“Balance the Mix is on a mission to increase representation to help brands tap into the power of music.
When women’s voices are muted, we lose the power of their stories.
Currently, in music, women make up just 14% of songwriters, 22% of paid artists and only 3% of producers. Balance the Mix is on a mission to change this. Its goal is to increase the number of producers to 30% by 2030.
When music reflects everyone, it connects everyone. At Creative Equals’ RISE conference, Nicola Kemp sat down with Becky Wixon (Founder of Balance The Mix and Creative Music Producer) and DJ Jamz Supernova. The conversation focused on helping brands better understand the music in their campaigns and increase representation.
“Music is one of the most powerful storytelling tools we have, it makes us feel, connect, and remember. For marketing, that power is undeniable,” says Wixon.
Currently, only 5% of musicians make a sustainable income from their music and 90% of revenue in streaming goes to 1% of artists. At the same time, music is present in 86% of advertising and marketing campaigns. There is a real opportunity for brands to change these statistics, to raise the voices of musicians who are unrepresented and facilitate new stories that connect with audiences.
The stark realisation that things were unfair came when I started to work in a major label. — DJ Jamz Supernova
DJ Jamz Supernova shared that at present, female artists are carving out their own paths to success. She explained: “The rise of social media and DIY culture allowed me to open up different doors.”
Yet in the mainstream, the fact remains that women have fewer opportunities. “The stark realisation that things were unfair came when I started to work in a major label. Sitting in a meeting being the only woman, the only black woman,” she says.
Supernova shared that the stigmas women face can run deep. She still experiences people asking questions such as: ‘Is she really that good? Does she really write? Is [her success] just because she’s pretty?’
Supernova created a community for women to meet and share their experiences before creating her own label, Future Bounce. Her personal experience of the industry has impacted how she shows up in her music and how she elevates the voices of others. “I think what I’ve learnt is that for women, the starting point is not the same,” she explains. Supernova pointed to the ways in which gender stereotypes formed at a young age can limit the opportunities for women in music.
“Boy toys like video games mean there’s a next step into music production. Girls’ toys like dolls don’t have that same progression. When you’ve been producing since you were 11 in your bedroom, there’s a different level of confidence,” she explained. Working with women, she champions an approach that builds people up, allows the space and time to create and alleviates pressure.
“Music is a direct route to culture.”
— Becky Wixon
Unlocking culture and creativity
Many brands see themselves in the business of creating and shaping culture. Music is a huge part of that. Without balanced representation, brands are only telling a part of the story.
“Music is a direct route to culture,” says Wixon. “In a campaign, music can be the most visceral part. If we are only sourcing talent from a small pool, we are limiting the stretch of culture that we are accessing and the creativity.”
If who makes the work shapes the work, without representation, campaigns cannot communicate authentically and connect with few. Supernova shared that exploring music from around the world has enriched her creative experience. Similarly, this kind of approach can help brands to unlock creativity. A diverse approach is not a nice to have — it is key to creative excellence.
Balance the Mix worked with Creative Equals to understand how brands interact with music and see if they consider music through a DEI lens. Wixon shared that the findings show: “Brands think of music as being cultural anyway, so they don’t put much effort into thinking if it’s inclusive.”
She urges brands to start auditing their sound and consider if they know who made the music in their last campaign. The Balance the Mix EQ index provides a framework for measuring the inclusion in a campaign, tracking representation, fairness and resonance. The framework also tracks how well music connects with a brand’s values and the values of its audience.
By being more mindful and intentional about music, brands have the opportunity to invest in untapped talent and tell stories that better connect with audiences.
