Black Lives in Music (BLiM) began as after Blackout Tuesday in 2020 to combat issues of systemic racism in the UK music industry. After learning there was no available data on the topic, the organization commissioned a survey of 2,000+ artists & industry professionals about issues & perception of racism in the region. In our latest podcast, we speak with BLiM CEO, Charisse Beaumont on what’s changed since the first report was released, and what hurdles the UK industry still has to overcome.

Released on International Women's Day 2023, the 3rd iteration of the BE THE CHANGE study showcases the perspectives of more than 1,500 music industry professionals across 100+ countries on how gender discrimination is both experienced and perceived across the music industry. We continue our coverage of the BE THE CHANGE study by talking with TuneCore CEO, Andreea Gleeson about her perspectives on gender parity in the music industry and how it compares to other businesses, the ways that intra-industry partnerships are leading to better data on and action to correct discrimination & inequity in our industry, and much more!

Released on International Women's Day 2023, the 3rd iteration of the BE THE CHANGE study showcases the perspectives of more than 1,500 music industry professionals across 100+ countries on how gender discrimination is both experienced and perceived across the music industry. In the first of two episodes focused on this year's report, Matthew Yazge of Luminate breaks down findings from this year's survey and their impacts on industry professionals, and discusses possible solutions to issues of systemic discrimination.

For many years, smaller independent labels have found it challenging to provide health insurance options to their employees that were not cost prohibitive. This month we talked with A2IM's President and CEO, Dr. Richard Burgess about the A2IM Benefits Store, launched in September of 2022 to deliver member labels access to affordable health insurance packages, as well as other vital resources they may need.

While major strides have already been made to improve the work culture of companies across the music business, it’s a never-ending task to ensure that EVERYONE who works in our industry is welcome, supported and truly happy in their day-to-day roles. To kick off the new year, we sat down with BMI’s SVP, Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer, Sandye Taylor in a conversation about sustaining the important work of supporting both greater inclusivity across the global music business and work-life balance with consideration for mental health needs.

Born from the renewed calls for focus on mental health & wellness during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lazuli Collective works to establish "a new cultural paradigm" that puts the human needs of both artists and music industry executives front and center. In this month's interview, we sat down with the organization's founder, Brandon Holman, to discuss how the Lazuli Collective is making a difference for entertainment professionals, as well as the cultural shift taking place to support mental health and well-being.

It is of utmost importance for creators, especially in the age of digital music consumption, to log EVERY detail of who participates in the preparation of a song to ensure that all collaborators are properly paid. With his background as a songwriter and producer, Niclas Molinder set out to create a creator-friendly toolset to help not only fairly track credits directly in-studio, but also facilitate deeper collaboration. At Session, he's done just that with the help of some high-profile partners — listen to this month's episode to find out how!

The recent ruling by the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) to increase royalty payout rates for songwriters and publishers is a great step forward in fairly compensating creatives for their work. However given the complex nature of the industry, other segments of the business, particularly those involved in selling and distributing music both physically and digitally. In this episode, we discuss the industry-wide implications of the rate increase with Colin Rushing of Duck Road Advisory LLC and Danielle Aguirre of the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA).

Over the past two years, we’ve seen a major shift from pursuing incremental change to taking truly meaningful action in establishing a more inclusive and equitable workforce. In this month’s episode, we talk to three executives leading the charge to bolster diversity and inclusion in the music industry about the successes of their initiatives and what work still needs to be done.

In this month’s episode recognizing Disability Pride Month, Music Biz President talks with singer/songwriter and disability advocate, Lachi who founded RAMPD (Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities), a coalition that works to build support for disability culture and inclusion for creatives & industry professionals with disabilities. Tune is as Lachi shares the story of her journey from artist to advocate, recent successes for disability visibility & inclusion, and what changes must still be made.