Learning how to produce, mix and engineer music helps to give artists control over their sound. It also opens the doors to many of the technical roles that support recording, production and live performance. But access to music technology remains uneven.
Across studios, touring crews and production teams, technical roles continue to be heavily male-dominated. According to the USC Annenberg inclusion report, titled ‘Inclusion in the Recording Studio’, DJing and audio technology, less than 5% of people working in music technology identify as women, non-binary or trans.
This is where Saffron plays a vital role. The organisations works with underrepresented communities to build skills in music production and audio technology. “While gender-diverse performers are increasingly visible in the music industry, the imbalance is most noticeable in the backstage roles.” explains Sophia, Education Manager at Saffron. “These roles, including positions in recording studios and live touring teams, remain male-dominated.”
Through PPL Giving – our initiative to help build a sustainable music industry for future generations – we have supported Saffron’s work to widen access to those technical skills, helping more people develop the tools needed to build sustainable careers in music.
You can watch a short video showcasing the project and its impact here:
Creating pathways into music technology
Founded in Bristol in 2015, Saffron’s programmes are designed to provide practical training alongside peer networks and industry exposure.
“Saffron creates accessible, affordable, and inclusive spaces where people can learn music in a safe, welcoming environment,” Sophia explains. “What sets it apart from traditional music education is that it’s led by active artists and industry professionals and built on real representation. Participants see role models who they can relate to and make a career in music feel genuinely achievable.”
Music technology plays an important role in that process.
“Music technology provides access to self-expression,” says Billie, Saffron’s Members and Comms Manager. “By providing marginalised communities with the opportunity to learn and experiment with these tools, we are effectively changing whose voices get heard.”
That shift can happen at multiple levels. Artists gain the skills to produce their own work, while the industry benefits from a more diverse technical workforce.
Expanding programmes across the UK
PPL Giving’s support helped Saffron expand its work over the past year, enabling new courses and community-focused initiatives.
The funding supported the rollout of Mix Nights: Beyond The Basics, an intermediate DJ programme, in Birmingham for the first time. Previously the course had only been held in Bristol.
The funding also supported community meet-ups connected to the Escher Music Connection and Bleep Klub networks, two Bristol-based electronic music collectives, as well as new synth and hardware workshops designed to expand participants’ technical skills.
Together, these activities created new entry points and progression routes for artists developing their careers in music technology.
From learning to collaboration
Saffron’s courses are designed not only to build technical skills but also to create communities where artists can collaborate and grow.
One participant, Tully, found the programme changed how she saw her future in music. Originally from Australia, she began as a self-taught bedroom DJ who occasionally played at house parties, but was struggling to see a long-term future in a male-dominated scene.
After moving to Bristol, she enrolled in Saffron’s Mix Nights: Beyond The Basics course. “After the first session I immediately felt empowered,” she shares.
Through the programme, Tully developed advanced mixing techniques, gained confidence using DJ software Rekordbox and learned how to navigate the professional side of DJing. Just as importantly, she built lasting connections with other participants.
After the course, she and two fellow artists formed a collective, launched a club night and began hosting a radio show together. Later in the year, Tully explored hardware production for the first time through Saffron’s synth workshops. “It felt so good to just play and experiment and just see what happens rather than sit in front of a computer and force myself to make a track,” she explains.
Today, she continues to contribute to the Saffron community by organising collaborative production meet-ups with other participants.
Why industry support matters
For organisations working at grassroots level, access to funding remains critical. “Support from organisations like PPL is crucial at this stage because they have the resources to invest meaningfully in grassroots development,” Sophia says.
“Education, studio access and music equipment are often expensive, creating significant barriers for new and emerging artists. When industry bodies invest at this level, they help remove those obstacles and create pathways for more diverse talent.”
As Saffron approaches its second decade, its focus is shifting from opening doors to sustaining careers. Laura Lewis Paul, Saffron Founder and CEO, says success for Saffron in five years “will mean our community not only accessing training but moving into paid roles across studios, labels, live production, broadcasting and music technology.
“We have spent the past decade opening the door; the next phase is about ensuring people can stay in the room, because they feel like they are there in a space where they can thrive as they feel a sense of belonging and like their voices are heard.”
That goal depends on building and sustaining partnerships across the music industry, creating clearer routes from training into employment and long-term freelance work. Laura adds: “Saffron is building a proven, scalable talent pipeline that opens access to music tech and production for underrepresented communities and directly addresses the industry’s skills gaps, diversity inequities, and the industry’s need for future-facing innovation.”
By supporting that pipeline, PPL Giving is helping more creators gain the skills, networks and confidence needed to help build a sustainable music industry for future generations.
Find out more about Saffron’s work and their upcoming courses here.
