Business leaders rate music highly for workplace skills - yet fewer young children in the UK have the opportunity to study it at school than at any point in a generation.

This comes at a time when almost half of British adults (49%) rank music as the UK's greatest export to the world, ahead of scientific research (28%), technology innovation (24%) and manufacturing (18%).

These findings come from the Royal College of Music’s audience insights report, which surveyed 2,000 UK adults and 302 business leaders to explore their attitudes to music, music education and the skills that employers need and value most.

Business leader views on plugging skills gaps in the workplace

The Royal College of Music study explored the skills employers look for in graduate hires - and music emerged as the subject rated most highly across all seven competency areas surveyed: communication skills, creativity and innovation, teamwork and collaboration, problem solving, adaptability and flexibility, leadership skills and time management.

Music ranked against 12 subjects across key workplace skills

Skill area needed	Where music ranks (of 12 subjects surveyed)	Overall top 3
Communication skills	2nd =	English (61%)   Music (46%)   Drama (46%)
Creativity and innovation	1st	Music (65%)   Drama (59%)   Film studies/podcasts (44%)
Team work and collaboration	1st	Music (54%)   Drama (50%)   Sport (42%)
Problem solving	4th	Maths (61%)   Technology (53%)   Engineering (40%)
Adaptability and flexibility	1st	Music (53%)   Drama (47%)   Sport (36%)
Leadership skills	6th	Law (39%)   Drama (36%)   English Lit (36%)
Time management	3rd	Maths (41%)   Technology (40%)   Music (38%)

At a time when music GCSE and A-Level are falling, these findings make a compelling case for reassessment - not just of careers in music, but of the transferable skills a music education uniquely develops.

The importance of music as a key subject at school

The research explored public attitudes to a range of school subjects. When asked which correlated with Britain’s greatest exports and international leadership, music scored very highly across the board. But when parents were asked which subjects to encourage their children to pursue - GCSEs and A-Levels in mind - views shifted. This reflects the cumulative effect of successive governments prioritising STEM subjects and signposting STEM-led career pathways.

Business decision makers saw it differently. Technology was their top choice (54%), but music was significantly more valued by business leaders than it was by the UK consumer national average (50% vs 37%). Design technology (39%), drama (25%) and film studies (23%) were also more highly rated - a clear pattern of business leaders placing greater weight on creative subjects, and in a number of cases rating them above maths and science.

Which subjects should be encouraged for more children at school?

Technology	54%
Music	50%
Science	44%
Engineering	41%
Design Technology	39%
Sport	33%
English literature	32%
Maths	30%
Drama	25%
Law	23%
Film studies	23%
Fashion	23%

The Royal College of Music’s report argues for a broad, coordinated coalition to sustain and grow music’s future. Government, business, philanthropists, conservatories, schools, the UK’s performing groups, streaming platforms and community organisations each have an essential role to play. The research suggests the business community is ready to step up -- and is looking for the structures that would allow it to do so.

Business leaders are telling us something important: music builds the skills they actually need. The creativity, adaptability, teamwork and communication competences that employers say are hardest to find -- these are exactly what a music education develops. At a time when music is being quietly squeezed out of schools, that case needs to be made loudly and often. Music is one of the greatest exports we can be proud of as a country, and this research further demonstrates that music not only serves society but also drives business and growth for the benefit of the UK.