Women’s History Month
As Women’s History Month comes to a close, I wanted to take a moment to look at the 2025 report “Inclusion in the Music Business” from the team at USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, in partnership with Believe and Tunecore.
The stats, in summary
They examined ‘the rank and title of 2,793 executives across 106 companies in the music space’ and had 3 key findings:
1) Senior leadership teams trend male and white
84.2% of top leadership roles are white men
2) Executive ranks are hard to climb
43.9% women at the VP level, dropping to 25.6% at the Chief/President level
Only 10% of executives were women of color.
3) Industry sectors differ in representation
Music distribution has the highest percentage of women executives at 47.8%, approximately on par with their male counterparts
Streaming (37.2% women, 7.5% women of color) and publishing (37.6% women, 6.9% women of color) are at the bottom for industry sectors
There is no mention or indication of female ownership across any of the sectors.
My experiences
I started my career in music in an all female department. Early on, I never really thought too much about the senior rankings of the white men in charge, as there were many layers between where I was and where they were. In the years since my career began, however, the disparity is coming to light with studies like this one.
My career growth probably looks like a textbook version of success - from administrator to VP. I’ll admit that I often felt unsure if I’d get past VP. This was in part because the opportunities are slim, but also because I wasn’t really sure if the boys club at the top was a place where I wanted to be. I’ve heard stories and been in meetings where the ‘vibes were off’ (so to speak). Additionally, if anybody is struggling with imposter syndrome in a situation like that, it’s more likely to be a woman (especially a woman of color).
“At some point in our lives, data shows that at least 70 percent of us will experience imposter syndrome—that nagging feeling that we are not good enough despite clear evidence to the contrary. Imposter syndrome leads people to doubt their skills, talents, and accomplishments and makes them feel as if they are deceiving others.” (Psychology Today, 2024)
My friend has said to approach all situations with “the confidence of a white male” and, while it’s a simple statement, perhaps it’s more true than we realize.
The parent trap
A few years ago, somebody expressed to me that they felt getting pregnant was career suicide for them. They were trying to strategically position themselves for a promotion, but the timing of the pregnancy was likely to derail those efforts. This is the reality for many women who also have aspirations to become mothers. An average of 24% of women (NIH, 2024) leave the workforce in their first year of motherhood.
All too often, I’ve heard stories of women who were in executive positions and sending work emails from the delivery room, or going back to work shortly after delivery without honoring the recovery time for their body and baby. The pressure to return too soon, not skipping a beat for fear of being passed over, is insanity.
As a working mom, I led a 3-day in person training while pumping breastmilk for my second child. Each segment was meticulously planned with breaks in between so that I could run across the hotel and pump in a quiet room they had set aside for me. I was lucky that my (female and very understanding) department head was accommodating, knowing that I was qualified to lead the training, rather than denying me the opportunity due to my pumping needs. It should be noted that additional protections for lactating mothers have since been put in place - CA Labor Code SB 142 (2019) and the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers (PUMP) Act (2022).
In my case, having children didn’t prevent me from eventually getting desired promotions, but I felt consciously that it slowed down the process during those years. In many ways I was just grateful that I had supervisors that afforded me the flexibility to tend to kid-related issues without giving me a hard time. I still put in the time and delivered high-quality work but, reflecting upon it after the fact, I was in a holding pattern on career progress.
Solving the problem
“At a time when companies face external pressure to remain silent on their efforts to cultivate a diverse and inclusive workforce, this study reveals that the music industry remains a place that needs strategies to expand inclusion in its executive ranks.” (Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, 2025)
Some of the industry solutions provided in the paper include:
specific and measurable criteria for hiring and promotion, countering the bias that currently favors white males
allowing flexible pathways to promotion, which might consider factors such as caregiving (which may have stymied my own career) and be beneficial for employee satisfaction and wellbeing across the board
sector-driven solutions, which respect the types of skills needed for the type of work performed, but removing biases (such as representation of women in technology or finance roles)
In general, whether out here independently, or within the structural mechanisms of the music companies evaluated, I hope that awareness can bring action. Realistically, there is still much more to be done to make the industry a safe and inclusive space.
There is no shortage of strong, capable female talent. A gentle, nurturing approach to leadership shouldn’t be considered a weakness, just as an opinionated female executive shouldn’t be considered “bitchy” - characteristics that wouldn’t be applied to male counterparts.
On a hopeful note
Since being laid off and starting this company, it has been incredible to find many women (many of whom were also affected by layoffs in various forms), now on the “outside” and forging a new path.
There are women (and allies) out here building community, raising each other’s voices, and coming together in ways which will hopefully bring overall positive change for our industry.
I won’t name names here, as there are too many to mention, but just know that I see you and support you.
Finally
If you are a woman looking to find your voice in the music industry, there are a number of organizations that may be able to help you find your place. To name a few:
There is a more comprehensive list here.
If you are a man in the industry, consider your position as an ally - support and donate to initiatives that uplift your female colleagues, mentor a woman on how to breakthrough existing barriers, and actively work to remove existing bias that may be holding them back. I assure you that the industry will be a better place for it.