Deezer‘s recent report on women in music streaming highlights an encouraging trend: female artists are commanding a growing share of global streams, listener attention, and playlist features. Women now account for roughly 30% of the most-streamed artists on the platform — up from 25% in 2023, showing gradual but steady progress.
Key Findings
While men still dominate total global streams, female-led tracks are gaining traction across multiple regions. The Deezer Women in Music Streaming 2025 report suggests pop, R&B, and alternative genres show the strongest performance by women. In the UK and US markets, women make up nearly half of Deezer’s Top 10 lists, suggesting a cultural shift toward more gender-balanced listening.
Global Context and Comparative Trends
- According to WIPO’s 2024 Creative Industries report, female artists accounted for ~30% of the most-streamed songs globally — up from 16% in 2017.
- By 2023, female artists had captured ~30.4% of US on-demand streaming volume, compared with ~24.1% in 2019.
- Only 23.2% of all Spotify streams according to Sonosuite in 2024 are from female or mixed-gender artists, despite women representing nearly 44% of Spotify’s global listener base.
The following chart shows how female artists’ share of streams on Deezer has changed between 2020-2024.
Behind the Scenes: Songwriting and Production
- Streaming metrics show progress — but creative credit remains uneven: Women held only 18.9% of songwriting credits on 2024’s top tracks (USC Annenberg).
- Fewer than 5% of producers or engineers on major streaming hits were women or non-binary individuals (Lost in the Mix, 2022).
🎙️ “Just 1 in 20 producers on major hits were women — a reminder that visibility doesn’t always mean equality.” — USC Annenberg / Lost in the Mix Report
These disparities mean that even when female artists are visible on playlists, the production side remains overwhelmingly male.
Why the Gap Persists
- Algorithmic bias and curation loops: Editorial playlists and machine learning models amplify already-popular artists — usually male.
- Genre imbalance: Women remain under-represented in rock, hip-hop, and electronic genres according to Deezer.
- Visibility bias: Label budgets, sync deals, and media coverage disproportionately favour established acts.
- Cultural inertia: Industry leadership and technical roles remain male-dominated, limiting mentorship and pathways.
Top 10 most-streamed female artists on Deezer globally (Jan-Sept 2025)
- Lady Gaga
- Billie Eilish
- Taylor Swift
- Sabrina Carpenter
- Beyoncé
- Rihanna
- Dua Lipa
- Chappell Roan
- Lana Del Rey
- Tate McRae
Top 10 most-streamed songs by female artists on Deezer globally
- APT. – Rosé
- Die With A Smile – Lady Gaga
- Messy – Lola Young
- BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish
- Anxiety – Doechii
- Espresso – Sabrina Carpenter
- That’s So True – Gracie Abrams
- Pink Pony Club – Chappell Roan
- Feel Good – Charlotte Cardin
- TEXAS HOLD ‘EM – Beyoncé
What’s Changing — and What Could Help
The inclusion of women in playlists, discovery feeds, and editorial curation is improving. Still, progress depends on sustained focus in three areas:
- Visibility and data transparency: Deezer’s My Deezer Month and public gender metrics are good examples.
- Editorial initiatives: Dedicated playlists and seasonal campaigns keep women’s music visible in algorithms.
- Pipeline building: Mentoring, crediting transparency, and equitable investment in female producers and songwriters aim to bolster the coalition known as Deezer Women in Music Streaming 2025.
A 2024 YouGov survey found women were 20% more likely than men to discover new music through curated playlists rather than algorithmic feeds.
Conclusion
Female artists still have ground to make up — particularly in technical and production roles — but the direction is unmistakably positive. Platforms such as Deezer who showcase superstars like Lady Gaga, Billy Eilish, Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter and Beyoncé are redefining who gets heard in the streaming era.
