Ensuring More People Have Seats at the Table with Becky Wixon

Becky Wixon is head of Songtradr Talent, as well as a music producer, sonic strategist and DJ. Along the way, she fronted an all-female rock band, composed music for top media and worked in renowned studios such as Abbey Road.

After achieving a first class degree from King’s Business School (where she wrote her dissertation on sonic branding), Becky began her career working for leading creative agencies as a planner and brand strategist.

Half music and half marketing – Becky joins the dots when it comes to sonic branding. Becky is a huge advocate for diversity in the music industry, and is the brains behind Songtradr’s ‘Balance the Mix’ mission to amplify a more inclusive music industry.

LBB> What drew you to the field of DE&I? 

Becky> I wasn’t necessarily drawn to the field – but was born into it. 

Being female, queer and neurodiverse - feeling ‘different’, or outside the ‘norm’ was, well… normal.

Working in the creative industries – mainly across music and advertising – I was faced with a lot of hurdles. Both industries are stereotypically male-dominated, and despite entering the world of work with the best intentions and top grades – I soon discovered the playing field wasn’t level. 

My experience isn’t in isolation – and it became clear I was experiencing industry-wide issues. I became a natural advocate for DEI throughout my career, until eventually, I was given an opportunity to jump in fully.

LBB> Before it became your job role, what was your specialism? And how did you get involved?

Becky> I’m a music producer and strategist. Before this role, I was crafting sonic identities for iconic brands.

In 2023, I started an initiative called ‘Balance the Mix’ – to amplify more inclusivity in the music industry. What began as an online music production workshop for women for IWD 2023, became a sold-out, thriving event in London in 2024. From there, it became clear that the event couldn’t be a once a year moment – but should be ‘always on’. Since then, I transitioned into my current role in DEI full-time. 

LBB> There’s a lot of frustration around the industry’s glacial pace when it comes to improving DE&I across all sorts of axes. What’s getting in the way?

Becky> DEI hasn’t moved as fast as we’d hope – because it’s had a positioning problem. DEI narratives thus far have focused mostly on the ‘social justice’ piece. The reason DEI is the ‘right thing to do’ – rather than focusing on how it’s good for business. As much as we’d hoped appealing to people’s good nature would have been enough – it didn’t land. 

Validating statements with proof – research, statistics is what we need. A ground-breaking study was published last year by the Unstereotype Alliance and Oxford University, and proved that inclusion equals income. Yep, investing in inclusion improves your bottom line. 

We’ve lacked these narratives with DEI, and as such, it hasn’t been taken seriously. DEI needs a rebrand. New language – focused on talent, culture, accessibility and creativity rather than diversity. Stories focused on the solutions rather than the problems. 

LBB> Outside of the advertising industry, where do you see examples of large-scale meaningful progress (if at all), and what should our industry learn from it?

Becky> I think the film industry has certainly made waves. The ‘Me Too’ movement was hugely impactful and the high-profile nature of the industry means it’s started lots of progressive conversations. The lessons for us: there is power in community. If you have a platform – take courage, and use it to raise awareness.

LBB> The dimensions of DE&I can differ somewhat according to geographic/cultural context - I’m curious, where you’re based, what are the big issues or most urgent elements of DE&I that you need to address? 

Becky> If DEI wasn’t known in all regions of the world – Trump has now made it so for all the wrong reasons.

DEI took off in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, not even five years ago. Now, before we’ve barely escaped the starting line, we’re seeing DEI policies roll back. A false start, perhaps?

I live in Brighton, in the UK, a famously liberal location. Inclusion is inherent. It’s why I live here as a female, queer, neurodiverse person. I feel fully accepted and celebrated to be exactly who I am. But, I am aware that this is a rarity.

In other places, perhaps most places – inclusion is effort. Separation is the neutral state.

Some would argue it’s primal – to oppose what is different to you. Rooted in fear and judgement, this thinking has aided our survival. To be suspicious of what we don’t understand. To fight it, to stamp it out to ensure you and yours can thrive. 

Empathy and compassion are evolved states of being – beyond our primal origins. They require understanding to bypass our instinctive brains and access deeper thinking. Thinking which often is bigger: more innovative, creative and wise, because it includes more perspectives. 

LBB> In your role, what have been some of the most meaningful projects or policies you’ve been involved in regarding DE&I?

Becky> We’ve put benchmarks in place at MassiveMusic – a third of composers pitching for projects must be female-identifying. 

'Balance the Mix' is the initiative I began to rally for more inclusivity in music. The definition of 'Balance the Mix' showcases the goal – ensuring all parts of a song are contributing without dominating or getting lost. 

LBB> What role are clients playing in holding agencies accountable and driving better DE&I (e.g. via RFPs)? Is this something you are seeing or would like to see more of?

Becky> I’d like to see more brands and agencies setting benchmarks in their productions - not just on elements which are visible. Music is often forgotten for this reason – despite the fact it is the universal language of emotion. It has been proven to resonate deeply with audiences, but often isn’t created by the audiences campaigns are intended to reach. There are dots we need to connect, and the result? Elevated creativity and brand love. 

LBB> We often see DE&I siloed or pigeonholed as an HR issue – what’s the key to ensure that it’s embraced as an agency-wide or industry-wide responsibility?

Becky> DEI is innovation. It’s production. It’s strategy. It’s people. It’s creative excellence. It’s audience. It’s research. As a creative industry, DEI should be the tentpole of everything we do. 

LBB> What are your thoughts about where accessibility fits in the DE&I agenda?

Becky> Accessibility is a word I advocate for as a potential replacement for DEI (which has become negatively charged and misunderstood). Accessibility is an undercurrent for diversity – it’s a means for creating space. It’s fundamental for equity, providing opportunities by understanding not everyone starts from the same place. And, it’s synonymous with inclusion – ensuring more people have seats at the table.

LBB> What resources/platforms/programmes have you found useful on your DE&I journey and would recommend to our readers?

Becky> Please read the ‘Inclusion = Income’ study by the Unstereotype Alliance. 

LBB> The scale of the change needed is so massive that individuals can often feel powerless without the levers to move huge structures. What's a more personal act of positivity that you've seen recently that others could look to as inspiration for change on a human scale?

Becky> All we can control are our own choices and reactions. And if we all did that with empathy and compassion, the world would change. 

So, don’t underestimate your personal power. Each act is a ripple effect which influences the whole. 

I recently saw a man call out the use of misogynistic language in a group situation with mostly other men. It was brave and made more impact than if I had done the same as a woman. Rather than silently complying, his act created a chain reaction, which changed the story. On a small scale, but it’s reversing the flow of the river. Every defiant act like that energises the current until our trajectory changes.

LBB> If you’d like our readers to take one thing away from this interview what would it be?

Becky> We’re in a rapidly evolving world. If we are to adapt to the challenges we now face, we need diversity of thought. 

I often think of diversity using the metaphor of a forest. 

Imagine a forest where all trees are the same (like a palm forest). There are no branches for birds, no fertilizer for the soil, no fungi to sustain insects, no food for the animals. It’s lifeless. It’s boring. It looks like every other palm forest in the world. 

Now imagine a tropical biodiverse rainforest. Thriving species of trees and plants which sustain lives of wide ranges of animals and insects. The innovation and evolution of life which occurs on the rich forest floor. The fruits and seeds, the colours and sounds. 

Which forest would you rather visit? What world would you rather live in? 

“The things that make me different are the things that make me.” — A.A. Milne (Winnie the Pooh)