Walking the Walk: Tactics to Boost Diversity & Inclusion NOW
Music Biz 2024
Bryse Thornwell is speaking on the panel, "Walking the Walk: Tactics to Boost Diversity & Inclusion NOW" at the Music Biz 2024 Annual Conference on May 16, 2024.
About the panel...
Gaps in gender data and the scarcity of trend data make it difficult to monitor progress for women and girls across all aspects of daily life — from issues of public health and sexual violence to improving equality among genders in the workplace. Some progress has been made to mainstream gender data into national statistical strategies and prioritize it in data collection, but it’s not nearly enough.
In order to take the first step toward using data analytics to answer gender equity questions for the music industry, Chartmetric created a database of 9.7 million artists, approximately 835K of which have pronouns listed in their DSP bios. The goal of this pronoun and gender dataset — which is part of their larger Make Music Equal initiative — was to create a platform for gender equity where record labels, publishers, brands, booking agencies, sync teams, and more can balance their rosters, shows, and other content to uplift voices that are less heard but no less important. Looking at topline data from the near real-time tracker, more than four times as many artists use he/him pronouns than use she/her pronouns. They/them pronouns account for just over 5% of artists. While equity numbers among music business professionals are an improvement over these artist numbers, they are nowhere near equal. In the studio, We Are Moving the Needle’s 2023 Fix the Mix report found that men outnumber women and non-binary producers and engineers 19:1.
As the industry continues to state its commitments to gender equality, we must hold those in power accountable and make sure their words are more than performative. This requires uplifting women in music at every stage, from those just starting their careers to ensuring representation on the executive level.
In this discussion we will focus on how we all can — labels, artists, producers, mixers, engineers, PROs, men, women, non-binary individuals — work together to close the vast gender gap. We will explore innovative strategies and real-world tactics employed by industry leaders to foster diversity and inclusion. Join us to learn the reality of the current gender imbalance in the industry, and discover how the music industry can harmonize its efforts for a more inclusive future with the execs actively working to effect change.
Click here to learn more about Music Biz 2024.