutions like Marshall and Abbey Road Studios, to globally recognised export schemes like PRS for Music and BBC R&D, the UK has built a creative and technical ecosystem few countries can match.
“Music is part of the beating heart of the UK’s creative industries,” says Hannah Williamson, senior investment manager at Edge VC. “There are exciting opportunities here for investment, growth and global impact.”
This isn’t just about cool tech. It’s about reshaping the very structure of the music industry — how creators are compensated, how audiences engage, and how rights are managed in the age of AI.
Scale, not spark
The excitement is real, but so are the barriers. And without the right infrastructure to support these firms as they grow, many risk taking their ideas — and their impact — elsewhere.
According to a new report by Music Technology UK (MTUK), Sound Investments, early-stage support is robust — especially thanks to UK-specific schemes like EIS and SEIS. In fact, 40% of early-stage music tech investment globally comes from the UK.
But, in common with many fledgling tech companies looking to scale, the picture changes fast when music tech startups look to grow. Only 5% of UK music tech startups founded in 2023–24 secured investment, with US investors dominating later-stage funding and acquisitions.
“There’s always places to go for support for early-stage startups,” says RoEx’s Nield. “The bigger concern is… there are just no such big money pots on this side of the pond.”
This is why many founders find themselves drawn abroad — not for talent, culture or ideas, but simply to keep the lights on.
Data, definitions & product-market fit
Beyond money, there are more foundational challenges. Music tech is still a loosely defined sector, with no consistent data or measurement standards. This lack of visibility makes it harder for policymakers, investors and even musicians to fully grasp its value.
Mark Lever, from the Department for Business and Trade, compares this to the UK’s games industry a decade ago: “Once you [measured] the true size of the games industry, suddenly everybody woke up to the potential.”
Another issue is the gap between tech development and real industry needs. Some founders build brilliant tools that miss the mark in practice. As Kimberly Dickson, founder of HyperTribe notes: “The amount of people—especially the techies I generally find in the music sector—have a really big problem with building tech that nobody wants.”
Kimberly Dickson, founder of Music Tech network HyperTribe
Dickson learned the hard way that collaboration is key. Her team originally tried to integrate artists’ music into their platform — until licensing headaches forced them to pivot.
“We chose to add value elsewhere,” she says. “It just wasn’t worth the delay.”
Licensing remains one of the biggest thorns in the side of music tech innovation. Clearing rights is time-consuming, ambiguous, and resource-draining — especially for early-stage companies. As Gareth Dickin, founder of Sonorous Consulting and MTUK board member, points out:
“The number of resources that has to go into the rights side of the business… gets in the way of them figuring out product-market fit in a timely manner.”
The next crescendo
The UK music tech sector doesn’t need saving — it needs supporting. It’s already brimming with ideas, talent and global relevance. What’s required now is a more joined-up effort to turn early promise into lasting impact.
That’s where MTUK hopes to play a role. Launched in 2023, the organisation acts as a bridge between startups, investors, policymakers and the broader music ecosystem. In its latest report, MTUK calls for targeted actions to help the sector scale sustainably — from AI regulation clarity to a dedicated Music Tech Innovation Fund, to stronger export support.
“This isn’t just about individual businesses,” says MTUK’s CEO Matt Cartmell. “It’s about whether the UK becomes a global leader in creative technology.”
Music Tech: Matt Cartmell, CEO of MTUK
And that leadership will come not from repeating Silicon Valley’s model, but from doubling down on what makes the UK unique: its musical DNA, its appetite for innovation, and its ability to build tech that serves both artists and audiences.
The next chapter of music tech won’t be written by algorithms alone. It will be shaped by creators, engineers, investors, and policy — working in harmony.
