Women in Music: How Boomplay is enabling a more inclusive music industry
For decades, women have been making significant contributions and developing various music genres; their influence and impact within and outside the music industry cannot be understated. However, the music industry is already known for its gender disparity — female musicians, producers, and label executives continue to be underrepresented, all while the gender pay gap widens. Researchers note that the algorithm mirrors the existing bias in the study dataset, in which only 25% of artists were women — echoing the underrepresentation of women artists in the industry.
As the Nigerian music industry joins the rest of the world to celebrate this year’s International Women’s Day with the theme, Embrace Equity, Africa’s leading music streaming and download platform, Boomplay, is exemplifying this by celebrating its rich ensemble of women achievers, who year in year out, are leading the charge for groundbreaking achievements in the industry.
The platform is unwavering in drumming awareness for women’s inclusion and equity. It is driven to enable a more inclusive music industry that supports and promotes women’s work, giving sufficient attention to female artists and celebrating their achievements.
Boomplay is Africa’s largest music streaming platform, with a diverse music catalogue of 95 million songs from across the continent and beyond. As a key player in the music ecosystem, Boomplay exemplifies its message for gender equity on its home front, boasting of a gender-balanced workforce of women-led leadership in various management and other levels. The General Managers of four of the six countries where Boomplay has a physical presence are female; its marketing, artist & media relations, business development and more directors are also female.
Undoubtedly, the role of women in music has evolved significantly over the years, from being primarily relegated to the background to becoming powerful forces in their own right. For instance, in 2022, Nigeria experienced an uprising of female trailblazers across different industries, including music, sports, education, and more. Atop an increasing list of monumental achievements recorded in the music scene, female artists such as Simi, Mercy Chinwo, and Ayra Starr scored streaming milestones on Boomplay, emerging as top female streamers on the platform’s widely revered Boomplay Recap 2022.
Music is a universal language, and Boomplay understands this enough to provide an accessible platform with a diverse catalogue of music from different regions and cultures, highlighting the talents of women from various backgrounds to share their talents and connect with their audiences.
Notably, artist promotion is one of Boomplay’s numerous offerings to the music ecosystem. It offers artists a range of resources and initiatives to promote their music and give them the tools they need to succeed. The platform has dedicated playlists and channels that promote the work of female artists, giving them greater visibility and exposure. This has helped to level the playing field by allowing them to reach new audiences, gain recognition for their work, and create opportunities for female artists to succeed.
Boomplay has facilitated several collaborations, including partnering with content creation platform Splice to spotlight music producers, where rising female producer Dunnie was also enlisted. Boomplay partnered with Nigeria’s Afro-pop Queen -Tiwa Savage, in the execution of an acclaimed performance at an iconic Bus Park in Lagos to support her music campaign. In 2022, the brand also worked with gospel artiste Onos Ariyo for her New Dimension concert in Lagos. By promoting collaboration and networking, Boomplay is helping to create a more inclusive and diverse music industry where all artists can succeed within the ecosystem regardless of gender.
Boomplay’s content categorization and diversification efforts have optimized female musicians’ visibility by gradually increasing female artists’ exposure in its recommendations. Interestingly, since music listeners appear to rely heavily on recommendations, the same feedback loop helped fix the bias. This move has been instructive in addressing the biases in the algorithms that play a significant role in the way many people discover new music and artists.
Director of Artiste and Media Relations, Boomplay, Tosin Sorinola, revealed that Boomplay is committed to amplifying women’s voices across the continent. She stated there are plans to unveil more initiatives skewed towards developing, promoting and celebrating women in the industry, in front and behind the scenes.
“Boomplay is dedicated to amplifying women’s voices and ensuring inclusion and equal representation in music. As an organization, we will continue to recognize and celebrate the strides made by women in Africa and globally.”
In conclusion, the role of women in music is essential, and platforms like Boomplay are helping to promote and support the work of female musicians. By creating opportunities for education, mentorship, and collaboration, Boomplay is enabling a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable music industry that values the contributions of women.
As the music industry continues to evolve, we must continue to push for the work of female artists and ensure that they are given the recognition and opportunities they deserve. Boomplay is raising a toast and celebrating these formidable women who, every day, are creating magic, not just this women’s month but all year round.
