The music industry is a complete sausage fest, apparently. According to a new study by UK Music, just 30% of all music’s top executive roles in the U.K. are occupied by women – echoing similar findings in Australia.

Perhaps what’s most incredible about the study’s findings is that women aged between 25-34 make up more than half of the UK workforce, they occupy 60% of intern positions and 59% of entry-level business roles in the industry, yet their presence at a senior level pales in comparison.

The diversity study, carried out through June and September last year, is all part of the body’s July-launched UK Music Diversity Taskforce. It aims to study the current picture and track future progress.

Ged Doherty, chairman at UK industry trade body BPI, said of the study’s findings:

“Talent may be everywhere, but it’s not always matched by opportunity for all, irrespective of background. […] Now is the time to accelerate this process and understand where any issues still exist if we are to attract the very brightest and best – especially at this time of global opportunity – to position the music business as Britain’s international calling card.”

Unfortunately, Australia isn’t doing much better on the gender parity front. triple j’s Hack nerded out over a stack of data last March for its International Women’s Day celebration, #GirlsToTheFront.

It found just 31% of public board members on peak music bodies in Australia were women and that of 225 artist managers surveyed, 102 were women (AAM). The local industry’s biggest culprit seems to be indie labels; 80% of the labels registered with AIR are managed by men.

Collection society APRA AMCOS, which helps artists get paid for their work, offered the most publicised gender divide however. Back in June 2015, only about 1 in 5 songwriters registered with the organisation were women.

We’ll give them an A for effort though; in 2016 APRA AMCOS entered a discussion with its members on gender imbalance of award nominees and the need to focus on inspiring gender diversity within the membership.

“APRA AMCOS acknowledges the need to address the gender imbalance within the Australian and New Zealand music industry,” the society told Tone Deaf.

“Only 21.7% of APRA writer members identify as female, and we have partnered with RMIT University to undertake a research project that examines the gap, with a view to establishing skills development and mentoring programs in 2017 and beyond.

“We have implemented initiatives and programs to help develop and advance women within our own organisation, and in the coming year, will be supporting an increase in women within our programs and initiatives including the Ambassador program, Music Grants, SongHubs and Professional Development Awards.”

APRA AMCOS, 2016

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