This International Women’s Day, Spotify is celebrating its community of Filipina artists, creators and listeners with fresh content on EQUAL Philippines and Pinay Voices. The world’s largest audio streaming platform reinforces its commitment to fostering gender equity by spotlighting its year-long initiative EQUAL, a space dedicated to female voices in music and podcasts.
Empowered Filipina Voices on the Rise
In a global study commissioned by Spotify on the representation of women in the music industry, only 1 in 5 artists on the charts are women*. In the Philippines, Spotify saw a 35% female share in streams in 2021, reflecting the opportunity for equal representation in the music scene.
“Giving Filipino artists and creators a platform for their voices and passion has always been Spotify’s driving force, and the artists and creators we listen to should reflect the diversity of the world we live in. Spotify is committed to being a driver of progress, both on and off the platform.” said Kossy Ng, Spotify Asia’s Head of Music.
Spotify’s EQUAL Program Uplifts Women Artists and Creators
Since the launch of its EQUAL program, Spotify has seen consistent growth in listenership of local female artists on EQUAL Philippines, accounting for an average year-on-year growth of close to 50% in the Philippines. In 2021, the second year since the program was launched, there was a 46% share in the top 200 Songs chart for female artists, spotlighting Filipina artists like Belle Mariano, Julie Ann San Jose and more.
“With platforms like Spotify making an intentional commitment to champion gender equity, it generates more opportunities for our work to be seen and heard on the local and global stage. In this age of audio streaming, it has empowered Filipina artists like myself to pursue our passions, and even inspire aspiring artists or listeners through my craft,” says Keiko Necesario, Spotify March’s EQUAL Ambassador for Month.
A space facilitating diverse perspectives and conversations, podcasts are on the rise amongst Pinay creators and listeners alike. In the past year, Spotify saw an almost 70% increase in Filipina podcast listeners, with Society & Culture, Wellness (Health & Fitness), and Education being the top podcast genres.
“It’s enlightening to see that people are more willing to open up about mental health and wellness” says Hannah Pangilinan, Creator of Spotify Original, Pausecast with Hannah. “I’m so honored for the opportunity to work alongside Spotify to develop a “kinder-approach to well-being—one that is non-judgmental and packed with takeaways perfect to easily incorporate into our daily conversations, routines and lives!” Her show is amongst the slate of refreshing content on Spotify’s latest wellness playlist, Hinga Muna.
For Pangilinan and many other creators, podcasts are an avenue for them to reach like-minded audiences, as well as tap new ones, in exploring topics relevant to the modern Filipina of today.
“Women artists and creators are integral to the growth of the audio industry – globally and in the Philippines. And our community of women and allies are raring to go; passionate and empowered to welcome a new, gender-equal era of audio,” Ng concludes.
