Survey of UK music industry reveals inequalities

UK Music, the trade body that represents the interests of the UK commercial music industry, has released the results of its first survey into gender and ethnic diversity in the sector.

The survey found that both women and Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) workers are well represented in the industry – at least among younger staff. BAME representation is 23.7 per cent for workers aged 25-34, compared to 12.8 per cent for the UK population as a whole. However, the figure drops to just 6.4 per cent for workers aged 45 to 64.

The story is the same for women, with 54.5 per cent representation among ages 25-34, but just 32.7 per cent for workers aged 45 to 64.

The question of whether this discrepancy is because the industry is now recruiting more entry level BAME and female staff, or whether it is because these workers do not stay in the industry, remains to be answered. UK Music will undertake the survey annually in order to establish whether the sector is moving towards greater equality.

‘This survey gives us the first real insight into diversity across all businesses in the music industry,’ said UK Music chief executive Jo Dipple. ‘Nurturing and bolstering workforce diversity adds strength to this country’s astonishing musical output. The two go hand in hand.’

UK Music is currently working with recruiters and industry leaders to improve the representation of BAME and female workers in senior positions and at board level.

ukmusic.org