Women in Music Industry Still Face ‘Prevalent’ Discrimination, Underpayment and Under-Recognition: ‘Women in the Mix’ Study

The news of the loss of one of the world’s great rock drum talents is still cresting on social media, as music greats lined up to pay tribute to Foo Fighter Taylor Hawkins, who died Friday night in Bogota, Colombia.

Spotify has revealed that it paid $7billion (£5.3billion) to artists last year.The news was published via its Loud And Clear website, which aims to “increase transparency” around payments.The streaming giant said that 56,200 musicians received more than $10,000 (£7,500) from Spotify last year and 130 of these were paid more than $5m (£3.8m).However, the figures shared don’t include the final figure the artist receives once labels and publishers have taken their share, which means the money they receive is often much lower. Songwriters and session musicians receive even less.The service has come under fire previously for its low artist payments, with the likes of David Byrne, producer Tony Visconti and David Crosby all criticising the platform recently.Visconti described the streaming service as “disgusting” over its low payments to artists.

CHVRCHES lead singer Lauren Mayberry has opened up on the subtle sexism she's faced in the music industry.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSpotify paid $7 billion in royalties to rights holders — primarily labels and publishers, but also distributors, performing rights organizations and others — in 2021, the company announced on Thursday in its annual “Loud and Clear” report.That total is more than any other service — with more than 180 million paying subscribers, Spotify is the top paid-subscription music service in the world by far — and sets the record for the highest annual payment from any single retailer in history, including during the height of the CD era, according to the announcement. (Because Spotify’s data is proprietary, it is not possible to cross-check all of these numbers with accuracy — see the full report here.) The report also states that in 2021, for the first time, more than 1,000 artists generated over $1 million on Spotify for rights-holders.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorMulti-platinum-selling rapper Trippie Redd, one of the first signings to 10K Projects, has re-upped with the company in a “long-term deal that will keep him at the label for years to come,” according to the announcement.In just five years, Trippie has released four studio albums, six mixtapes, eight EPs and almost three dozen singles — not to mention countless guest appearances — adding up to 15 Platinum and 8 Gold certifications.“We launched 10K Projects as a label where artists have complete creative freedom and the support to realize their vision,” said the label’s founder and CEO, Elliot Grainge. “Trippie Redd has thrived under these conditions, releasing a lifetime’s worth of music in just five short years and becoming a singular voice in contemporary music.” Trippie Redd commented: “Elliot signed me when I was 16.

In a recent Instagram Live, Nicki Minaj insisted young women in the music industry haven’t experienced as much hate as they think they have.

Nicki Minaj has claimed that young women receiving hate in the music industry are merely experiencing “growing pains” when compared to what she has been through.Minaj made the comments during an Instagram Live conversation with rapper Coi Leray, who collaborated with Minaj on their recent song ‘Blick Blick’, and is 15 years her junior. During the conversation, Leray mentioned that her success had come in the face of “hate” that she had received.

took herself out of the running to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year — “I don’t feel that I have earned that right,” she said in an Instagram post— she revealed that she hopes to one day be “worthy” of another nomination.“This has … inspired me to put out a hopefully great rock ’n’ roll album at some point in the future, which I have always wanted to do!” she said.And if Johnny Cash could work with Rick Rubin and Loretta Lynn could collaborate with Jack White, then certainly Parton could get some rock love.Rundgren — who in addition to being inducted into the RRHOF last year as an artist, has produced everyone from Badfinger and the New York Dolls to Meat Loaf’s “Bat Out of Hell” — would love to collaborate with Parton behind the boards. “Who wouldn’t?” Rundgren, 73, said.“She’s made so many records, has so much experience, you know there’s not going to be any sort of funny business about doing it.

