Spotify and Youth Music back youth access to music
Spotify and Youth Music are helping keep vital youth spaces open by funding music projects across the UK.
Across the UK, many young people are missing out on creative opportunities because the spaces that once supported them are disappearing. Over 1,200 youth centres have shut down since 2010 – about one every week- leaving fewer safe, creative places for young people to connect, explore and develop their skills.
Spotify announced its aims to address this by teaming up with Youth Music through the Open Doors Fund. Supported by Spotify’s Creator Equity Fund, the initiative provides financial help to grassroots spaces like youth centres, helping them run music projects and support young people in developing creative careers.
To spread the message, Spotify and Youth Music launched a campaign that highlights how important these spaces are. Their hero video captures a week in the life of a youth centre, showing the community and creativity that can thrive with the right support. Artist and advocate Kojey Radical also visited Girl Grind UK, a youth space helping young women build confidence and pursue music.
In London, public spaces have been used to highlight youth voices through posters and billboards, while social media efforts invite the public to get involved and spread the message. The campaign also includes the Open Doors playlist, curated alongside Kojey Radical, which celebrates artists who began their careers in grassroots environments and underlines the importance of these spaces.
Spotify brought the campaign into its London office too, hosting an Open Doors Day for young people from 15 funded youth centres. Attendees took part in workshops and met people working in the industry. They also heard from Guvna B and Grammy-nominated songwriter Carla Marie Williams MBE, who shared advice and encouragement.
Youth Music’s latest figures show that 41% of grassroots music projects are now at risk of shutting down – a 17% rise since 2024. Many projects have waiting lists, with 54% of partners unable to meet demand. This echoes what we covered in Youth Music’s emergency appeal earlier this year.
“These spaces are the heart of local communities, giving young people a place to feel connected, inspired, and empowered,” said Matt Griffiths, CEO of Youth Music. Kristin Jarett from Spotify added: “The Open Doors Fund isn’t just about preserving spaces – it’s about powering what’s possible.”
The fund will continue into 2026, helping youth spaces stay open and ensuring music is something young people can access, no matter their background.