Safety and visibility key to growth of women in Indian music, finds Spotify research

New research commissioned by Spotify and conducted by YouGov has highlighted the critical challenges facing women in India’s music industry, identifying safety, inclusion, and leadership visibility as the biggest factors shaping their professional experiences. 

The study surveyed over 1,000 respondents, 70% of whom were women, from various roles, including singers, producers, and sound engineers. The findings offer a snapshot of both progress and persistent gaps in how women navigate the industry today. The study uncovered three main findings: safety remains the top concern for women in music, leadership and mentorship opportunities are limited, and work-life balance and family support continue to be key barriers.

Safety remains the most urgent concern for women, with more than half identifying it among the most pressing challenges to address. More than 56% of women surveyed listed a safe and inclusive work environment among their top five challenges, ahead of work-life balance and family support, and representation and freedom of expression (both 52%). 
Crucially, over a third (36%) reported personally facing unsafe or non-inclusive workplaces, showing that concerns extend beyond perception into lived experience.

Growth opportunities are perceived differently across roles, with only 31% of women in technical fields, such as sound engineering, believing their growth prospects to be "excellent". Many linked this low percentage to a lack of mentorship, limited leadership representation, and persistent stereotypes about women in technical roles. 

This contrasts sharply with the 50% of women surveyed across other roles who believed their perceived growth opportunities to be excellent. The absence of mentorship also emerged as a key thread, with nearly 40% of female respondents saying they had faced issues due to the lack of peer or mentorship support. Furthermore, 39% also cited being given limited leadership and decision-making opportunities. A majority (61%) pointed to greater visibility and leadership representation as key to improving career progression, calling for more women in decision-making roles and recognition for their work. 

Work-life balance and family support also emerged as crucial factors influencing women’s participation, with 52% ranking these among their top concerns, while 33% highlighted the need for stronger family and community support to help women pursue sustained careers in music.

Dhruvank Vaidya, Head of Music and Podcast, Spotify India, commented, “The findings of this study reaffirm that safety, visibility, and inclusion remain central to creating an equitable music industry” he further added that “At Spotify, we’ve been working toward this through initiatives like EQUAL, which celebrates women artists and amplifies their voices globally, as well as by collaborating with partners and communities to build safer and more inclusive creative spaces. Continued dialogue and concrete, ongoing action are key to making long-term change.”

The research identified possible measures that can positively impact women’s representation and growth, including creating safe spaces and communities, increasing leadership visibility and representation, providing mentorship and peer networks, and enabling better work-life balance and family support structures. Importantly, 31% of all respondents (female and male) said brands and platforms could best support women by creating safe spaces and community networks for feedback and collaboration. 

Spotify is addressing these issues through initiatives like EQUAL, a global programme that celebrates women artists and amplifies their voices, and provides support through playlisting, marketing, mentorship, and on-ground networking opportunities in India.