The Final Word spoke to CEO of Music Publishers Canada and a Toronto-based member of the cohort about the accelerator program
The Women in the Studio National Accelerator has its sixth cohort this year. The program, created by Music Publishers Canada, and supported by Royal Bank of Canada Foundation, FACTOR, Government of Canada, and Ontario Creates, aims to support female and non-binary folks in the music industry.
Female producers are drastically lacking. A USC Annenberg inclusion initiative found that they only hold 6.5 per cent of roles in the industry as of 2023.
Margaret McGuffin, CEO of Music Publishers Canada spoke to The Final Word about the Accelerator program and the status of the music industry.
“Our members really felt this had to change for the health of the industry,” she said. “We needed to make sure we were giving opportunities to producers who were already in the field.”
McGuffin says that in this male-dominated space, it is harder for women to have their voices heard.
“We find that if you have a woman producer in the room, the room changes, the recording studio changes,” she said. “There weren’t as many opportunities for women and non-binary producers.”
Six years ago, only 2 per cent of producers on the Top 100 Billboard songs were female, according to the same USC Annenberg study. Because of this, Music Publishers Canada, with support from partners, started the Women in the Studio National Accelerator program. Since then, they have been supporting women and non-binary producers to reinforce essential skills, build their network, and boost their careers.
“It’s so sad, but sometimes people just don’t realize that women were missing from the studio space,” McGuffin said. “So when they hear the numbers, they’re shocked…, and then they’re really appreciative of the fact that we’re creating these opportunities.”
The program offers a six-month accelerator that is mainly virtual and focuses on skill-based learning. Some of these skills include technical training, business, and financial literacy. Participants will also have creative opportunities to learn from experienced mentors such as Hill Kourkoutis, a Juno Award-winning producer, and Liz Rodrigues, a songwriter who has collaborated with many artists, including Celine Dion.
“At the end of the day, it’s building that support network and that community, and I’m so proud of the grads every time I hear one of their success stories,” said Mcguffin.
Samantha Selci is part of the 2024 Women in the Studio Accelerator cohort. She is a producer, a recording and audio engineer, and a Toronto Metropolitan University educator. Last fall, she opened a production studio called Lost Tonic.
“It feels amazing to be a part of this group . . . it’s a program that I’ve known about for years as I’ve been working my way into the field of production,” they said.
Selci is excited to learn fundamental skills, gain wisdom from mentors in the industry, and collaborate with others in the program. In late August, all participants will have the opportunity to attend a week-long residency in Toronto for intensive mentorship and professional development.
“I think it’s changed the lives of a lot of women in the industry; we really need to see ourselves in the roles we aspire to be in,” said Selci. “This program has really facilitated that for a lot of us.”