THE OTHERS OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY

[wearetheother]

We Are Moving The Needle

[wearetheother]

Dinerstein, J. (2019, April 10). How Billie Holiday and Simone de Beauvoir Invented Cool. Literary Hub. https://lithub.com/how-billie-holiday-and-simone-de-beauvoir-invented-cool/

[wearetheother]

1. Statistics about the Music Industry Reality

When wide access to something is restricted to specific groups of individuals, a lack of diversity arises, and an exclusionary system is developed. People in the music industry rely greatly on publicity, praise, and opportunity to further their careers. To do so, the individual must receive acknowledgment from those in positions of influence within a certain field, which is accomplished through a process of being evaluated in respect to the prevailing culture and its traditions.

The FACTS survey, launched by the female:pressure network in 2013, demonstrates the current state of gender diversity at electronic music festivals. The gender makeup of approximately 400 festival editions from across the world were investigated in the newest edition from 2020, indicating 20.5% female acts, 0.6% non-binary acts, 70.3% male acts, 6.6% gender-mixed acts, and 2.0% undetermined performances. When the survey years were expanded to encompass 2012-2019, entirely female actions accounted for 17.3%, 74% were male, 6.9% were gender-mixed acts, and 1.5% were unidentified. This demonstrates a tiny but significant increase in gender diversity, and the addition of a nonbinary category improves the data for studying inclusivity. Nonetheless, the figures show a significant lack of diversity.

The study “Women in The US Music Industry - Obstacles and Opportunities,” done in 2018 with sponsorship from the Berklee Institute for Creative Entrepreneurship, investigated the overall diversity issue in the music industry. It looked at demographics, employment, and the challenges and opportunities for women in the workplace, demonstrating that women face challenges not only as composers or musical performers, but also in the corporate side of things.

When asked what the largest impediments to their career advancement were, roughly one-third reported gender discrimination, harassment, or abuse.

The respondents were asked if they had been treated differently in the music industry because of their gender, and if their gender had an impact on their work in the music industry. 78% reported being treated differently at work, and 52% thought their gender had an impact on their employment in the music industry. These figures were even higher among women who classified as self-employed or freelancers.

Almost half of respondents expressed they should be more ahead in their career. 44% of white women felt they were falling behind, and 55% of women of color felt the same way. One participant stated that while top-level positions in their organization were 75% male and 25% female, mid- and lower-level positions were 100% female.

Being taken seriously was frequently identified as a struggle for women, as was coping with what they referred to as a "boys' club." Women of color, elderly women, and women with disabilities were recognized to suffer greater challenges.

Race, age, and type of job all influenced how comfortable and supported the women felt at work. Even though most women felt supported at work, white women felt supported nearly 10% more than women of color. Women aged 18 to 24 felt the least at ease, yet the most supported.

Self-employed/freelancers, particularly women in performance, were the least comfortable, whilst those in education and training were the most comfortable.

Regardless of their lack of comfort, 72% of women working in the music industry regarded themselves extremely or moderately satisfied with their primary profession.

Women who had been mentored and had networking opportunities were more likely to earn above $40.000 per year and were happier with their job advancement, making it two instruments for assuring good development.

Over a thousand women who took part in this study advocated for an industry-wide deliberate and active effort to effect change. Among the options given for increasing diversity and inclusion in the music business, among advocacy and leadership, were simply hiring talented women and offering equal opportunity. Essentially, a more diversified sector should aid in the fight against discrimination, abuse, and other systemic concerns.

Lepper, A., MacDonald, C., Kwenda, J., Wilhoite, M., Endo, M., Roll, S., Kirchmayr, S., & Ehmann, T. (2020, March 8). The female:pressure FACTS survey. female:pressure. https://femalepressure.net/

Prior, B., Barra, E., & Kramer, S. (2019). Women in the US music industry: Obstacles and opportunities. Berklee College of Music.

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database and network of women*, AFAB, transgender, transfeminine, transmasculine, intersex (+gender optional), genderqueer, gender nonconfor

"

female:pressure is a transnational online database and network of women*, AFAB, transgender, transfeminine, transmasculine, intersex [+gender optional], genderqueer, gender nonconforming, a-gender and/or non-binary DJs, musicians, composers, producers, visual artists, agents, journalists and researchers working in the realms of electronic music and visual arts. It is a publicly accessible source of information, a means of communication and a tool to disclose the existence and the work of women*, non-binary, transgender and gender fluid people in this seemingly cis-male dominated field.

