PRS and Classic Album Sundays announce IWD Instagram Live event

PRS for Music has announced that it is partnering with Classic Album Sundays for a specially curated Instagram Live that will celebrate International Women’s Day 2022, focusing on the stories of women in the audio and production world.

The event, hosted by Colleen ‘Cosmo' Murphy, broadcaster/DJ/producer and founder of Classic Album Sundays, will take place on Instagram Live on Tuesday 8 March at 3pm, and is aimed at women and underrepresented genders, as well as being open to all allies.

Also appearing will be producer, Sophie Ackroyd (engineered for Future Cut, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Nina Nesbitt, Plested and Trakgirl), who will discuss working with artists from around the globe across many genres and how important versatility is in the songwriter-producer world. Other guests include music tech and multi-instrumentalist Gnarly and Michelle Escoffery, the Ivor Novello Award-winning songwriter and President of PRS Members’ Council.

The news of this event comes as new figures are released which show that despite increases in women entering the profession, gender balance within the professional songwriter and composer community remains heavily skewed towards men. Men currently make up 81.2 percent of PRS for Music’s songwriter and composer/producer membership.

PRS for Music announced that in 2021, they recorded 2,090 women registering as professional songwriters and composers - the first time this figure has exceeded more than 2,000, and represents a 6 percent year-on-year increase compared to 2020. Of those women who joined PRS for Music in 2021, 54% were under the age of 30.

The Music Producers Guild (MPG), which represents professional record producers, recording engineers, mixers and mastering engineers, has also reported a steady increase in female members joining the organisation within the last three years, accelerating from just 6 percent in 2018, to 13 percent in 2021. In 2020, MPG also announced a majority-female board of directors.

Michelle Escoffery, President of the PRS Members’ Council, said: 'International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the achievements of women. It also highlights the need for gender parity and equity. PRS for Music is proud to partner with Classic Album Sundays for a discussion that we hope will help prompt conversation and elevate songwriters, composers and producers within our industry.'

Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy, said: 'Recently a spotlight has shone on women in under-represented areas of music such as DJ-ing, but there is still much more work to be done, especially in the area of audio production. It is estimated that only 5 percent of the producers in the UK are women. This series aims to rectify that through celebrating our existing female producers and inspiring the next generation.'