Company
Brighter Stereotypes
Brighter Stereotypes, as described on the show by Sania Haq.
Episodes (1)
Sania Haq, founder of Brighter Stereotypes, explains why South Asian artists remain underrepresented despite a growing global audience.
Questions these episodes answer
How underrepresented are South Asians in the UK music industry compared to the general population?
Haq says South Asians make up approximately 9% of the UK population but only about 6% of people working in the UK music industry. She says she cannot think of a South Asian artist from the UK who has broken into the mainstream, even when they are prominent within South Asian music scenes.
From: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) in the Music Industry
Why did the music industry start paying more attention to diversity in 2020?
Haq says George Floyd's murder in 2020 forced the wider world, including the music industry, to examine its own diversity. Music looked diverse from the outside because of a visibly diverse pool of artists, but closer scrutiny since then uncovered barriers and challenges showing it was not diverse throughout the industry.
From: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) in the Music Industry
What made global and diverse music markets commercially interesting to the industry?
Haq traces this back to around 2015, when she began pushing her former employer AudienceNet to track listening across languages and cultures. She now points to India becoming one of the most important music markets and Hindi as one of the most streamed languages as proof the opportunity is real.
From: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) in the Music Industry
What evidence is there of commercial demand for South Asian artists in the UK and Europe?
Haq points to artists such as Diljit Dosanjh and Arijit Singh selling out multiple nights at the O2 as proof there is a large, high-spending fan base for South Asian artists. She sees a touring and export opportunity, and thinks a dedicated fan engagement platform could do more than social media currently does.
From: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) in the Music Industry
What does Sania Haq want to see happen next for South Asian representation in music?
Haq wants an organization or investor to properly commit to a South Asian artist, backing them financially and helping them go global rather than letting them get signed and then dropped. She also wants the industry to address harder issues like bullying, harassment and misogyny in music culture.
From: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) in the Music Industry