We know that things are dire when it comes to gender balance – but why do we look to statistics so often? Without statistics, you wouldn’t be able to identify areas of action and determine progress. What we love about reports is that not only does it give us detail on what we think we know, but how this ties in with research and analysis, which ultimately leads to recommendations and solutions to take a practical approach in the music industry. Through collective action in these recommended areas, providing solutions is what we appreciate and why we continue to look at research and the outcomes that equip us. There is no one-hat-fits-all solution, and therefore we gather a range of research where we can to cover the breadth of needs. Whether you’re a music festival, booking agent, label, publishing house (and more!), we think you will find the following resources useful in some way to action change:

Counting the Music Industry (Vick Bain)

Counting the Music Industry uncovers how the UK music industry professionally supports female musicians compared to male musicians and shows there is a deficit of women; the gender gap in music. This can be determined by focussing on the gender balance of those who are signed to labels and publishers.

About Vick Bain: A Henley Business School MBA graduate, Vick Bain has extensive experience as a CEO in the music industry.

Parents & Carers in Performing Arts (PiPA) Covid Report

Parents and carers have been under relentless pressure since the first UK wide Covid related lockdown in March 2020, facing round the clock caring and home-schooling responsibilities. Many carers and parents have also taken on additional caring responsibilities for elderly and vulnerable people affected by Covid. The purpose of this research, conducted in October 2020, is to investigate the impact of Covid on people with intersectional caring responsibilities working in the performing arts.

Time to Act (On The Move)

Time to Act: How lack of knowledge in the cultural sector creates barriers for disabled artists and audiences - A research report authored by On The Move, and commissioned by the British Council in the context of Europe Beyond Access. Spanning 42 countries, Time To Act provides the first transnational evidence that lack of knowledge in the mainstream cultural sector is a key barrier preventing disabled artists and arts professionals participating equally in European culture.

Inclusion in the Recording Studio? (USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative)

The study, “Inclusion in the Recording Studio?” is the fifth annual report on the music industry from Stacy L. Smith and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. The report, funded by Spotify, provides a comprehensive industry update on inclusion across the Billboard Hot 100 Year-End Chart. Specifically, the study examines the artists, songwriters, and producers credited on each of the 1,000 songs on this popular chart from 2012 to 2021. The investigation also quantitatively analyzes the gender and race/ethnicity of every individual in those three roles.

UK Music Diversity Report (2020)

This is the third time UK Music has published the findings of the Workforce Diversity Survey. The first survey was launched in 2016, following the formation of the UK Music Diversity Taskforce in 2015. In line with the UK Music Diversity Taskforce’s mission statement, the findings in this report are sharply focused on ethnicity and gender. The report also contains a proactive Ten-Point Plan for inclusion.