Making Music
A United Kingdom membership organisation supporting leisure-time music groups and the people who run, perform in and present them.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Making Music is a United Kingdom membership organisation and registered charity serving leisure-time music groups across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Its members include choirs, orchestras, concert bands, music clubs, ensembles and other groups that make or present music outside the professional sector. The organisation represents more than 200,000 musicians and promoters of different ages, abilities, musical interests and levels of experience. The organisation originated as the National Federation of Music Societies, or NFMS, which was established in York on 23 February 1935. Its creation responded to the economic pressures of the Great Depression. Amateur music societies were struggling to remain viable, while professional musicians were losing engagements because choirs, orchestras and music clubs could no longer afford to mount as many performances. Regional federations were therefore brought together to improve coordination, exchange information and repertoire, reduce clashes between concert dates and make professional artist tours more practical for local societies. Making Music's work combines representation, practical support, networking and artistic development. It advocates for participation in music making and communicates the needs of leisure-time music groups to governments, funders and other decision-makers. It also provides guidance on matters such as concert promotion, membership growth, committee responsibilities, musical-director recruitment, safeguarding and criminal-record checks. Members can access selected discounts, including arrangements connected with professional artist bookings, as well as resources such as repertoire information, programme notes and a sheet-music exchange. The organisation has also played a long-standing role in public arts funding. From its earliest years it distributed support from the Carnegie UK Trust and later administered funding associated with the Council for the Encouragement of Music and the Arts and the Arts Council of Great Britain. Although national administration of funds for amateur music groups in England ended in 1984, related regional arrangements continued in parts of England until 2007. Making Music also administered regional support in Scotland until the Scottish Arts Council was replaced by Creative Scotland in 2011. In 2000, the NFMS adopted the name Making Music to better reflect the variety of the leisure-time music sector and the breadth of its membership. The organisation continues to operate through a London office, staff teams and country or regional managers working with volunteers. Its governance is provided by a voluntary Board of Trustees alongside the chief executive and employees responsible for administration, finance, member services, communications and development. Making Music also works with musical, media and charitable partners to create performance, learning and audience-development opportunities. In September 2023 it ended its membership insurance schemes after its partnership with Marsh and RSA Insurance Group concluded.
History
Making Music was founded in York on 23 February 1935 under the name National Federation of Music Societies. Its formation was linked to the economic difficulties of the Great Depression and their effect on both amateur music societies and professional performers. Choirs, orchestras, music clubs and other local societies were finding it harder to sustain concerts, while professional musicians faced fewer bookings because amateur organisations were reducing their activity. Before the national federation was formed, regional groupings had begun coordinating local societies. By the end of 1934, eleven regional federations represented 486 societies. The federations sought to exchange information and music, coordinate concert calendars, prevent competing events from being scheduled at the same time and arrange tours by professional artists. Pooling demand made it more feasible for local groups to engage performers and present ambitious programmes. The regional organisations subsequently united as the NFMS with support from the Carnegie UK Trust and at the initiative of Frederick Woodhouse of the Incorporated Society of Musicians. Sir George Dyson became the federation's first chairman and president. A significant part of the organisation's early and middle history involved public funding. In 1935, the NFMS distributed financial support from the Carnegie UK Trust to music societies. When the Council for the Encouragement of Music and the Arts was established, the federation was invited to allocate support to larger performing societies and music clubs that fell outside the Carnegie arrangements. This funding function continued after CEMA became the Arts Council of Great Britain in 1945. The NFMS stopped administering national funds for amateur music groups in England in 1984, although it continued to administer certain regional funds supplied by English Regional Arts Boards until 2007. In Scotland, it continued administering support on behalf of the Scottish Arts Council until that body was replaced by Creative Scotland in 2011. The organisation changed its public name to Making Music in 2000. The new name was intended to represent the variety of activities and musical genres within the leisure-time sector more accurately than the older federation terminology. Its remit encompasses groups that perform, present or participate in music across a wide range of styles, rather than focusing on one type of ensemble or repertoire. In its current form, Making Music is a registered charity with a London office and staff or managers supporting members across the four nations of the United Kingdom. A voluntary Board of Trustees oversees the organisation alongside the chief executive. Its services include practical advice, training, networking, advocacy, artistic opportunities, repertoire assistance, programme information, sheet-music exchange, artist-booking arrangements, safeguarding guidance, criminal-record-check advice and support with music-licensing or royalty matters. The organisation has developed partnerships with broadcasters, arts bodies, charities and music organisations, including BBC Radio 3, Classic FM, the Southbank Centre, the Musicians Benevolent Fund, Sound and Music, the PRS for Music Foundation, St Martin-in-the-Fields, Sing Up, the British Association of Barbershop Singers and Superact. In September 2023, Making Music ceased providing insurance schemes through membership after its relationship with Marsh and RSA Insurance Group ended. This represented a change to the practical services attached to membership, while the organisation retained its broader role as a representative, advisory and development body for leisure-time music groups.
