Sound Off: Make the Music Industry Safe

For decades, the music industry has condoned, perpetuated, and often marketed a culture of sexual abuse of women and underage girls. Thousands of artists, executives, and shareholders have made billions of dollars in profit – while engaging in and/or covering up criminal sexual behavior.

The Representation Project is part of a coalition of organizations including Lift Our Voices, the Female Composer Safety League, and the Punk Rock Therapist launching a new campaign to hold the music industry accountable for its long history of sexual assault and sexual violence. The “Sound Off: Make the Music Industry Safe Report” documents the history and financial impact of decades of abuse.

We must put an end to this behavior and demand more from the industry.

Five Demands:

1. No More NDAs That Silence Survivors: Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) are often used to manipulate and silence survivors. Furthermore, survivors are not always given an opportunity to fully read the NDA or consult with an attorney before signing. This practice needs to stop.
2. Mandated Protocols. If You See Something, Say Something: People in positions of power in the music industry should be required to report allegations of sexual assault, misconduct, or any covering up of these crimes. Corporate protocols and training must be implemented to ensure follow-through.
3. Independent Organization – Make Music Safe Division: Investigations into allegations of sexual assault or misconduct must be completed by an unbiased, outside party to ensure accuracy, integrity, and safety are prioritized.
4. Publication of Celebrities & Executives Credibly Accused of Sexual Assault and Harassment: A list of credibly accused musicians, executives, managers, producers and other professionals at Warner Music Group must be released to the public. The public and survivors deserve transparency and honesty.
5. Victim/Survivor Legislation: According to multiple studies, we know it often takes survivors years or decades to feel safe enough to disclose abuse. Trauma typically impacts a survivor for their entire life, so why is there a time limit for them to take legal action? Survivors should not be held back by legal timelines that make seeking justice more challenging or even worse, impossible. The music industry should support survivor-centric legislation that gives survivors more time to come forward.