Why are there so few female Music Producers?

Abstract

Music has had a place in human culture for thousands of years, and digital technology has made music production practices more accessible than ever to artists. Even with increased accessibility and multiple platforms and programmes for artists to learn these techniques, gender is still a defining feature of the music industry. This research draws from women’s experiences in music to build a multi-layered understanding of how their careers are shaped by societal norms, gendered expectations and performances, the media and its objectification of women’s bodies and their sexuality, the narrowing of the definition of ‘woman’ in the industry, the gendering of musical structures and space in the industry, and in wider society. Women and men travel different career paths in music, exist in different spheres in the industry, and face more obstacles in the development of a professional identity throughout their career. Six interviews with six women in various roles in the industry, and a content analysis of two widely known music magazines brought this research to these conclusions. What became apparent was that there are more female music producers in the industry than meets the eye; it is more so a matter of visibility and acknowledgement than there being so few women. While facing pressures from several angles at once, this research concludes that the less visible space that women do occupy can serve to carve out a new path for women in music, one that is not structured by a male history, and one that does not objectify women and their identities.