- 2023
Membership insurance schemes discontinued
[1]Insurance schemes were removed from the membership service offering after the partnership with Marsh and RSA Insurance Group ended.
- 2011
Scottish funding role concludes
[1]Making Music's administration of Scottish Arts Council funds continued until the council was replaced by Creative Scotland.
- 2000
NFMS adopts the Making Music name
[1]The organisation rebranded as Making Music to reflect the diversity of leisure-time music and its membership.
- 1984
National English funding administration ends
[1]The organisation stopped administering national funds for amateur music groups in England, although regional arrangements continued for some years.
- 1945
Funding role continues under the Arts Council
[1]After CEMA became the Arts Council of Great Britain, the federation continued allocating support to eligible music societies and clubs.
- 1935
National Federation of Music Societies founded
[1]The regional federations united in York on 23 February 1935 to create the National Federation of Music Societies.
- 1934
Regional federations represent hundreds of societies
[1]By the end of 1934, eleven Regional Federations of Music Societies represented 486 societies and were coordinating information, music exchange and concert activity.
Products and positioning
A national membership and advocacy body for community-based, amateur and leisure-time music making, combining practical organisational support with artistic development and sector representation.
Membership services
Making Music Membership
The organisation's core offering supports leisure-time music groups with advice, resources, discounts, networking, advocacy and development opportunities. Membership is intended for groups and promoters rather than for a consumer music audience, and covers practical, artistic and administrative needs across the United Kingdom.
Repertoire and music resources
Music Bank
Music Bank helps member groups search for repertoire and access related musical information. It forms part of Making Music's broader artistic-support role, which also includes programme notes, a sheet-music exchange and opportunities for groups to develop their programmes and audiences.
Performance services
Artist booking support
Making Music selects professional artists and negotiates rates or discounted booking arrangements for leisure-time music groups. The service continues the federation's historical role in helping local societies present professional performers in financially viable concert programmes.
Licensing support
PRS for Music royalty support
The organisation offers a royalty-payment scheme connected with PRS for Music, helping member groups address music-licensing obligations associated with their performances.
Guidance and training
Safeguarding and administration resources
Resources cover child protection, criminal-record checks, concert marketing, membership development, committee duties and recruitment of musical directors. These services address the governance and operational challenges commonly faced by volunteer-led music organisations.
Brand decisions
2023
Insurance schemes removed from membership servicesOtherBackground
The partnership between Making Music, insurance broker Marsh and underwriter RSA Insurance Group ended.
Action taken
From September 2023, Making Music stopped offering insurance schemes as a membership service.
Aftermath
Insurance ceased to be part of the membership package; no further financial impact is specified in the available reference material.
2000
Rebrand from NFMS to Making MusicStrategyBackground
The organisation considered its federation-era name less representative of the broad and diverse leisure-time music sector it served.
Action taken
It adopted Making Music as its public name while continuing its membership, advocacy and support functions.
Aftermath
The new identity positioned the organisation around participation and music making across genres and types of ensemble.
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