Billige Plätze - Gender, Macht und Diskriminierung in der Musikbranche

Every year, millions of people flock to festivals to lose themselves in escapism, ecstasy and a boundless sense of freedom – and, of course, in music. The music is performed predominantly by men. Why is that? Despite the successes of female artists and the growing calls for more diversity, the 2025 festival summer will once again be dominated by male-dominated line-ups. How can this persistent injustice be explained? And what does it say about the music industry itself?

Rike van Kleef has spoken to numerous players in the live and festival industry and paints a revealing portrait of the sector. She examines the difficulties FLINTA artists encounter, how power structures work in the industry, why women still earn less, and what the safety situation is like for female and queer musicians in the post-#MeToo era. Van Kleef also shows what the path to greater gender equality could look like: how bookers can achieve more diverse line-ups, what would make festivals safe spaces for FLINTAs, and how male-dominated structures can be dismantled.

‘Rike van Kleef has succeeded in writing an eminently important and extremely well-researched book, the reading of which has brought me, even though I have been in the business for so long, a great deal of new insights. Everyone in the music industry should read it and then ask themselves the right questions so that lasting change can finally take place.’ – Markus Kavka

‘Finally, this important topic is being addressed in all its facets. It is not enough to just talk about representation; we must also look at the structures that prevent FLINTA artists from becoming successful. And that is exactly what Rike van Kleef does in her excellent book.’ – Ebow