For years, I’ve been passionate about driving change in the music industry. While mental health is my main focus, also representation, equity, diversity and and equal opportunities are important topics for me.

During my time as Marketing Lead / Head of Growth at MusicHub, I co-developed and launched one of my favourite projects to date: the mentoring programme “Empowering Women* in Electronic Music”. The initiative was designed to support female, inter*, non-binary, trans*, and agender artists in electronic music. While the whole music industry is male dominated, women* are largely underrepresented especially in electronic music. The goal of the programme was therefore to create a safe space for learning, networking, and empowerment, where emerging talents could access knowledge and gain the visibility and confidence they need to grow.

Why representation matters

Electronic music is one of the most diverse, innovative, and globally connected genres. Yet when it comes to gender representation, progress has been slow. While the number of female* acts at festivals has more than doubled in the past decade, the ratio still averages around one in three. Too often, women and gender-diverse artists still face bias, underestimation, and structural barriers, especially in areas like production, mixing, and mastering.

When my colleague Aarti Kriplani and I developed the program, we wanted to address exactly that. Our goal was not only to strengthen artistic skills, but to build confidence, visibility, and a sense of community. Because real empowerment doesn’t come from one-time workshops, it grows when people lift each other up, share their knowledge, and build networks that last.

From Masterclasses to Mentorships

Together with the incredible mentors Anja Schneider, Camea, Emilie Lindström, and Aarti Kriplani we launched a series of free online masterclasses and a selective mentorship program for five emerging artists.

The sessions covered topics such as:

• Building confidence and finding your artistic voice

• Navigating the electronic music landscape and its hidden rules

• Balancing creativity with career strategy

• Music production essentials: from concept to mix

• Developing a strong mindset and overcoming perfectionism

Each masterclass reached up to 500 participants, while the one-on-one mentoring sessions offered space for deep, individualised guidance. The mentors shared their technical expertise and personal stories behind their success. They talked about how they navigated a male-dominated scene, overcame doubt, and built sustainable careers on their own terms.

Creating a toolkit for long-term empowerment

Our vision was to give women* and gender-diverse artists a toolkit they could carry with them, beyond any single event or session. The goal was and is for them to empower themselves and support each other in the electronic music scene in the long run. We want to raise awareness for the disparities in the music industry among all stakeholders and across all genders, so that not only women* empower women*, but everyone contributes to a gender-equal industry. To me, that’s what true empowerment means: moving from competition to collaboration, and from awareness to action.

Small steps with a big impact

The success of the program showed what’s possible when women* support women*.

Hundreds of artists joined the live sessions, connected, and shared their experiences. Many of them continued to collaborate and exchange long after the program ended. It became clear that there’s not only a need for such initiatives, but also a hunger for community and mentorship in an industry that often isolates creatives.

My mission going forward

Through this and other projects, I’ve learned how crucial it is to keep pushing for equity and a fair music industry. It’s important to not only focus on who gets heard, but on who gets supported, promoted, and paid fairly.

I believe that inclusion and mental health are deeply connected. That’s why in my current work as a Marketing & Mental Health Consultant, I continue to advocate for structures that foster both representation and wellbeing.

More info on the programme on the MusicHub website.

Read about my stance on women* in electronic music in an interview with Groove Magazine.

Photo Credit: iStock / MusicHub