Resources, Initiatives and Organisations Working Towards a Representative Music Industry

Today we have collated resources, initiatives and organisations that highlight a handful of ways to be expansive in your online activity, such as intersectional considerations, genres, composers, changing and challenging the perceived male dominated areas of live music, and searchable global locations opening up a plethora of cultural richness and contexts. The broad scope of the music industry from all angles, whether a consumer, music professional, music researcher, booker etc. we encourage you to diversify your searches and the way you approach it.

COMPOSER DIVERSITY DATABASE

Taking into account, but not limited to, gender, racial demographics and genres, the Institute for Composer Diversity’s Database contains the profiles of composers from underrepresented groups. This is an evolving tool with new composers and works added regularly. If you are a composer who wants to be added, please submit a profile!

THE EQL DIRECTORY

The EQL Directory seeks to bring the industry worldwide towards gender parity by uplifting and promoting the work of women and gender nonconforming people in production and sound engineering. The all women database includes trans women and people who are non-binary. The searchable directory of audio professionals enables users to showcase their work, market their skills, and reach out to each other for collaboration and networking.

FEMALE:PRESSURE

Female:Pressure is a transnational network of database and network of women*, AFAB, transgender, transfeminine, transmasculine, intersex (+gender optional), genderqueer, gender nonconforming, a-gender or/and non-binary artists in electronic music and digital arts. A worldwide resource of talent that can be searched after criteria like location, profession, style or name. 

WOMEN IN LIVE MUSIC

Women in Live Music [WILM] is a European platform and online community for women working in live music; this includes various ‘behind the scene’ roles: Sound Engineers, Tour Managers, Lighting Designers, Riggers, Backliners, Stage Managers, Stagehands and more. Browse the crew list! 

BLACK WOMEN’S MUSIC DATABASE

Black Women’s Music Database chronicles over 600 Africana singers, songwriters, composers, and musicians from around the world. The project encourages interdisciplinary research, expand creative production, facilitate community building and, most importantly, to recognize and support Black women’s creative genius. This database will be useful for music scholars and ethnomusicologists, music historians, and contemporary performers, as well as general audiences and music therapists.

ResourcesAysha Hussain