Change The Beat Announces Inaugural Tour to Empower Women and Gender-Expansive Producers

Change The Beat, a pioneering non-profit organization founded by acclaimed DJ and producer Sydney Blu is dedicated to empowering women and gender-expansive producers in the dance and electronic music industry. It aims to address the gender imbalance in the scene by providing critical mentorship, production tools, and career-building opportunities. 

Since its inception in December 2021, Change The Beat has been on a mission to elevate underrepresented voices in the dance and electronic music world. Originally launched as the #23by23 initiative in partnership with Native Instruments and Beatport, the organization set out to increase the representation of women and gender-expansive artists in the industry—where currently only 5% of signed artists fall into these categories.

Change The Beat has made impressive strides toward gender equality in electronic music. It was awarded the Beatport Parity Prize for non-profit excellence in dance music and was recently nominated for Organization of the Year by Women in Music Canada 2024. With a vibrant and growing community of over 850 members on Discord, they've awarded prizes to 75 emerging women and gender-expansive artists, helping them release music through major labels. Through mentorship and resources, they’re dedicated to helping these talents thrive.

A key component of Change The Beat's strategy includes its highly successful remix competitions, hosted on Beatport's Label Radar platform. These competitions have partnered with leading labels like Drumcode, Mau5trap, Anjunadeep, HE.SHE.THEY, Insomniac Records, Nervous Records, and Toolroom Records, offering aspiring artists opportunities to release music, win production gear, and gain career-enhancing exposure.

The initiative’s inaugural Change The Beat Tour is in partnership with Beatport, Native Instruments, and Canada Council for the Arts. Kicking off on October 4, 2024, the tour will feature a dynamic mix of performances and free educational workshops across 11 cities in Canada. Check out the tour dates here.

Sydney Blu will be hosting the workshops and shares, "Supporting women and gender-expansive artists in the dance music industry is one of my top priorities. When I was starting out, there were no resources to guide me on how to succeed in this field. Our Change the Beat Canadian tour aims to inspire and educate those eager to build a career in dance music, offering the tools and guidance I wish I had. It's my way of giving back."

As the Change The Beat Tour continues across Canada, the organization is leading the charge to create more inclusive spaces for women and gender-expansive artists to flourish.

The tour will feature performances by an exciting roster of artists, including Maya Jane Coles, BAMBII, DJ Minx, Sydney Blu, Viviana Casanova, Joanna Magik, Carerra & Tavares, Jenner, Jules Worth, Alamusic, Molyness, Sarah Sukkha, Yelrihs, and more. In addition to electrifying sets, each tour stop will host workshops at sponsor Long and McQuade led by experienced female and gender-expansive ambassadors, offering invaluable education for new artists looking to break into the industry.

Looking ahead to 2024/25, Change The Beat will extend its global reach through club events, showcases, and festival appearances, continuing to foster an inclusive space for all artists.