Sounds Australia assists in launching global network for women producers

Image: Candice Lorrae

Sounds Australia has teamed up with Canada’s National Arts Centre to support women producers in the music industry and address gender imbalance.

The Global Network for Female-Identifying Music Producers will bring 25 women producers around the world to meet, network and discuss ideas. Music Estonia, Sweden’s MTA Productions and Argentinian producer liaison Bella Fasulis have also signed on to the initiative.

The program will be led by NAC executive producer of popular music and variety Heather Gibson, and span multiple years. In addition to developing a global network and support system, the program will also act as a resource for musicians or labels looking to work with women producers.

Six local producers have been handpicked by Sounds Australia’s Leah Flanagan to be involved in the program. The producers are Antonia Gauci (Kesha, Troye Sivan), Becki Whitton (Allday, Memphis LK), Candice Lorrae, Jane Aurora, Kween G, and Milan Ring.

“I curated this small group of producers based from my knowledge of their previous work,” Flanagan said, “and this is just the tip of the iceberg of talent that exists across our country and I look forward to learning and discovering more talent who will no doubt be perfect for this program for all future iterations. This is just the beginning.”

In launching the initiative, the National Arts Centre pointed to a recent study conducted by USC Annenberg, which found that of the 500 songs of the Billboard Hot 100 between 2012 and 2019, just 2.6% had women producers.

“Engineering can be an isolating line of work, especially since the pandemic,” said Whitton, one of the program’s participants.

“Even outside of pandemic conditions, though, there aren’t many opportunities for engineers to connect and share with each other, so it’s been really illuminating and inspiring to hear about studio production practises from engineers all across the globe.”