( Aishling Zhou / For The Heights)
Women in the music industry face fewer opportunities, limited mentorship, and a lack of representation, according to Nina Webb.
“There’s very few creative directors that are female,” Webb said. “I walked down to our art direction department, and there’s eight bros in black hoodies around a table, and they’re the whole creative team.”
Webb, named one of Billboard Magazine’s Top Women Music Executives in 2019, spoke at Boston College as part of the Women in Leadership Forum on Thursday, where she discussed her experience as a female marketing executive at top labels like Columbia Records and Atlantic Records.
Webb expanded on this example, explaining how she felt represented by this characterization of women in male-dominated fields. Webb noted that The Studio, a satirical comedy series centered around a Hollywood film studio, prompted her to self-reflect. She realized that the professional environment of her job had altered her own communication style.
“Kathryn Hahn created this character that was very bold, very direct, and very intense,” Webb said. “One of her inspirations that she talks about was these women at the top of companies that are these powerful leaders, but they’ve had to change the way they communicate in order to connect and be a part of the executive team with their male counterparts”.
The lack of women in the artists and repertoire department, specifically can hinder authentic representation of new artists, lacking a creative team that understands and respects their insight, Webb said.
“Women are needed everywhere because you have women pop artists, just like everyone—globally, culturally— we need every community and segment at the table,” Webb said.
The lack of female representation in the music industry extended to the leadership roles in Webb’s life. With few female bosses and even fewer positive experiences with them, Webb explained that she had to be her own role model.
“The worst boss I ever had was a woman,” Webb said. “I mean, horrible, horrible, traumatizing, toxic, everything, so I think you have a mix of both on the music side, and I’m not sure it’s probably in many industries. I never had a mentor.”
Webb emphasized that success in the music industry demands a scrappy mindset—whether speaking louder, reaching out first, or voicing your opinion— especially for women looking to break in.
“They need you,” Webb said. “I want you to feel powerful. I want you to know that you are so needed. So know who needs you, and then reach out to them.”
Webb highlighted the importance of focusing on yourself, suggesting that building a strong peer group, networking, getting out of your bubble, and practicing kindness are ways of strengthening yourself and your career.
“Diversify and take risks, and be flexible … I did not think I would be in the music industry for 25 years,” Webb said.