NDAs in music must be banned to tackle misogyny, Parliament report suggests

An immediate ban on non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in music is fundamental to tackling the industry’s “culture of misogyny”, a new UK parliamentary report says.

On 4th June 2025, the Women and Equalities Committee (WEC) released its report, ‘Misogyny In Music: On Repeat’, which stated the misuse of NDAs and confidentiality agreements is a "major concern" as they are “frequently used” to silence victims of harassment and abuse, often under coercive circumstances. The report is the third of its kind from the committee.

The report states: “The Government should ban NDAs in cases involving sexual misconduct, bullying, or discrimination.”

Among the issues the report touches on, it says women still face significant barriers including unequal pay, ageism, and being more likely to take on childcare duties, while also pointing out that sexual harassment remains pervasive, particularly among disabled women, LGBTQ+ women, and minority backgrounds, with reporting rates low due to "fear of retaliation".

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As the majority of musicians are freelancers, legal protections are not strong enough, with the Equality Act 2010 not clearly extending to freelancers or those working under informal arrangements, such as "depping" (substituting for another musician). And while the Employment Rights Bill proposes stronger protections against third-party harassment, there is concern freelancers may still be excluded.

The WEC calls for the government to amend both to ensure freelancers are protected, as well as bring Section 14 into force - an amendment which provides protection from discrimination based on a combination of two relevant protected characteristics.

The report follows up on the WEC's January 2024 report, which revealed women in the industry faced an “endemic culture of misogyny and discrimination", calling for “urgent action” to tackle it. 

Last year’s report was well received by the industry, but most of its recommendations were rejected by the then Conservative Government. However, the Labour Party passed a motion at its annual conference last September calling on the government to implement the committee’s report recommendations. 

You can read the Misogyny In Music: On Repeat report here. 

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