NDAs should be banned in music business, Parliament report suggests

A UK parliamentary report has recommended for NDAs to be banned in the music industry to tackle its “culture of misogyny”. 

Earlier this month, the Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) published ‘Misogyny In Music: On Repeat’, a report that claims that non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements are a “major concern” in the industry as they are being used to silence victims of harassment and abuse. 

A government spokesperson told The Guardian: “The music industry must be free of misogyny and discrimination and NDAs should not be misused to silence victims. We are actively looking at all options for further reform of NDAs.” 

A report from the WEC last year warned that women in the music industry face “endemic” misogyny and discrimination and said “urgent action” was required to tackle the issue. It described the industry as a “boys’ club” where sexual harassment and abuse are common and the non-reporting of such incidents is high. 

We have published a report, Misogyny in music: on repeat.

We found that banning non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) is fundamental to tackling a 'culture of misogyny'.

Read the full list of recommendations:https://t.co/TSLbpRxHqd pic.twitter.com/h97YTHypru

— Women & Equalities Committee (@CommonsWEC) June 4, 2025

The Conservative government at the time rejected the proposed recommendations of that report, despite saying “everyone should be able to work in the music industry without being subject to misogyny and discrimination”. The Labour party, on the other hand, passed a motion at its annual conference last September that the current government would implement the committee’s report. 

Last year’s WEC report stated that women in music still encounter limitations in opportunity, a lack of support and persistent unequal pay – with these said to be intensified for those facing intersectional barriers, particularly racial discrimination. 

It said that female artists are “routinely undervalued and undermined, endure a focus on their physical appearance in a way that men are not subjected to, and have to work far harder to get the recognition their ability merits”. 

The report highlighted the use of NDAs that left victims of sexual harassment and abuse “threatened into silence”, with WEC recommending that they are prohibited in cases involving sexual abuse, sexual harassment or sexual misconduct, bullying or harassment, and discrimination relating to a protected characteristic. It was also recommended that the government should consider a retrospective moratorium on NDAs for those who have signed them relating to the issues outlined. 

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