Female Mixing Engineers

Why Hiring Female Mixing Engineers Matters – And How to Find One

If you're looking to work with a female mixing and mastering engineer, you’re in the right place.

I'm Amanda Merdzan, a Swedish Grammis-nominated mixing engineer with over a decade of experience in the music industry. I’ve worked on chart-topping albums and am currently based in Stockholm, offering professional remote mixing and mastering services for independent and major label artists around the world. Despite how many incredible women are working in audio, female engineers remain significantly underrepresented.

Where Are All the Female Mixing Engineers?

According to the 2023 Fix the Mix report by We Are Moving The Needle, women and non-binary engineers made up just 4.9% of technical credits across the top 700 most-streamed tracks of 2022. For mixing engineers specifically, the number drops even further.

SoundGirls has stated that less than 5% of professionals in recording, mixing, and mastering identify as women—a stat that hasn’t changed much in over a decade. This lack of visibility isn’t about skill or ability—it’s about access, opportunity, and discoverability. Many talented female engineers are working in the industry today, but they’re not always easily visible. Informal industry networks and word-of-mouth referrals often play a large role in hiring decisions, and because the industry has historically been—and continues to be—male-dominated, these referral pathways tend to favour men. When more men are working in the industry, they are naturally more likely to refer other men, which can unintentionally reinforce existing gender imbalances. This cycle makes it harder for women to break in and be recognised, even when their skills and expertise are on par with their male counterparts.

Why Representation Matters

Lack of representation perpetuates the idea that engineering is a male-only field, which can discourage aspiring women and gender-expansive individuals from even pursuing a career in audio. It also narrows the creative perspectives brought to music production, limiting the diversity of voices shaping the sound of our culture. Increasing awareness, advocacy, and visibility of female engineers can help disrupt these patterns, ensuring that more women are recognised for their abilities and considered for opportunities. By broadening the networks through which referrals and recommendations flow, the industry can gradually close the gender gap and create a more inclusive, diverse community of audio professionals.

That’s why initiatives like SoundGirls and We Are Moving The Needle are so important—they help remove barriers by making it easier to discover and hire qualified engineers from underrepresented genders. They also provide direct forms of support—such as training, mentorship, and career development resources—these organisations empower underrepresented engineers to build their confidence, expand their professional networks, and advance their careers. This hands-on approach not only helps level the playing field but also strengthens the entire audio community by promoting diversity and inclusion.

How I’ve Benefited from Advocacy & Community

I’m incredibly proud to have been awarded a scholarship from We Are Moving The Needle to attend Mix With The Masters—a transformative experience that helped deepen my technical skills and expand my industry network. Organisations like WAMTN are doing vital work: not just reporting on inequality, but actively investing in the careers of women and gender-expansive engineers. Beyond the technical and personal growth, the relationships I built during Mix With The Masters have opened doors to exciting collaborations and new opportunities that continue to support my professional development. Additionally, a mentorship facilitated by WAMTN has been instrumental in my growth. This experience has connected me with a supportive community of professionals dedicated to promoting inclusion within the audio industry—an invaluable resource.

What sets WAMTN apart is their hands-on approach—providing scholarships, mentorship, advocacy, and networking platforms tailored specifically for underrepresented genders in the industry. By addressing both the systemic barriers and the personal development needs of engineers like myself, they are helping to build a more equitable and diverse audio community. Their work has been crucial in transforming awareness into meaningful action, and I’m grateful to be part of that movement.

Looking for a Female Mixing Engineer?

I’ve worked at world-class award winning studios including Metropolis, Abbey Road, RAK, Strongroom and Urchin Studios in London.

Selected credits:

• Dermot Kennedy – Without Fear (#1 UK Album)

• McFly – Young Dumb Thrills (#2 UK Album)

• Rita Ora, Christine and the Queens, HMLTD, Christy, and many more

If you're ready to mix or master your next release and are looking for a reliable and experienced engineer, I’d love to hear from you.

Email: info@amandamerdzan.com Credits: amandamerdzan.com/engineer Instagram: @amandamerdzan

*This blog was edited with the help of AI