Shreya Ghoshal on the gender gap in music
Ghoshal said the charts at the moment seem to lean to one side, having just a few songs led by women in the Top 50. She stated that India is still, in some ways, a patriarchal society, and that the difference is very noticeable when compared to what things were like in past times. Her words carry weight as they come from over twenty years of being in the music world.
She compared what is happening now to previous decades, when female singers who provided playback – singing for actors in films – had a lot of power. Ghoshal named performers who used to be all over the year’s songs and got the public’s attention in a way that doesn’t happen as much now. She wasn’t angry when she spoke, but was trying to work out how this change occurred.
The past and how music is now changing
The playback period gave female singers clear jobs in film music, which made how the public listened for many years. This depended on film companies, people who wrote music, and those who made films, all of whom often used women as the main singers. When these ways of doing things changed, so did the chances for women.
With streaming, music that isn’t connected to films, and new ways of making music, people now listen in a more split-up way. Hits are now more about playlists and what computer programs do, than about radio or film credits. This splitting can make existing prejudices worse if the people who decide what is played – and those who put together playlists – are mostly men, which means fewer women’s voices are heard.
How charts and the music business affect how much people see of artists
Where songs are on charts often shows not just how good they are, but how much money has been spent on marketing, where they’re put on playlists, and the choices of those who put the playlists together. When the people who make decisions at record companies, production houses, and streaming services are mostly men, female artists can find they don’t have as much help in promoting their work. This is shown in the Top 50 lists and lists at the end of the year.
How much the public sees of artists is also affected by live music and who is in festival line-ups. If concerts, radio, and deals with brands mostly go to men, female singers get fewer chances to get more fans. Being seen in a lot of different places is important for being on the charts for a long time.
What happens to female artists and those who listen when there is less representation
When women aren’t shown as much on charts, this has effects which spread out. Female artists who are starting out may find it harder to be found, get money, and work with others. When people don’t hear many women on popular playlists, this makes a cycle where different voices and stories aren’t included in popular music.
This also affects how music culture develops. The views of women in writing songs, making music, and performing are important for a balanced cultural output. Not having equal representation makes the range of stories which get to large audiences smaller, and limits the role models for musicians who are trying to make it.
What can be done to make the music world more equal
People in the music business can do things to make the charts and recognition more equal. Streaming services should check how different their playlists are, and invest in training for those who put them together to get rid of unconscious prejudice. Record companies can make a priority of signing and promoting female artists, and festivals can promise to have more equal line-ups.
Helping and training women in making music will help to grow a supply of female composers, producers, and engineers. People in the media and radio can make a point of regularly playing more songs led by women. What the audience knows also matters: listeners can help diversity by looking at lists which show women, and by telling their networks about their favourite female artists.
Shreya Ghoshal’s views show a music world which is changing. Her demand for clarity is the same as a wider talk about access, who controls what is played, and culture. Fixing the imbalance will need people who work in the business, streaming services, and audiences who want a wider range of voices on India’s music charts to all work together.
