Rise Up! Explaining the Gender Income Gap in Buma/Stemra Royalties

This report investigates the gender income gap among members of Buma/Stemra, the Dutch collecting society for music composers and publishers. The research was conducted as part of the Rise Up! program, which aims to better understand inequalities in the music industry. Using royalty data from 2021- 2025, the study examines whether income differences between men and women can be explained by differences in output, exposure, and ownership. The results show that women register significantly fewer works, explaining much of the income gap. However, even after correcting for output, women still earn less per work, suggesting that differences in exposure and ownership also play a role.