2022 CMT Music Awards are almost here — and it's going to be a star-studded night!On Wednesday, CMT announced the nominees for country music's only entirely fan-voted awards show — which will be hosted live from Music City by Anthony Mackie and Kelsea Ballerini on Monday, April 11 -- and the list includes some of the biggest names in music. Kane Brown leads the pack this year with four nominations, while Ballerini, Mickey Guyton, and first-time nominees Breland and Cody Johnson earned three nods apieceThe first round of nominations for the coveted Video of the Year award includes 12 acts, spotlighting artists like Brandi Carlile, Kacey Musgraves, Luke Combs, Maren Morris, Miranda Lambert and Taylor Swift feat.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorSony Music Entertainment Latin-Iberia has struck a new partnership with WK Records, the record label founded by WK Entertainment CEO-founder Walter Kolm.WKR artists include reggaeton star Alex Rose, Grammy-nominated/ Latin Grammy-winning producer-artist Foreign Teck, singer-songwriter Emilia, Argentine trap artist Seven Kayne, and Colombian artist Cheo Gallego, with more signings to be announced in the coming weeks.WKR is led by CEO and WKE head of music Horacio Rodriguez (who joined last year after 15 years at Universal Music Latin), with a pop and urban division led by WKR GM/co-founder Oscar Guitián, and a regional Mexican division led by producer-composer-executive Alberto De León, who previously held roles at Universal, Capitol Latin, Machete Music and  Fonovisa/Disa. “We have an incredible relationship with the entire WK family,” said Sony Latin-Iberia chairman-CEO Afo Verde.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe Recording Academy has announced the appointment of Ryan Butler as vice president of diversity, equity & inclusion, effective immediately. He fills a role previously occupied by Valeisha Butterfield Jones, who was promoted to co-president last year, and to whom Butler will report.Butler leads diversity, equity and inclusion internally and externally for the Recording Academy and its affiliates.

Rebecca Ferguson and Lily Allen have spoken out about the harassment they have experienced and what needs to be done to support musicians experiencing such difficulties.At present, there is no similar initiative in place in the UK but Help Musicians hope to bridge this gap with the helpline by ensuring that those working in the music industry have a place to turn for advice and practical help.James Ainscough, Chief Executive of Help Musicians, said, “Bullying and harassment requires a collaborative response across the music industry. The creation of the helpline is a vital next step and Help Musicians is well placed to provide this service, as an independent charity.”Today we announce a new Bullying & Harassment helpline, open to anyone working in the music industry.If you work in music and are concerned about a bullying or harassment situation, you can call us confidentially for free on 0800 088 2045.

The ultimate woman crush! Dolly Parton’s career has spanned music, movies, multiple business ventures and more — and she’s shown no sign of slowing down.

Miss Universe 2020, Andrea Meza is as creative as they come. The Mexican beauty queen, turned Telemundo TV personality, showed her funny side as she recreated the viral and controversial look worn by Kim Kardashian at the Balenciaga Fall/Winter 22 collection show during this year’s Paris Fashion Week, in which she also shined exposing her fab silhouette and great sense of humor.The Mexican Telemundo host not only showed her look on her TV program En Casa Con Telemundo, she also took to Instagram to share a series of photos of the process she went through to achieve this style...using rolls of yellow vinyl tape with the word ‘Caution’.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe U.S. recorded-music business continues its upward swing, posting a near-record $15 billion in revenue for 2021, driven by a surge in streaming, solid vinyl and even CD sales, and the inclusion of TikTok music revenue for the first time.In fact, all major formats of music posted growth over the prior year, except digital downloads.

Preview in new tabDolly Parton’s upcoming novel will take a “dark,” autobiographical turn. The country singer/actress/businesswoman — who joined forces with best-selling “Alex Cross” writer James Patterson, 74, for their thriller, “Run, Rose, Run” — recently teased that it’s a cautionary look into the shadows of the music industry.“It shows a lot of the dark side of that – people that have been in it, like me, you know that, because you’ve lived it,” Parton, 76, told “CBS Sunday Morning” reporter Lee Cowan for a story airing this weekend.The novel tells the tale of a Rose, a young country singer/songwriter from Nashville who realizes that fame and fortune are both not all that they’re cracked up to be.

On this episode of the Deep Focus podcast, host and Playlist EIC, Rodrigo Perez talks to Reid Carolin, the co-director and co-writer of “Dog,” which he made with co-writer/co-director and star Channing Tatum. Tatum’s been absent from the live-action big screen for nearly four years— the actor needed a break after his divorce and was feeling disillusioned with the industry.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe Weeknd has announced dates for his “After Hours Til Dawn” stadium tour, which launches in his hometown of Toronto on July 8 and heads across North America before wrapping in Los Angeles on Sept. 2 and then moving overseas.