Music Forward inspires ambition and creates a momentum to redefine what’s possible for the young people and the industry we serve. Focusing on young people ages 12-22 in underserved communities, we set the stage for success by providing workshops and showcases to inspire the next generation of music industry leaders, innovators, and artists.

Most of the tools and articles on organizational implementation of DEI principles cover topics about boards, bylaws, and hiring practices. But what about DEI and finance? What are the links between them? Inequitable and unjust practices easily and unconsciously embed into systems and structures around payroll and finance. Let’s talk about 4 areas where you can examine your financial operations relative to DEI.

Consider signing the Keychange Pledge and work with them towards a gender balanced music industry. With the Pledge, Keychange offers an effective tool and tailored support to increase representation throughout the music world.

Despite our reliance on people, we have a bunch of no good, very bad habits in hiring. This includes a terrible habit that many of us have, one that perpetuates gender and other inequities, and increases the power imbalance between employers and employees: Not listing salary ranges on job postings, and putting “DOE,” which stands for “Depending On Experience” instead.

Bodies of Culture is a diverse group of musicians and professionals advocating for equity in Colorado's music Industry. We are dedicated to evolving the local music ecosystem to create a more equitable future for young artists and our peers by identifying and closing EID gaps and establishing a culture of belonging and solidarity.

Location: Colorado

NAF is a blog that discusses all things nonprofit with a slant toward equity, including the challenges faced by leaders and organizations of color. Topics include bringing more inclusive hiring and fundraising practices into the nonprofit sector.

The WIM Mentorship Program provides professional development and leadership training to its members with the goal of driving a more diverse and inclusive group of individuals into decision-making roles to benefit our industry, the greater arts community, and the world at large.

Become a mentor for the next generation of women in audio! SoundGirls Members are invited to sign-up for online mentoring and will be grouped with six to eight SoundGirls for two online sessions with a mentor. Mentors volunteering their time are professionals working in audio in a wider range of fields from Recording Arts, Live Sound, Post-Production Audio, Audio Manufacturing, and more.

An interactive website offering recommendations for a number of different areas related to DEI in the workplace. While they are mostly geared toward tech companies, each area includes case studies and other helpful articles and resources at the bottom of the specific suggestions provided. As a result, we think this is a great resource for folks in any industry.

Nightlife United is an industry resource and advocacy non-profit coalition established by and for the Nightlife community. Our community-based actions cultivate a prosperous industry that serves as an inclusive platform for self expression and social cohesion. NU’s mission is to foster safety, diversity, and sustainability in this ecosystem of underserved cultural workers while working towards a thriving and equitable Nightlife culture.

AMEE unites organizations to identify and implement actions that address diversity, equity, and inclusivity in music education in Denver in a collective, transformational, measurable, and sustainable manner.

Location: Denver, CO

shesaid.so is a global independent community of women and gender nonconforming people in the music industry. The Alt List was started as a response to Billboard’s Power 100 List with the aim to challenge conventional music industry standards. It has now evolved from a symbolic stance in defiance of its original counterpart to a celebration for traditionally underrepresented communities such as women, people of color, with disabilities, people from emerging markets, LGBTQ and so on.

The Annenberg Inclusion Initiative’s annual report examines the gender and race/ethnicity of artists, songwriters, and producers across the year’s top songs, according to the Billboard Hot 100 Year-End Charts. The study also looks at Grammy nominations in key categories. The latest report covers 2012 to 2024, including the Grammy nominees for the 2025 award show.

Founded in 2007 at Barnard College in New York City, Gender Amplified is a non-profit organization that aims to celebrate women and gender-expansive music producers, raise their visibility and develop a pipeline for them to build equity in the music industry.  The movement also connects passion for music with technical skills that can be used in a wide range of scientific and arts based fields, areas in which women are traditionally underrepresented.

A collective of industry professionals, musicians, fans and supporters, Jazz Coalition identifies global needs affecting the jazz and improvised music community, and strategizes response solutions and opportunities towards action. Jazz Coalition aims to unite the global jazz community by welcoming all industry professionals, musicians, and supporters into an inclusive network.

A collective of bartenders, FOH staff, BOH staff, DJs, club promoters, bouncers, patrons, business owners, rape crisis advocates, and service providers invested in building safer, more positive and engaging experiences for everyone by changing the way we address sexual violence within our communities.

Location: New York City, NY

Since we are adding so many jobs, we need to now focus more attention on our hiring practices, which, unfortunately, are often medieval, short-term-focused, and inequitable. We have been relying heavily on the for-profit world’s hiring model, which has not been aligned with our sector-wide values of equity and community. It leaves out too many good people, and it is time that we as a field examine and change how we hire people.