Founded by Vienna based Electric Indigo in 1998, female:pressure is the technological answer to the recurring assertions of an alleged lack of female* artists in this field. The project started out as a simple html list until Viennese media artist and open source expert Andrea Mayr programmed the database in 2001. With about 180 listed artists from 19 countries 20 years ago, female:pressure can now be proud of including over 3000 members from 86 countries [August 2023]. Members can log in and update their individual profile, most of the profiles link to the artists' web pages and contain contact information.

"Why are there so few women in the electronic music scene?" We have heard this question countless times. While we think that the perceived lack of gender diversity is caused by a complex combination of societal factors, experience shows that women* are hardly less active. In fact, their activities are less recognised and additionally often forgotten in historiography. Raising visibility [and audibility] of players in the electronic music scenes is therefore one of our main goals."

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Prior, B., Barra, E., & Kramer, S. (2019). Women in the US music industry: Obstacles and opportunities. Berklee College of Music.

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Smith, S. L., Pieper, K., Hernandez, K., & Wheeler, S. (2023). Inclusion in the Recording Studio? Gender & Race/Ethnicity of Artists, Songwriters & Producers across 1,100 Popular Songs from 2012 to 2022.

[wearetheother]

Smith, S. L., Pieper, K., Hernandez, K., & Wheeler, S. (2023). Inclusion in the Recording Studio? Gender & Race/Ethnicity of Artists, Songwriters & Producers across 1,100 Popular Songs from 2012 to 2022.

[wearetheother]

Smith, S. L., Pieper, K., Hernandez, K., & Wheeler, S. (2023). Inclusion in the Recording Studio? Gender & Race/Ethnicity of Artists, Songwriters & Producers across 1,100 Popular Songs from 2012 to 2022.

[wearetheother]

Smith, S. L., Pieper, K., Hernandez, K., & Wheeler, S. (2023). Inclusion in the Recording Studio? Gender & Race/Ethnicity of Artists, Songwriters & Producers across 1,100 Popular Songs from 2012 to 2022.

[wearetheother]

Smith, S. L., Pieper, K., Hernandez, K., & Wheeler, S. (2023). Inclusion in the Recording Studio? Gender & Race/Ethnicity of Artists, Songwriters & Producers across 1,100 Popular Songs from 2012 to 2022.

[wearetheother]

Solutions for Change

"The findings in this year’s report reveal that while women artists have increased in popular music, there is still room for growth. What can the industry do to create change? While the simplest solution is to hire women, our solutions are designed to facilitate the hiring process.

Use Each Song as An Opportunity to Onboard Women.

As noted above, more than half of songs in the sample did not have a woman songwriter, and the majority were missing women producers. The process of creating a song is collaborative, and until women are involved in the process, we will continue to see the numbers lag.

Efforts such as Women in the Mix have failed not because a pledge is ineffective, but because of a lack of follow through and the failure to provide tools to pledge-takers. Individuals who have made a commitment to hire women on their songs must honor that commitment—and, importantly, must do so on the songs that are likely to be released and reach audiences.

Support Pipeline Programs.

One excuse for not hiring more women in music is that there a sufficient number of women are not available to be hired. While we question this perception, one method for bolstering the number of women entering the profession is to support pipeline programs. Efforts such as She Is The Music, the EQL program, and Women’s Audio Mission all work to support women as they build their experience and expertise in music. Rather than engaging efforts that remain unsuccessful such as Women in the Mix, artists who are looking for ways to bring more women into the creative process can look to these programs to recruit and hire talented professionals.

Remove Barriers to Career Progress.

The reasons for women’s exclusion in music have been illuminated in other reports. Women are stereotyped—in terms of the types of songs and genres they can create, and into the roles they can play they are sexualized, and their talents and experience are discounted. The pipeline programs noted above are designed to address these barriers, but there is more to do. As stated earlier, women must be hired, and they require allies and champions—men and women—throughout the industry who will help demolish barriers. Industry change must be a community effort, and until those who control access and opportunity realize the role they can play, progress for women will continue to move slowly."

