Music in the UK

There are so many ways to discover, buy and listen to music. What's the best way? Read more to find out about the exciting music culture in the UK!

Do you download music? Do you buy CDs? Do you listen to music on your phone? Do you prefer to watch music or just to listen? What about the old-fashioned radio? Have you ever seen your favourite band or singer perform live?

There are so many ways to discover, buy and listen to music!

1) Music videos

British teenagers like to watch their music online. Watching music on video streaming sites on the internet is now more popular than listening to the radio with young British people. Popular videos can quickly become extremely popular internationally. Justin Bieber’s song ‘Baby’ was the most watched music video on YouTube until 2012. Then, PSY’s ‘Gangnam Style’ became the first video to get a billion views. Now, it’s quite common for videos to pass the billion mark. Things can change quickly on YouTube!

Question 1. True/False:

The most popular ways of listening to music are listening to the radio, watching TV, watching videos on the internet.

There are so many ways to discover, buy and listen to music. What's the best way? Read more to find out about the exciting music culture in the UK!

Do you download music? Do you buy CDs? Do you listen to music on your phone? Do you prefer to watch music or just to listen? What about the old-fashioned radio? Have you ever seen your favourite band or singer perform live? There are so many ways to discover, buy and listen to music!

1) Music videos

British teenagers like to watch their music online. Watching music on video streaming sites on the internet is now more popular than listening to the radio with young British people. Popular videos can quickly become extremely popular internationally. Justin Bieber’s song ‘Baby’ was the most watched music video on YouTube until 2012. Then, PSY’s ‘Gangnam Style’ became the first video to get a billion views. Now, it’s quite common for videos to pass the billion mark. Things can change quickly on YouTube!

Question 2.

True/False:

It's impossible to get a billion views on YouTube.

2. Downloading music

Downloading music is a popular choice for young Brits. The BPI (an organisation which promotes the interests of British music) says that people in the UK prefer downloading singles rather than albums. In the UK you can download a single for about £1 and an album for around £10. Using file-sharing websites to download music is often illegal of course but some people still continue to get their music this way. Record companies and many musicians are very unhappy that people can listen to their music without paying for it.

Question 3.

True/False

The BPI is an organisation which promotes human rights.

2. Downloading music

Downloading music is a popular choice for young Brits. The BPI (an organisation which promotes the interests of British music) says that people in the UK prefer downloading singles rather than albums. In the UK you can download a single for about £1 and an album for around £10. Using file-sharing websites to download music is often illegal of course but some people still continue to get their music this way. Record companies and many musicians are very unhappy that people can listen to their music without paying for it.

Question 4.

True/False

In the UK people download singles on the websites for free.

2. Downloading music

Downloading music is a popular choice for young Brits. The BPI (an organisation which promotes the interests of British music) says that people in the UK prefer downloading singles rather than albums. In the UK you can download a single for about £1 and an album for around £10. Using file-sharing websites to download music is often illegal of course but some people still continue to get their music this way. Record companies and many musicians are very unhappy that people can listen to their music without paying for it.

Question 5.

True/False

The musicians support the idea of getting free music on the websites.

3. Live music

The O2 in London is the second largest live music arena in Europe. There you can see world-famous bands such as One Direction, Justin Bieber, Scissor Sisters, Prince, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, and Take That. This massive stadium has space for 20,000 people. It also has 548 toilets! Tickets are not cheap. You can pay more than £50 to see a concert at The O2. What about free live music? There are music festivals across Britain every year that are completely free of charge. Last year more than 150,000 people went to the Tramlines free music festival in Sheffield in the north of England. The two-day festival is held every July. Last year there were 900 performances in total including local bands as well as music from all over the world.

Question 6.

True/False

The O2 is one of the famous arenas where live concerts are held.

3. Live music

The O2 in London is the second largest live music arena in Europe. There you can see world-famous bands such as One Direction, Justin Bieber, Scissor Sisters, Prince, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, and Take That. This massive stadium has space for 20,000 people. It also has 548 toilets! Tickets are not cheap. You can pay more than £50 to see a concert at The O2. What about free live music? There are music festivals across Britain every year that are completely free of charge. Last year more than 150,000 people went to the Tramlines free music festival in Sheffield in the north of England. The two-day festival is held every July. Last year there were 900 performances in total including local bands as well as music from all over the world.

Question 7.

True/False

There are no free live music concerts in the UK

4.Music on TV

The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new talented singers. The 'X Factor' of the title refers to the difficult-to-define quality that makes a star. The show began in 2004 and is still popular. X Factor singers perform on a stage in front of the judges and a live audience. After the performance the audience at home can vote by phone for their favourite acts. Many winners then go on to get a UK numberone single. But you don’t have to win The X Factor to become famous: One Direction, the massively popular British boy band, competed in 2010 but they didn’t win, they came third!

Question 8

True/False:

X Factor is a music competition to find new gifted stars

4.Music on TV

The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new talented singers. The 'X Factor' of the title refers to the difficult-to-define quality that makes a star. The show began in 2004 and is still popular. X Factor singers perform on a stage in front of the judges and a live audience. After the performance the audience at home can vote by phone for their favourite acts. Many winners then go on to get a UK numberone single. But you don’t have to win The X Factor to become famous: One Direction, the massively popular British boy band, competed in 2010 but they didn’t win, they came third!

Question 9

True/False:

It's obvious that you can't become famous if you don't participate in the show competition like X Factor.

6.What kind of music?

What are you and your friends listening to these days? Hip hop, dance, rock, heavy metal, rap, urban, reggae … individual tastes are very varied amongst British teenagers. If a type of music exists then there’s somebody who likes it. But a shopping centre in Birmingham, central England, recently discovered what kind of music some local teenagers don’t like. This is what happened: shoppers and shop owners complained to the police about teenagers behaving badly in the shopping centre. When a new sound system started playing Bach, Mozart and Beethoven, the antisocial behaviour stopped. The young people causing problems had gone! Classical music was clearly not popular with these particular teenagers. Are you listening to music as you read this?

Question 10

True/False

Almost all types of music are popular with British teenages

6.What kind of music?

What are you and your friends listening to these days? Hip hop, dance, rock, heavy metal, rap, urban, reggae … individual tastes are very varied amongst British teenagers. If a type of music exists then there’s somebody who likes it. But a shopping centre in Birmingham, central England, recently discovered what kind of music some local teenagers don’t like. This is what happened: shoppers and shop owners complained to the police about teenagers behaving badly in the shopping centre. When a new sound system started playing Bach, Mozart and Beethoven, the antisocial behaviour stopped. The young people causing problems had gone! Classical music was clearly not popular with these particular teenagers. Are you listening to music as you read this?

Question 11

True/False

British teenagers always behave themselves in the shopping cetres.

6.What kind of music?

What are you and your friends listening to these days? Hip hop, dance, rock, heavy metal, rap, urban, reggae … individual tastes are very varied amongst British teenagers. If a type of music exists then there’s somebody who likes it. But a shopping centre in Birmingham, central England, recently discovered what kind of music some local teenagers don’t like. This is what happened: shoppers and shop owners complained to the police about teenagers behaving badly in the shopping centre. When a new sound system started playing Bach, Mozart and Beethoven, the antisocial behaviour stopped. The young people causing problems had gone! Classical music was clearly not popular with these particular teenagers. Are you listening to music as you read this?

Question 12.

True/False

According to the article some music can influence on young people's behaviour.