The UK audio industry will receive further support from the BBC through a new deal with AudioUK.
The new trading terms agreement will see increased investment in spoken word programming, greater commercial opportunities for producers, training partnerships to develop talent and the return of the BBC Radio Indies Development Fund for 2024/25.
Content producers will receive increased funding and have greater opportunities to exploit their IP and tap into the commercial distribution market, either through BBC Studios' global infrastructure or through third parties.
This means the BBC can commission the best ideas and high-quality programming from the sector for linear and on-demand viewing.
The BBC’s successful Radio Indie Development Fund will continue in 24/25, funding projects that help build production capacity across the UK, and the BBC will also invest in AudioUK’s successful Audiotrain training programme.
Charlotte Moore, BBC chief content officer, said: “On behalf of the independent audio industry, the ambitious deal we've signed today with AudioUK will ensure the BBC will continue to be the place where producers come to bring their best ideas, delivering unrivalled content to our audiences.”
“The BBC has a unique role to play in developing the UK's audio sector and increased investment will boost British creativity and develop technical and production capacity across the UK.”
Chloe Straw, managing director of AudioUK, added: “The independent production sector has driven rapid growth in the audio market over the past decade, thriving both creatively and commercially.
“The BBC has an excellent track record in working with industry and I'm pleased to see that they recognise the need for a new approach to trading terms to reflect developments in the audio industry and give producers more choice and standards in terms of reference when it comes to IP.”
“These terms provide a standard framework within which producers across the UK can engage with the BBC, and we very much welcome the BBC's support for the Audiotrain scheme and its continued support for independent audio businesses through the Indie Development Fund.”
More information from the BBC:
New Terms of Trade
The new terms of trade will see an overall 10% increase in speech prices as a commission, and the BBC has an active investment plan in music audio to strengthen its supplier base and respond to the challenges and opportunities specific to the genre. The BBC will review its rates across music and speech content annually.
The deal combines linear and on-demand rights into one agreement, providing greater flexibility and granting the BBC a licence to buy three packages of network transmission, as well as a five-year licence for audio and a 12-month licence for music on BBC Sounds. Producers will have the choice of how they exploit their rights outside the UK and commercial rights, either using BBC Studios as their distributor if they wish or distributing independently, and will receive a greater revenue share for any form of commercial exploitation. The BBC will also roll out a clear process for partnering with producers to move audio-derived IP to screen.
These terms and conditions provide a framework for Producers to work with the BBC, but do not prevent the BBC and individual Producers from entering into agreements which vary these terms and conditions if they both wish.
Investing in your audio train
Building on its commitment to developing new skills, the BBC will invest three years in Audiotrain, AudioUK's training programme, which develops talent, sharpens skills and drives innovation within the audio industry. With a focus on providing practical training, mentorship and networking opportunities, Audiotrain is perfectly aligned with the objectives of the BBC's Across the UK strategy.
Supporting the best ideas
The BBC is committed to a level playing field and fair competition to ensure the best ideas are commissioned for audiences across independent producers, BBC Studios and the BBC Public Service. In addition to its existing competition framework, the BBC has also committed to putting 100% of new spoken word programmes through competitions.
Applications for the BBC Radio Indies Development Fund will open in mid-July, with successful applications receiving a one-year investment of between £10 and £25,000 in a range of areas, from broadening and diversifying the talent pool to strengthening production capacity and training. The fund will support BBC priorities such as expanding diversity and content from across the UK, enabling the BBC to better reflect, represent and serve all its audiences.
The BBC will also increase transparency, reporting data on prices, tariffs and contestability through annual supply reports, as well as continuing to strengthen collaboration with producers through its commissioning website, overviews, webinars and events. The BBC will also evolve its radio commissioning framework to ensure it is fit for purpose for both spoken word and music programming.
