March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate and recognize the achievements and influence of women across industries. In the music industry, it’s an opportunity to highlight the contributions of women while also reflecting on how the industry continues to evolve. While there are still gender disparities in the music industry, there have been meaningful shifts in recent years that are helping create more opportunities and support for women in the field.
Monika Julien, an assistant teaching professor in the Music Industry Program at the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design, serves on the board of Women in Music, a global nonprofit organization that works to educate, empower and advance women in music. She is also the organization’s global chair of Next Gen Initiatives & Engagement where she works with students across the country to establish collegiate chapters of Women in Music on their campuses. Julien spoke with the Drexel News Blog about how things have shifted for women in the music industry and what can be done to keep that progress moving forward.
How have support systems for women in the music industry evolved over the past decade?
One of the biggest shifts over the past decade has been the growth of organizations, communities and resources that support women working in the music industry. These support systems now exist on many levels – locally, nationally, globally and even on college campuses. They create spaces where women can build community, share knowledge and create opportunities for one another regardless of their career stage.
Organizations like Women in Music, Women’s Audio Mission, SoundGirls, She Is The Music, Girls Who Listen and We Make Noise, just to name a few, are all working to support women across many areas of the music industry, including songwriting, the music business, live event production, audio engineering and more. Major industry companies and institutions have also created initiatives focused on improving gender equity, such as the Recording Academy’s Women in the Mix program or Live Nation’s Live Nation Women Fund.
What’s particularly exciting is that many women, including myself, who navigated the industry earlier in their careers without these kinds of support systems want to be actively involved in mentoring and supporting the next generation. When I was a student and first starting my career, there weren’t many organizations specifically focused on supporting women in the industry. Today, students and young professionals can pursue careers in music while also having access to communities that offer mentorship, programming and resources designed to help them build their professional networks, explore different career paths and receive guidance from experienced industry professionals.
Women artists have dominated headlines and touring in recent years. At the same time, industry research continues to highlight gender disparities. How have both cultural visibility and data shaped the conversation around women in music?
Over the past few years, there have been some major cultural moments that put women firmly in the spotlight. Artists like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé had major global tours and dominated headlines, and those moments really reinforced how impactful women are within the music industry – not only as artists, but also in terms of fandom and economic influence. We’ve always known that women are incredibly engaged music fans, but those moments really highlighted just how significant that impact can be across the broader music and cultural landscape.
There is also important research happening that helps bring visibility to some of the gaps around gender representation in the music industry. Studies like the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative’s annual Inclusion in the Recording Studio and Inclusion in the Music Business reports track gender representation across areas such as songwriting, production and executive leadership. Other organizations are also examining representation in different parts of the industry. For example, the group Book More Women analyzes gender representation on major U.S. music festival lineups. These kinds of studies help identify where progress is being made as well as where gaps and challenges still exist so the industry can develop actionable ways to make improvements.
These kinds of cultural moments and research findings bring more attention to the conversation around gender representation in the music industry. Seeing women succeed at such a visible level can inspire young women and give them the confidence to pursue careers in music, while greater awareness of the challenges can also encourage experienced professionals to think about how they can be part of positive changes.
What role can higher education play in preparing the next generation of women entering the industry?
Higher education plays an important role by creating safe spaces where students can explore how diversity, representation, equity and inclusion fit into their identities as emerging professionals. Whether through classes, student organizations or other extracurricular initiatives, these spaces give students the opportunity to reflect on the kind of industry they want to help shape and how they want to approach these areas in their own careers. Having those conversations early can help students build confidence, think through how to navigate some of these challenges in a professional environment and develop their perspectives as they prepare for careers in the music industry.
For example, I developed a course at Drexel called Women in the Music Industry that focuses on the history, experiences and contributions of women across different sectors of the field. The class creates a space where students of all identities can have open discussions about representation and gender dynamics in the music industry. Students analyze industry research on gender representation, discuss current trends and challenges, and speak with professionals about their career experiences. The goal is not only to raise awareness of the realities women may face in the industry and explore the current state of gender representation in music, but also to encourage students to think about how they can contribute to positive change as they move forward in their own careers.
What initiatives at Drexel are helping support women who want to build careers in the music industry?
There are several initiatives at Drexel that help create supportive environments for women who are interested in building careers in the music industry. One example is the Drexel chapter of Women in Music, a collegiate chapter of the global non-profit organization that supports the advancement of women in the industry. The student-led chapter organizes programming such as panel discussions with industry professionals and listening sessions where students can share music they are working on and receive feedback from their peers. These kinds of spaces can be especially meaningful for young women who may feel hesitant sharing their work in settings that have historically been male-dominated.
Another initiative is Double Platinum, an annual zine that features student-conducted interviews with Drexel alumnae working across different sectors of the music industry. Through the project, students connect directly with alumnae, hear about their career journeys and receive advice as they begin navigating their own professional journeys. At the same time, the zine highlights an array of career pathways women have built across the industry. This spring we’ll release the fourth issue of Double Platinum.
Drexel has also hosted a variety of extracurricular programming. For example, in November 2024 we partnered with the organization Girls Who Listen to host a songwriting camp for women, creating a safe and comfortable space for participants to collaborate, write music together, and build community with other aspiring artists. In 2023, I moderated a Q&A with Jody Gerson, Chairman & CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group, who was recently recognized as Billboard’s Executive of the Decade in their 2026 Power 100 Issue.
I’m also mindful of the professionals I bring into the classroom as guest speakers. It’s important to me that students hear from people with different backgrounds, whether that’s gender, race, age, sexual orientation or different career paths. I want students to be exposed to a variety of perspectives, and also to feel like they’re hearing from professionals they can relate to. That kind of representation can make a real difference in helping students feel confident pursuing their own paths in the music industry.
Reporters interested in talking to Julien should contact Mike Tuberosa, assistant director, News & Media Relations, at mt85@drexel.edu or 215.895.2705.
