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New Report Shows Women Underrepresented on UK Radio

Women are underrepresented in UK radio according to a new report that reveals 81% of songs in the Top 100 Radio Airplay chart feature men.

Published: 24 August 2020 | 12:00 AM Updated: 25 March 2022 | 4:16 PM
Woman talking in a microphone, she appears to be recording something for a talk broadcast.
Female musicians, songwriters, composers and producers, as well as radio presenters, need to be heard and credited for their work in the same way that men are. Photo credit: Shutterstock

The Gender Disparity Data Report shows that 30% feature men, 19% feature women, and 30% feature collaborations. Only 3% of music producers in the Top 100 are women.

The report is based on British domestic only artists and those whose songs are registered on Radiomonitor. Read the full data report prepared by Linda Coogan Byrne and Women in CTRL.

Highlighting the challenges women face

Responding to the research, MU Deputy General Secretary Naomi Pohl said, “These statistics are extremely disappointing and highlight the many challenges that women face in the music industry.

“It is a choice not to record, play or promote music by female artists as the talent is there. Female musicians, songwriters, composers and producers, as well as radio presenters, need to be heard and credited for their work in the same way that men are.

“The MU is committed to supporting and championing women working in the music industry and we look forward to seeing how radio stations plan to tackle this issue,” added Pohl.

Building a more equal industry

The MU is proud to be signed up to Keychange, a PRS Foundation initiative working towards an equal gender balance on all MU committees and events.

MU members are also invited to join the MU’s equality networks, and help shape Union policies, campaigns and services.

Explore our work for women in music.

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