Changing the Tune, The Power of Female Musicians in Advertising

About five years ago, fresh out of university and equipped with a rim-filled backpack full of eagerness, I took my first steps into the professional world of the music meets advertising-industry by joining the team at Sizzer Amsterdam. I remember it like it was yesterday; the excitement, the curiosity, and the luck I felt to be able to join one of the most creative music agencies for advertising around, right off the bat.

What I also remember vividly, is a candid conversation I had with our founder, Sander, over a beer and a cigarette just a few weeks into joining the team. “Where are all the women in this industry?”, I asked him - a question that felt especially pressing as I looked around an office with just one other woman among twelve men.

The more I glanced across the rest of the industry, the harder it was to ignore the scarcity of female voices in music production, especially in the advertising world. Over time, this gender imbalance further revealed itself across the industry’s many layers. I’d attend meetings, collaborate with creatives, and spend time in studios, only to find that the vast majority of producers, sound designers, and composers were men.

But it wasn’t just a numbers issue; it felt like a serious gap in the creativity, insight, and diversity that our – and really any industry - so desperately needs to truly be authentic.

As time went on, that question continued to linger in the back of my mind. But I also found myself meeting more and more incredibly talented female musician - ranging from producers to songwriters and engineers - who for various reasons just hadn’t yet found a consistent and profitable footing in an otherwise lucrative industry. And so gradually the ever-lingering question began to evolve into a new one: "If there are so many skilled women musicians out there, why aren’t they making up a larger part of our industry?".

How was it that such an incredible number of dedicated, talented women were just outside of the industry, while the pathway in remained so narrow?

The answer clearly isn’t a simple one - and certainly too complex to fully cover in one opinion piece. But what I do want to touch upon is the fact that so many female musicians still face too many invisible barriers every day. These range from gender biases - especially in technical roles like production - and gender stereotypes (women write/sing while men produce), to a lack of female mentors and role models, and even fewer spaces to help build a professional (sync) portfolio. Above all, too many of us are still too familiar with the isolating feeling of being “the only one in the room.” And although advertising and music are fields that thrive on diverse viewpoints, here we are, missing out on voices that could drive new narratives forward and breathe life into outdated norms.

Luckily, I found a supportive home at Sizzer, with colleagues and bosses who were receptive to me addressing the issue, and so I began to ask myself: What could I – or we – do to empower and amplify the voices of more female composers in our industry? And how could we start to break down the barriers and create more tangible opportunities?

One answer to these questions was the creation of 556 Hz* - a writing camp aimed at bridging the gap one step at a time by offering real-life sync opportunities to women in the ‘music meets advertising’ space and supporting the next generation of female talent.

With two live briefings from real clients Schweppes and Jägermeister, the 16 hand-selected participants spent two insight-filled days in the studio, crafting unique tracks that tackled different genres and creative directions. These tracks now hold the exciting potential to be

featured in upcoming campaigns, showcasing that forward-thinking agencies recognize the importance of creating opportunities to further drive diversity within the industry.

After its successful first edition in 2023 (with four track placements on real campaigns so far) and an incredibly inspiring second edition in 2024, 556 Hz has proven to be much more than ‘just’ a sync writing camp; it has provided a dedicated space where women could come together to share their craft, connect with incredible mentors who have paved their own paths and - most importantly – empower one another to claim their space in music.

I must say, it is truly a powerful thing to witness so many women coming together in one room.

Nothing has left me feeling as refreshed, inspired and optimistic as the two days I got to spend with the 25 other women from across the world, sharing, learning, and enjoying their craft. Being around so many talented female creatives reminded me of the power of representation, and the importance of access to save and uninterrupted spaces that allow us to express ourselves more freely and with more compassion for each other’s realities.

The advertising world, in particular, has a lot to gain from supporting female producers and composers. In a landscape that’s driven by stories, feelings, and deep human connections, a diverse team of creators can offer fresh insights that resonate with a broader audience. By empowering women to bring their voices into this space, we can create campaigns that not only feel relevant but also deeply connected to the multifaceted world we live in today.

I strongly believe our industry has so much more to offer when it’s genuinely diverse and reflective of the true makeup of our society.

But let’s be honest, real progress takes more than just one initiative. It requires daily action, a conscious commitment to challenge the status quo, and the willingness to rethink what an equitable, inclusive creative industry should look like. Gradual change starts with the decisions we make every day, and it’s this collective effort that will ultimately spark the ripple effects needed to not only enrich our industry but also empower a new generation of women to shape the sounds of tomorrow, one note at a time!

*556 Hz is the frequency at which glass shatters (and ceilings break)

strongly believe our industry has so much more to offer when it’s genuinely diverse and reflective of the true makeup of our society.

But let’s be honest, real progress takes more than just one initiative. It requires daily action, a conscious commitment to challenge the status quo, and the willingness to rethink what an equitable, inclusive creative industry should look like. Gradual change starts with the decisions we make every day, and it’s this collective effort that will ultimately spark the ripple effects needed to not only enrich our industry but also empower a new generation of women to shape the sounds of tomorrow, one note at a time!

*556 Hz is the frequency at which glass shatters (and ceilings break)