Over half of women in music have experienced discrimination

New research from the Women Musicians Insight Report finds more than half of women have experienced gender discrimination while working as musicians, with a third reporting being sexually harassed.

Female musicians are more than eight times more likely to have experienced gender discrimination than their male colleagues, at 51% compared with 6%. About 33% of women also report being sexually harassed while working as musicians.

The census, conducted in 2023, surveyed 5,867 musicians in the UK over the age of 16 who earn or intend to earn money from music. It aims to highlight some of the barriers and issues women face in their careers as musicians.

On average, female musicians earn less than their male colleagues. The average annual income from music for men is £21,750, and for women it is £19,850. Women only make up 19% of the highest income bracket of those earning £70,000 or more from music each year.

Female musicians who are Black, Asian, or from other minority ethnic groups were more likely to earn in the lowest income band than white women, with 35% of ethnic minority women earning £7,000 or less, compared with 25% of white women.

Similarly, women who are disabled were more likely to earn £7,000 or less than non-disabled women, with 31% of disabled women earning in this bracket compared with one in five non-disabled women.

Find out more about the Musicians’ Census report here.