The position of women in music generally reflects the position of women in society. A Parliamentary committee in the UK recently released a report which began by laying out some of the issues that women face in the music industry. It makes sobering reading, so we have copied out some passages from “Misogyny in Music” below.
We have also assembled a playlist with more than eight hours of material by women that deserves more airtime. Yes, Spotify has plenty to answer for, but it is where the greatest quantity of music could be found to make the playlist. By all means, look up the artists off Spotify and buy their music and merch from Bandcamp or other sites.
1. Women are underrepresented in key roles in the music industry. Positions of authority, from senior leadership through to roles in Artists and Repertoire and production have historically been more likely to be occupied by men. This is reflected in the unequal representation of female artists in the rosters of artists at major record labels, in airtime, streaming and as headliners at music festivals.
2. In many levels of the industry female representation is improving, in part due to the support of a myriad of targeted programmes, but in certain areas progress is slow and shackled by discrimination, misogyny and sexual abuse in an industry that is still routinely described as a “boys’ club”. Women seeking careers in music continue to face unjustifiable limitations in opportunity, a lack of support, gender discrimination and sexual harassment as well as the “persistent issue of equal pay” in a sector dominated by self-employment. These issues are intensified for artists faced with intersectional barriers.
3. Abuse and discrimination are not unique to the industry but they are amplified in music by the high number of freelance workers in the sector—which gives rise to significant power imbalances in working relationships and precarious employment practices—and the informal nature of many workplaces which, together with late-night working, often in places where alcohol and drugs are available, can result in women working in environments that are unsafe. None of these concerns will come as a surprise to anyone with knowledge of the sector; the question we asked repeatedly in this inquiry and one which the industry must continue to ask itself is why these concerns persist and how they can be better tackled.
We have the same question. As an industry, we must do better. As a society, we must do better. And not just on the 8th of March.