When it comes to the music industry, women are killing it. Just ask Beyonce, Taylor Swift, and Pink, who Forbes recently ranked as the top three highest-earning women in music respectively. Swift just became this year’s first platinum-selling artist and even ladies who didn’t make it to the list, like Adele, rank among the most successful artists in today’s music scene.
But all it takes is a cursory glance at the credits on their albums before a less empowering image begins to form. Though the artists that adorn the album covers may be ladies, it’s mostly dudes who are doing all the producing and engineering.
In fact, for many, like Adele, Lorde, and Kelis, just to name a few, their collaborations with a specific renowned male producer is a point of note in any bio or feature article.
While Beyonce took a production role on her hit-spawning 2008 album I Am… Sasha Fierce, true to form, she remains an outlier when it comes to women taking on studio roles. According to a 2010 report by Nashville Scene, women represent less than five percent of producers and engineers industry-wide.
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And Terri Winston, founder and executive director of Women’s Audio Mission, thinks even that estimate is generous. “To be honest, I think it’s a lot less than that,” she told the outlet. But while the issue has yielded countless op-eds, what can actually be done to remedy the situation?
To find out, The Fader spoke to 13 female producers, including WondaGurl, TOKiMONSTA, Ikonika, and Fatima Al Qadiri, asking for their view of the landscape confronting women looking to get into music production and engineering and how it can be changed to encourage their involvement.
“My mother supported my dream, so without her, I wouldn’t be answering these questions,” said Al Qadiri. “Support is one aspect, but women should also be fearless, go forth and battle the crescendo of bullshit in their path.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by Caroline Polachek, who said, “I think it’s up to girls to teach themselves the skills they need and step up to the plate as musical pioneers, not up to corporate sponsorships to give handouts that emphasize that the recipient is a minority rather than as a expert.”
However, artists like Holly Herndon and TOKiMONSTA argue that the issue is in fact systemic and the onus is on the industry to enact change. “I think this is something more complex than just female involvement,” said Herndon.
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“I think a number of people struggle to find a place within the industry due to this preoccupation with old archetypes, and insistence that people adhere to the same affected role-playing in order to be considered worthy of opportunities.”
“It would be too easy to name things like ‘start school programs’ or air PSAs,” TOKiMONSTA added. “The reality is that there is a systematic flaw in our culture. Women need to feel proud to stand on their own and be creative without worrying about how we may be inadequate.”
Still, Nightwave, UNiiQU3, and Jubilee suggest better representation is needed in the industry and the media to help ameliorate the situation. “I think the industry should highlight the many female producers and engineers we do have in the music industry, no matter what scene they may be in,” said UNiiQU3.
Meanwhile, Ikonika has some far more tangible and practical tips on how the industry can improve, telling The Fader, “You can start by booking me at the same price as males, stop leaving me on the bottom of the pile, work with me, talk to me, endorse me, promote me.”
