Women in Music Celebrates 40 Years With 5th Virtual Summit in January 2025

First announced in December 2024, the Virtual Summit will kick off WIM’s 40th birthday celebration. Since its 1985 inception in New York City, WIM has aimed to “advance the awareness, equity, diversity, heritage, opportunities, and cultural aspects of women in the musical arts.”

The organization does this through education, support, recognition, connections, and empowerment, highlighting its core values — Equality, Community, and Belonging — in its work. It advocates for women in the music business and works to make the industry a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable community for everyone.

Over its 40 years of existence, WIM has evolved into a diverse global network of members at all career stages, from students to seasoned industry professionals. It includes label executives, songwriters, music attorneys, publishers, recording engineers, publicists, and other industry players across 37 international areas (so-called chapters).

In 2024, the organization introduced “WIM Safe(r) Spaces,” an educational program aimed at fostering safer environments within the music industry. The new program will also be showcased during the January Summit.

Overall, the three-day “global immersive event” will feature a varied and dynamic lineup of panels, workshops, breakout sessions, and virtual booths. These will allow attendees to gain valuable insights from industry experts and explore the position of women and gender-expansive individuals across all facets of the music business.

Additionally, the summit will host a session on the WIM Workplace Initiative, which includes a survey to collect data for the “WIM Best Places to Work” lists, set to be released in March 2025.

“Our goal is to create a transformative experience where attendees make meaningful connections, build their network and safety net, feel empowered in their leadership, and are equipped to navigate and shape the future of our industry,” said Nicole Barsalona, President of Women in Music.

The event is supported by sponsors such as The MLC and ASCAP, along with collaborators and partners, including Here For The Music, Mamas In Music, Family Alliance in Music, and Moms in Music. More partners will be announced closer to the event.

The WIM members can attend the summit for free, while non-members are encouraged to purchase $100 tickets or explore membership packages to join. Non-member students can attend for $10.

For more information on the event and its schedule, visit the Women in Music website.