According to several studies, women account for only 6.5% of producers in the music industry, as opposed to 27% of recording artists and 20% of songwriters. As a whole, female representation across the music industry has been on a steady rise over the last few years. But the production sector still seems to be lagging behind the others. So why is this proportion exceptionally big in production, and what can we do about it?
There are no physical barriers stopping women from becoming producers. All the technology is at our fingertips, so becoming a producer is easier now than it’s ever been. Equipment is widely available and affordable, and social media has made networking extremely easy. Looking at the history of the music industry, women have always been offered opportunities in performing, but never production - until very recently. We're seeing women taking over the production scene and using social media to promote themselves, with examples like Lara Raj from the global girl group KATSEYE showing off her production skills on her socials and Sølv, a triple-threat singer-songwriter-producer, talking about her experience as an independent artist on her TikTok.
Now, with the rise of female producers, the female community is stronger than ever in the music industry. We're seeing female-only collaborations, recording studios and even record companies. Women are seizing every single opportunity we're handed and building powerful networks and communities.
I don’t believe that women have any less potential to produce great music than men, so there’s no reason to discriminate between genders. Producers, artists and songwriters need to be able to work in a cohesive unit - regardless of gender. The team you choose to create for a project should be based on skill, passion and teamwork. That is what will ensure a successful final product.
We're now seeing more female producers popping up all over the place, and, on top of that, female singer-songwriters are also starting to teach themselves how to produce, mix and master their own tracks. This ties in with the rise of DIY artists and is also the reason why our Amplify Her community is growing exponentially - people feel so connected to each other due to our shared struggle. It’s all these small steps that will eventually build the democratised industry we hope to work in.
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