Women In Music: Closing the Gap

Earlier this year, the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative released Inclusion in the Recording Studio?: Gender and Race/Ethnicity of Artists, Songwriters & Producers across 600 Popular Songs from 2012-2017; a study that sheds light on the gender inequity in popular music.

Focusing in on 600 popular songs, the study records and reports the gender distribution of the performance, songwriting, and producing credits on each. Their findings were stark, especially with regards to music production: the ratio of male to female producers was a staggering 49:1. Of the 651 producers found in the study, only 13 were women, and only 2 of those thirteen were women of color. 

While the music business does better in terms of diversity than other entertainment industries — 42% of artists are from minority groups, and 50% of female artists on the Billboard charts are women of color — this study shows that there is clearly still work to be done. “These findings really punctuate that there is a lot of work to be done, not only on the artistic side but in regards to who is getting access to content creation as songwriters and producers of content,” study author Dr. Stacy L. Smith told Billboard.

Data like this are why here at Gender Amplified, we find it so crucial to emphasize the importance of empowering women in music writing, engineering, and production — women in music have been overlooked for centuries, and we believe its time to change that.

We aren’t the only ones — countless groups and organizations share our goal of celebrating and supporting women in the music industry. SISTER Collective acts as a virtual community for women and gender non-conforming folks in music; Female Frequency releases music created entirely by women; Women Produce Music is a network promoting woman-produced music.

Are you ready to join the effort? Keep these findings in mind, and use them to shape how you consume music. Next time you discover a new hit song or musical group, pay attention to the genders of the singers, writers, and producers. Make a conscious effort to find new music that centers the voices and talents of women. Pay special attention to female musicians of color, and to women creating music in genres outside of pop.

“Let companies and artists know that females writing songs matter,” says Smith. “Start to create that national conversation so that young women and young people of color are aware of inequalities that are going on and can be part of the solution.” Together, we can change the narrative surrounding women in music from one of invisibility to one of capability, celebration, and power.