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In the music industry, less than a quarter of music creators are women. At the same time, decision-makers in the industry are overwhelmingly male. According to the regular Equality Barometer survey conducted in the music industry, men and women have very different experiences of equality and equity in the field.

The Equal Futures in Music transition arena, organized by Tomi Rantanen, a doctoral researcher in systemic design at Aalto University and a DJ, has now created visions of an equitable future for the music industry.

“The field is strongly gendered, partly due to its long patriarchal history and the resulting culture of belittlement. Traditionally, men decide who gets opportunities, while women are steered toward singing or playing the piano. The imbalance is structural”, Rantanen commented.

The Transition Arena has previously been used as a tool in, among other things, a process organized by Aalto University and Sitra in 2017 to develop proposals for Finland’s climate and energy goals. The arena, redesigned by Rantanen, aims to promote equality and equity within the structures of the music industry. The research team for the process also includes Aalto University lecturer Tatu Marttila and Professor of Sustainable Design İdil Gaziulusoy. According to them, this is a unique project in the world, despite its enormous potential.

Twenty-nine change agents from the industry participated in the Transition Arena. The participants included music creators as well as key figures from record labels, radio stations, event companies, industry funders, organizations, and music education institutions. The profiles of the forum participants were defined in workshops with music researchers and industry professionals. Over the course of nearly two months, a vision for the industry, pathways for change, and measures to initiate change were developed. The vision aims to double the industry’s value. The music sector will be made more attractive through investments in diversity and well-being.

“Our goal is to implement the vision and the steps for change outlined in the pathways so that the entire industry can take ownership of them. Structural change requires a shared goal and long-term work to achieve the objectives at every level of the industry. We are very ambitious and optimistic. We have created the industry’s operating culture together, so together we can also change it”, Rantanen adds.

The most significant proposal in the forthcoming report, “An Equal Music Industry in Finland by 2040”, is the establishment of a self-regulatory body for the industry. The body’s responsibilities would include monitoring industry stakeholders’ reporting on equality measures, channeling funding based on these measures, and intervening in problematic situations. Inspiration for the body has been drawn from the Council for the Ethics of the Press and the Finnish Center for Ethics in Sports. In the United Kingdom, the establishment of a similar body for the creative industries is already underway.

In addition, the report emphasizes investments in both basic music education and recreational and training programs.

“A recurring theme in the workshops was that the number of people involved in music as a hobby must be radically increased. This will lead to more diverse role models in the field in the future. We must especially reach out to those who have previously been excluded from recreational activities due to factors such as identity, background, geographic location, or financial situation”, says Rantanen.

In addition to these, recommendations are made to improve access to information about the industry and to enhance recruitment practices.

The upcoming report and the future of the music industry will be discussed at the “An Equal Music Industry in Finland by 2040” event at the concert and event venue Musiikkitalo on Monday, 11 May. In addition to Rantanen, the discussion will feature Vappu Aura, Director of Public Affairs at Teosto; Sari Aalto-Setälä, Executive Director of Music Finland; singer-songwriter Maija Vilkkumaa; music producer Jonas Olsson; Nasima Razmyar, Vice Chair of the SDP; Tommi Saarikivi, CEO of the Music Promotion Foundation and future Executive Director of the Musicians’ Union, and Tapio Hakanen, Editorial Director at Yle Music.

The report “An Equal Music Industry in Finland by 2040” was produced in collaboration with Aalto University, artist Asla Jo, Gramex, Hög Light & Sound, Mimmi Label, Music Finland, the Music Promotion Foundation, Music Producers – IFPI Finland, the Musicians’ Union, Playground Music, SheSaid.so Finland, Sony Music Entertainment Finland, Finnish Music Authors, Finnish Music Publishers, Tavastia Club, TAVATA, Tomi Creative, and Teosto.

For more information:

Tomi Rantanen, PhD candidate
Department of Design, Aalto University
tomi.rantanen@aalto.fi
+358 400 658 254