Reports published by the Brazilian Union of Composers and Central Office of Collection and Distribution expose inequalities in the sector
The 2025 edition of the study “For them who do the music”launched by Brazilian Union of Composers (UBC) and the report “Women in Music 2025” (via Music World), made available by Central Office of Collection and Distribution (ECAD)present a portrait of gender inequality in the music industry. Surveys reveal that women receive only 10% of the total copyright distributed in the country.
According to “Women in Music 2025”, among the first 100 who profited the most copyright in 2024, only 5 are women. The data reflects a setback, since the year before, the percentage reached 6%.
Between 2020 and 2024 the number of women who received copyright of public execution has leaping. Five years ago, there were 22 thousand beneficiaries; Now the new report points out that there are 29 thousand.
The “for them who do the music” points out that when divided by women’s income distribution category, the authors have 73% of the total received by women at UBC. The interpreters corresponded to 22.5%, while the songs playing 2.5%and the phonographic producers 1.5%. The versionists recorded the lowest participation, representing only 0.5% of the collection.
In 2024, there was significant growth in the registration of works and phonograms with female participation. The number of registrations made by phonographic producers increased by 11%, while the works registered by authors and versionists had 10%expansion.
Among the sources of collection, the radio and show segments were the most profitable for women, each representing 19% of the total. In contrast, the film sector had the lowest participation, corresponding to only 0.5% of women’s revenue in the industry.
The “Women in Music 2025” report also highlights the sector’s disparities. In 2024, the collective management of music raised R $ 1.5 billion, allocating R $ 926 million to individuals. However, only R $ 75 million – the equivalent of 8% – were passed on to women. This percentage remained the same compared to 2023, indicating an increase in the total amount, but without progress in female representativeness.
Another data present in the study refers to the most played songs in shows. Of the first 100, only 16 brought a woman with participation in the creative process. In total, there are only 15 composers, who only appear on the list from 21st position.
66% of women say they were already harassing in the music market
The 2025 edition of “By them who do music” also brings a survey about harassment and discrimination in the music industry. 76% of women heard claim to have suffered gender discrimination in the market, while 66% report that they were harassed in the professional environment.
Most interviewees recognize the sector’s disparities. 97% of respondents believe men have more opportunities or privileged at work in relation to women. In addition, 90% reported having gone through situations in which their skills were questioned solely for being women.
The testimonials collected in the research illustrate the severity of the situation. A professional, who preferred to keep anonymity, said:
“An ‘informal’ entrepreneur and I traveled to an important musical release to do networking, and he reached the level of reserving only a room to sleep together after the event. I denied it, of course, and ordered a room for me. He begged at my bedroom door. I kept denying the greatest kindness. He then took a taxi at dawn, left and left me at the hotel alone. I left the next morning, because I would have to take a bus from the bus station to return home, crying and devastated, and I believe the serving men’s men found I was a prostitute, because they didn’t even look at me when I checked. ”
The sound technique Jessyca Souza Meireles reported:
“There were several harassment situations, I will report one: In a certain work, I was in the Cup taking coffee and a lighting technician clung to me to the force, behind, and I had to use a lot of strength to get out of this situation. Nothing happened to him and today the meeting still in events. ”
The survey “for them that make the music 2024” is available in full on the UBC website. The report “Women in Music 2025” can be accessed on the ECAD website.
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Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
