spotify India has released โฃthe findingsโ of aโค survey of 1,000 โคpeople โคacross the country,โ which was conducted to better understand the challenges faced by women in Indiaโs music ecosystem.
Theโ research, which included both quantitative and qualitative interviews,โ was predominantly carried out among millennial and Gen-Z womenโค occupying โa variety of roles in the music industry, in September.
The respondentsโฃ included โsingers, songwriters, composers, and DJs, as wellโ as those in technical fieldsโ such โขas music production and sound engineering, andโค those working โฃwith music โฃlabels and event companies.
The study, โคhelmed byโข YouGov, uncovered three main findings โขthat offer a snapshot โขof the persistent gaps inโ how women navigate the industry today:
โSafetyโข remains the top concern for women in music, withโ 56% โsaying that safe and inclusive โฃwork environments are among the most urgent challenges to address; and 36% reporting that they have personally faced unsafe or non-inclusive workplaces.
โLeadership opportunities and mentorshipโ are limited, affecting womenโs growthโ and visibility. When asked about perceived growth opportunities, only 31% of the women in โขtechnical fields responded โexcellentโ. Many linked this to a lack of โmentorship, limitedโ leadership โrepresentation, and persistent stereotypes about women in such roles.
The absenceโค of mentorship โemerged โas a key โthread through the research,with nearly 40% of โthe female respondents saying they had faced issues due to โฃthe absence of peer or mentorship support,andโข 39% stating they had beenโ given limitedโ leadership andโ decision-making opportunities.
A majority of 61% felt greater visibility andโฃ leadership representation are โคkey to improving career growth, calling โfor more women in โdecision-making roles, and recognition for their workโ across genres andโ technical spaces.
โWork-life balance and โคfamily support continue to be key barriers, โinfluencing womenโs ability to participate in the music โฃindustry and โฃsustainโค long-term careers. They were cited by 52% of the women interviewed as among โtheir top five challenges, while 33% highlighted the need โขfor stronger family and community support to help them pursue music as a profession.
Through the survey, Spotify identified measuresโค that could positively impact womenโsโ representation and growth in the music industry:
- Creating safe spaces and communities that fosterโค dialog, feedback, and collaboration.
- Increasing leadership visibility and representation forโค women across creative,production,and โขdecision-making roles.
- Providing mentorshipโฃ andโค peer networks to support womenโ atโฃ all stages of their careers.
- Enablingโฃ better work-life balance and familyโ support structures toโฃ ensure long-term participation.
โContinued dialogue andโข concrete, on-going action are keyโ to makingโ long-term change,โ said Dhruvank Vaidya, head of music and podcasts atโ Spotify in India.
Earlier this week, the platformโฃ hosted its โคfirst โEqualโ โขevent in the country, which featured a panel discussion with singers and composers Dot., Nikhita Gandhi and Shaktisree Gopalan โmoderated by Akhilaโฃ Shankar, the head โขof TuneCore in South Asia.
The โevent brought together women from across the music industry, โincluding artists, label executives and โขentrepreneurs.
Equal is Spotifyโs global โขinitiative to fuel equality in the music industry by providing greater support to women through playlisting,marketing,mentorship,and on-groundโ networking opportunities.