BPI promotes recorded music in the UK & worldwide and champions the rights and interests of over 500 members including hundreds of independent labels, the UK's three major record companies Sony Music, Universal Music and Warner Music and a number of other music companies. BPI membership accounts for around 85 per cent of the recorded music consumed in the UK – the world’s third largest music market – while in 2018 British artists claimed one in every eight albums sold around the world. BPI’s Content Protection work and portal helps to protect its members’ recorded music content whilst its Research Department publishes BPI’s annual Music Market yearbook and monthly market reports as a leading source of authoritative industry data. BPI further supports its members with free training courses to ensure they are up-to-date with changing industry trends. To promote British music overseas, BPI works with DIT and other partners to organise a series of international trade missions, providing members with the opportunity to break into new markets and grow their business. BPI also administers the Music Export Growth Scheme (MEGS), which to date has distributed over £4.6m in support of around 300 UK music projects, generating £55.5 million in exports revenue for the British music economy. BPI owns and organises the annual BRIT Awards, with substantial proceeds going to the BRIT Trust, BPI’s charitable arm that has donated over £16m to education-related causes, including the world-famous BRIT School, Nordoff Robbins and War Child. BPI works with and supports a wide range of community-focused initiatives and organisations, including The BIG Music Project, and Creative Access, which promotes diversity across the industry. The BPI is now also home to The Mercury Prize, while it co-owns the Official Charts with the retailers’ association ERA. BPI administers the iconic Platinum, Gold and Silver Awards Programme, which certifies recordings as they achieve various milestones.