Nearly half of women wouldn’t recommend their workplace: Women in Music reveal best places to work

In partnership with company reviews platform InHerSight, Women in Music has revealed the latest findings from its 2026 Best Places To Work survey.

Systemic inequality continues to infiltrate the music business, with women remaining underrepresented in senior leadership roles, being more likely to exit mid-career and disproportionately impacted by burnout and limited advancement opportunities.

According to 2025 InHerSight data, 45% of female professionals across numerous industries say that company support for women has declined, reflecting the challenges women can face at work. Furthermore, nearly half of women say they wouldn’t recommend their workplace, with 71% planning to start or continue looking for a new job in 2026 due to better-paying opportunities. Furthermore, 62% of women say company support for women is ‘essential’ in their job search.

The Women in Music Best Places to Work survey recognises standout companies across the music industry across a range of size categories, from large companies with over 5,001 employees —such as Live Nation or Universal Music group— to tiny companies with between 2 and 51 employees, such as Bright Antenna Records or The Syndicate.

The top companies showcased high proficiency in key areas, which included equal opportunities, women in leadership, salary satisfaction and flexibility.

Big Picture Media, Music Business Association, Bright Antenna Records, The Orchard and A2IM all achieved perfect scores for the Top Companies for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men category, with 19 other companies also scoring top marks.

The companies that scored highest in the Top Companies for Women in Leadership category included Big Picture Media, Bright Antenna Records, Music Business Association, The Orchard and A2IM. The companies with the highest scores for Salary satisfaction were SAG-AFTRA, SiriusXM Radio, Music Business Association and Bright Antenna Records.

The top companies for flexibility were Symphonic, Big Picture Media and Studio71. These companies all achieved perfect scores in this category. Meanwhile, among the top companies for maternity and adoptive leave were Ticketmaster, Spotify, Music Business Association, Downtown Music and The Syndicate.

Bright Antenna Records, Music Business Association, Big Picture Media and A2IM were standout high scorers for the Top Companies for Employer Responsiveness category, while Big Picture Media, Bright Antenna Records, Music Business Association, SAG-AFTRA, and The Syndicate scored perfectly in the Top Companies for Sense of Belonging category.

“We know that statistically, women in workplace leadership enhance financial performance and drive innovation, but they remain underrepresented,” said Nicole Barsalona, president of Women in Music. “This year, we’re excited to highlight companies that are working to fix a system that too often fails to create a culture where women can thrive.”

“The past year has had a devastating impact on women’s careers,” added Usrula Mead, CEO and co-founder of InHerSight. “Women have left the workforce in droves, and the areas where they are currently thriving, like healthcare and education, are often undervalued and underpaid. Meanwhile, many companies choose to remain silent, quietly stepping back from or dismantling initiatives that support women’s advancement—advancement that has historically made our workplaces more innovative, creative, and profitable.

“That’s why the transparency we’ve seen in this year’s Women in Music campaign is so encouraging at a time like this. By collecting ratings and introducing a new view to highlight organisations that actively solicited employee feedback, we can celebrate not just the numbers, but the commitment to listen and act. For our team at InHerSight, that’s the signal that matters most: a willingness to remain engaged is the greenest of green flags amid a year of constant reds.”
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