Smith, S. L., Pieper, K., Hernandez, K., & Wheeler, S. (2023). Inclusion in the Recording Studio? Gender & Race/Ethnicity of Artists, Songwriters & Producers across 1,100 Popular Songs from 2012 to 2022.

[wearetheother]

Conclusions

"Each year, this investigation examines the gender and race/ethnicity of artists, songwriters, and producers responsible for the songs on the Billboard Hot 100 Year-End Chart. The study spans 2012 to 2022, with 11 years and 1,100 songs represented. We also assessed Grammy® nominations in major categories across the past 11 years. Major findings from the investigation are reviewed below, alongside solutions for change.

Progress for Women Performers in Popular Music

For the first year since this report’s inception, there was significant progress for women both over time and from year-to-year. In 2022, 30% of the artists on the Billboard Hot 100 Year-End Chart were women. While this is a far cry from the proportion of women in the U.S. population, it does represent growth. Women continued to be most likely to appear on the charts as individual artists, rather than as duos or band members. Despite the gains for women performers, women behind the scenes saw little change. The percentage of women songwriters and producers remains roughly stagnant, and does not reflect the many talented women working across the music industry. Moreover, the top male songwriters were responsible for nearly a quarter of all the songs appearing on the chart in the past 11 years. The findings indicate that the careers of women songwriters and producers are still impeded by a web of barriers and impediments that restrict opportunities for work.

Women of Color Continue to Face Challenges

Women of color saw significant gains as artists, despite dips for underrepresented artists overall. Thus, the contributions women of color make to the music industry as performers appear to be acknowledged and celebrated. However, these gains reflect a limited repertoire—underrepresented artists were far less likely to work in specific genres such as country or alternative music, including women of color. Ensuring that women of color have opportunities as artists across the music business is imperative.

Similarly, women of color as songwriters and producers continue to face barriers and limited access. Only 3 women of color were producers in 2022, all of them on songs for which they were also credited as artists. Thus, the talents and expertise of women of color producers and songwriters remain untapped across the most popular songs of the year.

Grammy® Nominations Remain Gender-Biased

Only 15.2% of Grammy® nominees in major categories were women in 2023. This was in line with the downturn experienced in 2022, after reaching a high point in 2021. The Grammy® nominations in these categories expanded to 10 nominees and included featuring artists in 2022. Thus, it is important to note that the changes observed more likely reflect a biased nomination process than a lack of talented and worthy work from women. Women did experience some gains in particular categories this year, and half of the nominees for Best New Artists were women. The addition of the Songwriter of the Year category is one that could be a place where women’s contributions are recognized—this year, 60% of the inaugural nominees were women. White women and women of color continue to be nominated in roughly equal degrees, with some change over time such that underrepresented women were more likely to be nominated in 2023.

However, both groups were outpaced in the sheer number of nominations awarded to men at the highest level. As the Grammy® nominations reflect recognition and industry respect, and may also confer financial benefits to nominees, the lack of women and women of color nominated is concerning."

Smith, S. L., Pieper, K., Hernandez, K., & Wheeler, S. (2023). Inclusion in the Recording Studio? Gender & Race/Ethnicity of Artists, Songwriters & Producers across 1,100 Popular Songs from 2012 to 2022.

[wearetheother]

Smith, S. L., Pieper, K., Hernandez, K., & Wheeler, S. (2023). Inclusion in the Recording Studio? Gender & Race/Ethnicity of Artists, Songwriters & Producers across 1,100 Popular Songs from 2012 to 2022.

[wearetheother]

Book more women. BOOK MORE WOMEN. (n.d.-a). https://www.bookmorewomen.com/

[wearetheother]

Book more women. BOOK MORE WOMEN. (n.d.-a). https://www.bookmorewomen.com/

[wearetheother]

Book more women. BOOK MORE WOMEN. (n.d.-a). https://www.bookmorewomen.com/

[wearetheother]

Siren Nation | Promoting women in the arts since 2005

Siren Nation's mission is to inspire and empower women to create their own art, to build community, and to highlight the many achievements o

"Our mission is to inspire and empower women and people of all marginalized genders to create art, and to highlight their many achievements in the arts.

Founded in 2005, Siren Nation is a nonprofit arts organization that fulfills our mission by creating year-round performance, exhibition, and educational opportunities in multiple art forms."