Women in Music® (WIM®), in collaboration with company reviews platform, InHerSight, proudly introduces the first edition of “WIM Best Places to Work”* initiative today, exclusively announced by Billboard. Based on industry-wide survey data, this groundbreaking initiative honors music industry companies that demonstrate excellence in fostering inclusive workplace culture and ensuring satisfaction across metrics that matter to women, such as salary, leadership opportunities, remote work options, and parental leave. This is an ongoing, evergreen public survey open to submissions, ensuring that it is continuously updated to reflect the latest industry standards in workplace excellence.
This initiative, powered by InHerSight's platform that helps women make informed career decisions through anonymous company reviews and data-driven insights, aims to assess the industry’s progress in fostering inclusive environments. By collecting critical workplace data on 17 research-backed metrics, the partnership provides valuable insights into workplace culture while also highlighting areas for further growth.
“The music industry has long been a cultural force for change, and now more than ever, we have to take the lead in prioritizing diversity in leadership as much as the diversity of the music we represent," said Nicole Barsalona, President of Women in Music®. "Research shows that gender-diverse leadership drives revenue, innovation, and talent retention - it's not just good practice, it's critical to our success as an industry. Future surveys will include increased diversity metrics to add even more depth to the data, but this is an exciting start.”
“Our philosophy has always been that data is central to building better workplaces,” said Ursula Mead, CEO and cofounder of InHerSight. “So when organizations like Women in Music® come to us recognizing the power of data, we’re thrilled to realize their initiative. What we’re seeing here is a first-of-its-kind look at what’s working and what isn’t for women in the music industry, but an even better way to interpret the results is as an opportunity—an opportunity to celebrate and to grow.”
In discussing today’s shifting corporate landscape, Monika Tashman, Partner at Loeb & Loeb LLP and Advisory Board member at Women in Music® said, “With diversity, equity and inclusion programs terminated at the federal level and a vow to police the private sector’s DEI initiatives, it is vital that we publicize, promote, and encourage private sector companies that are committed to constructing a workplace culture and benefits package that is unbiased and crafted to allow all employees to thrive.”
Recognizing standout companies across the industry, the inaugural WIM® Best Places to Work initiative celebrates companies excelling in workplace inclusivity and employee satisfaction across different size categories:
• Large Companies (5001+ employees): Live Nation Entertainment
• Midsized Companies (501-5000 employees): BMI
• Small Companies (51-500 employees): ASCAP, Nettwerk Music Group, Soundstripe, and Recording Academy
• Tiny Companies (2-51 employees): Music Business Association, The Syndicate, Blackstar Agency, American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), and The MLC
The following Top Companies showcased key areas such as equal opportunities, women in leadership, salary satisfaction, and flexibility.
• Top Companies for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men: American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), Blackstar Agency, and Music Business Association in lead followed closely by The Syndicate, Fox Rothschild LLP, ASCAP, and Nettwerk Music Group.
• Top Companies for Women in Leadership: American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), Music Business Association, and ASCAP in lead with The Syndicate, Nettwerk Music Group, and The Recording Academy also ranking highly.
• Top Companies for Salary Satisfaction: ASCAP leads this category followed by The Syndicate, Music Business Association, BMI, and Kobalt Music.
• Top Companies for Flexibility: American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), Music Business Association, and ASCAP take the lead with The Syndicate, Soundstripe, and The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) following closely behind.
• Top Companies for Remote Work Opportunities: American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), ASCAP, Music Business Association, Nettwerk Music Group and Soundstripe leads followed by The MLC, The Syndicate, and Ticketmaster closely.
• Top Companies for Maternity and Adoptive Leave: Music Business Association, The Syndicate, Kobalt Music and, Nettwerk Music Group
• Top Companies for Employer Responsiveness: American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), Music Business Association, Fox Rothschild LLP, ASCAP and, Nettwerk Music Group
• Top Companies for Sense of Belonging: American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), Broadcast Music, Inc (BMI), Fox Rothschild LLP, House of Blues Entertainment and, Music Business Association
“I’m thrilled to know that the Music Business Association scored so well in the WIM Best Places to Work survey!” said Portia Sabin, President of the Music Business Association. “Diversity is very important for us in all aspects of what we do, and we've worked to diversify our board, our events, and our staff. One thing we strive for is to have diversity at all levels of the company, providing a mentorship aspect for younger people who may join us. It’s very true that our diversity makes us stronger as a team and makes this a great place to work!”
Hayley Norwood, VP, People Operations at Nettwerk adds, "It’s a huge honor to be recognized as one of the WIM Best Places To Work. As a company, we are committed to cultivating an environment that’s inclusive, supportive and equitable, so being acknowledged in this way tells us we are on the right track. We believe that people do their best work when they feel safe and supported. When folks feel seen, they show up to work as their whole selves and feel comfortable taking risks and pushing boundaries. Our policies and practices are all in service of our ethos and our vision. We’re creating the optimal space and opportunity for people to do their best work in an environment that serves them as individuals.”
The music industry has long been a cultural force for change. Now, it must lead in creating workplaces that empower and advance women. Research shows that gender-diverse leadership drives revenue, innovation, and talent retention.
• Companies with strong female representation at the top outperform competitors by nearly 50% in profitability and share performance (McKinsey).
• Gender diverse companies are more productive, innovative, and attractive to top talent. (Harvard Business Review).
• 73% of women say that, when applying to companies, it’s important that they can easily find information about how a company supports women employees (InHerSight).
WIM® Best Places to Work not only sets a benchmark for workplace excellence but also empowers companies to build more inclusive environments where creativity and talent can thrive. Through collective action, the industry can become a space where everyone, regardless of gender, has the opportunity to excel and contribute to the soundtrack of our lives.
*Limitations of the survey: Opt-in bias: those with strong feelings on either end of the spectrum are more likely to fill out a survey rating workplace satisfaction. Also, this initial survey does not weigh at which level respondents work and how their seniority affects their satisfaction - e.g. salary satisfaction might rate higher at senior levels, but not at entry or mid-level. We hope to dig deeper into these complexities as the survey grows in order to paint a clearer picture for job seekers and employers.
*Disclaimer: Women in Music®,a registered trademark of Women in Music, Inc., established in 1985, is an independent organization and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Billboard’s Women in Music.
