Music industry reported to be less diverse than 2020

It has been reported that the music industry is less diverse than it was in 2020, with only 21.04% of individuals working in music identifying as Black, Asian or from an ethnically diverse background, compared to 22.3% two years previously.

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The 2022 Workforce Diversity Survey, which was conducted by UK Music, explains that the drop in diversity could be related to COVID-19, which saw ethnically diverse communities disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

UK Music believes that as total jobs in the sector fell from 197,000 in 2020 to 145,000 in 2021, it has impacted ethnically diverse employees the hardest.

The study also reveals that the number of Black, Asian and diverse ethnicity employees in entry-level positions has dropped by a third, to a quarter, indicating that there has been less opportunity for those starting out in the industry.

“Our 2022 survey shows how those from Black, Asian and other diverse communities have been hardest hit by the impact of COVID-19,” says UK Music Diversity Taskforce chair Ammo Talwar MBE.

“The drop in the percentage of employees in several sectors of the industry is further evidence of why we must not take our foot off the accelerator when it comes to driving positive changes on diversity and inclusion as swiftly as we can.”

UK Music has developed an action plan in response to the survey, to accelerate positive change by boosting diversity and inclusion in music business.

A few areas the organisation hope to focus on, include creating an inclusive culture for all staff, and increasing opportunities for underrepresented groups.

The full report, which can be read here, discusses other diversities in the music buisness, such as gender, disability, sexuality, and economic background.