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Take a look at this year’s Grammy nominees for producer of the year and you might notice a significant lack of women. Scroll a little further back and you’ll see the same for 2023. And 2022. In fact, you’ll start to see that this is a trend that’s been ongoing for several years. The last time a woman was nominated was back in 2019, marking the first woman nominee in 15 years.
With a recent study revealing that just 3.4 percent of producers are women, it’s easy to think of music production as predominantly a man’s game. But as this figure mainly reflects production credits, it may not accurately represent the exceptionally talented women producers silently creating magic behind the scenes.
So where are they?
The Boys’ Club
In an industry that has always been male-dominated, women trying to break through and innovate often find that they are pushed aside and denied space to flourish or bring new ideas to the table. This is something that Catherine Marks, a producer for Boygenius, The Killers and Alanis Morrisette, among others, has witnessed time and time again throughout her 17 years in the industry. She explained how there is a “ceiling” for women trying to break into the world of production, stating, “Since I started, there have been more women coming through at entry level but there’s no support.”
It seems that regardless of their capabilities, women are still perceived as less competent, leading to difficulty finding management, getting in front of decision-makers and ultimately progressing to a higher level. LA-based TOKiMONSTA, who received a Grammy nomination for her self-produced album “Lune Rouge,” says, “There are still the big guys up there that may continue to undermine our ability to make quality tracks.”
Sarah Tudzin of Illuminati Hotties produces all her own music, as well as engineering for other artists, and holds a degree in music production from Berklee College of Music. Despite this, breaking into the industry as a producer proved difficult in her post-college years. Her first job at a studio consisted of menial tasks such as cleaning and making coffee, and she noticed that women colleagues weren’t getting promoted into hands-on music jobs. After being told directly by a male co-worker that the studio’s attitude was “not really friendly if you’re a girl,” she quit, just six weeks in.
A Never-Ending Cycle
Another issue women producers face is that bands and artists themselves are often reluctant to take a chance on someone new. Because most of the established producers getting cuts and credits are male, artists will tend to gravitate toward them, leaving little room for diversity. John Vanderslice, producer and owner of Tiny Telephone Studios in San Francisco, says “Chasing credits is like pure idiocy. This is how power gets concretized and you have these like unbreakable systems.”
Producer Marta Salogni describes the situation as a vicious cycle, saying “If women are not being employed, they can’t build up the credits that would make sure they can be employed.” It seems that something needs to change in order to break the industry out of its old habits. Without effective representation of the women who are at the top of their game, it’s no surprise that newcomers feel unwelcome in the industry and are discouraged from pursuing careers behind the mixing desk.
Why We Need Women
Lifting up women producers isn’t just about promoting diversity for the sake of diversity. The systemic exclusion women face not only stifles individual careers but also deprives the industry of new perspectives that could drive artistic growth and transformation. Welcoming new talent can lead to exciting collaborations and a more interesting musical landscape instead of relying on the same producers over and over again. Jane Third, a marketing executive, also suggests that all-women sessions often end up being less hierarchical, stating, “Women are maybe a bit more open and collaborative; there’s more freedom of expression.”
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And for many women artists, working with other women may provide a safer, more comfortable experience. Ellie Goulding, who started her career at just 19, admitted during an interview that early in her career, she often felt “vulnerable” in sessions, and was made to feel like a “sexual object.” Giving young artists the option to work with women producers and engineers could help mitigate such experiences, creating a more supportive and respectful environment where artists don’t feel pressured to navigate uncomfortable situations and can focus on letting their creativity flourish.
So how can production companies take action to ensure that women producers are given the same opportunities as their male colleagues?
• Educate employees on how to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels safe, valued, respected and equal.
• Regularly share and feature success stories of women producers to increase visibility and inspire younger women hoping to pursue careers in music.
• Promote more women into leadership positions to encourage more inclusive policies and decision-making.
• Establish mentorship programs that offer guidance, support and opportunities for networking and skill development to aspiring women producers.
• Encourage collaborations between male and female producers to promote mutual respect and allow female producers to gain the credits and recognition needed to advance in their careers.
Final Thoughts
While still a role largely occupied by men, it seems that women producers are there, but they remain relatively unseen and uncelebrated. The key to change lies in increasing the visibility of these talented individuals. When more women occupy prominent positions, young girls will see music production as a viable career option and may gain the confidence to pursue it. Ultimately, the more women who enter the industry, the more will rise, and their visibility is essential for creating lasting change.
