This is Distorted: Facing the Gender Bias
- Oct 5, 2022
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 25, 2022
At Distorted we’re deeply passionate about our work in the music and audio industry and feel that our programmes and projects can be a real force for good in the world. However, truly representative output will only be achieved if the teams behind them are authentic and representative.
Women have been historically underrepresented in the music industry but statistics like “ONLY 5% OF MUSIC IN UK DANCE CHARTS IS FROM WOMEN OR NON-BINARY ARTISTS” showcase the inequality that still pervades the industry. This is just one of many shocking statistics to come from the recent report commissioned by the Jaguar foundation.
The Jaguar Foundation report takes a “deep dive into the gendered representation of artists within the UK electronic music scene” and as part of that scene, we want to use our position and influence to initiate positive and inclusive change. We have examined the impact our business can have, looking at immediate change & effects of longer-term goals.
While dance music was spearheaded by marginalised, underrepresented groups, the scene has done a full 180 and is now predominantly white and male.
There are many layers, levels and politics that impact representation, from socio-economic and training to education, recruitment and more.
We have looked at the various ways in which Distorted can make a difference and make sure our impact on the dance music scene is positive and inclusive - as one of the biggest providers of music programmes in the world, we have a responsibility to do this.
We have made a commitment to:
Work with more female clients, upping this to 20% by the end of 2023.
Increase the proportion of female-produced tracks in our shows where programmes are produced in-house & push for the same for shows made outside our team.
Appeal to labels & record companies for more female-produced tracks.
Recruit consciously, with a focus on bringing underrepresented groups into the audio and music industry.
Work with charities & organisations who are dedicated to addressing the gender imbalance.
As our company continues to grow, we will ensure that these commitments are rooted in everything we do and are reflected in our actions.
“It has been shocking to see just how little progress has been made in the dance music industry towards equality. At This is Distorted we have a deep connection to the scene and are serious about using our impact and influence towards closing the gender gap ensuring the dance music scene is the inclusive and safe space it began as.”
It’s honestly frustrating how stagnant the industry has been regarding representation. I’ve been thinking about how tools like Remove Text From Video might eventually help content creators clean up their visuals, but real systemic change like what you’re proposing is what actually moves the needle. Glad to see you guys taking concrete steps rather than just talking about it.
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It's great to see initiatives like this pushing for change in the music industry. The stats you shared are definitely eye-opening—I had no idea the gender gap in dance music was still this stark. I’ve talked about representation in creative fields on Crazy Cattle 3D before, and it’s clear that industries need conscious efforts like yours to truly shift the balance. Keep up the momentum!