SoundGirls

What SoundGirls does

SoundGirls.org is a U.S.-headquartered non-profit community organization founded in 2013 by Karrie Keyes and Michelle Sabolchick Pettinato to support women and gender-expansive individuals working in professional audio. The organization operates a web-based membership platform (soundgirls.org), a podcast, a Creator Directory (creators.soundgirls.org), and a Living History Project, paired with a network of international local chapters and recurring in-person and virtual programming such as the annual Virtual Conference co-hosted with Women in Vinyl. Core deliverables include scholarships (SoundGirls Ethel Gabriel and Leslie Ann Jones scholarships, Noise Engineering scholarships, L-Acoustics Education Program grants), the Gaston-Bird Travel Fund, mentoring and shadowing programs (e.g., King's X tour with Sean Peel), and curated industry resources including sexual-harassment reporting guides and a BIPOC/Women industry directories list. The technology stack is a standard WordPress-driven content and membership site with no proprietary software, APIs, or AI components disclosed. The business model combines a freemium membership tier (free plus paid-with-undisclosed pricing), merchandise sales through a branded shop, manufacturer sponsorships underwriting scholarships and conferences (L-Acoustics, Noise Engineering, DiGiCo), and tax-deductible individual donations via PayPal. Distribution is community-led and event-driven: chapters worldwide extend physical reach, NAMM and AES conference presence provides industry visibility, and content marketing via the contributor blog, podcast, YouTube channel, and organic social drives top-of-funnel awareness, with the website serving as the unified self-serve hub for registration, content, and e-commerce.

Name

SoundGirls

Legal name

SoundGirls.org

Website

https://soundgirls.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SoundGirls.org is a non-profit community organization founded in 2013 that supports women and gender-expansive professionals in audio through membership, scholarships, mentoring, chapters, and industry advocacy worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Audio Community and Advocacy

NAICS

Sound Recording Industries (5122)

akta.pro primary industry

Audio Production & Podcasting (BPAFAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Session Musicians & Vocalists (MPAIAHAC)

Keywords

• Women in audio
• Professional audio community
• Audio industry networking
• Audio education scholarships
• Music industry advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco Bay Area

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: SoundGirls offers a free membership tier as well as a paid membership tier that provides access to exclusive events, panels, workshops, job resources, networking opportunities, and discounts. The membership page is the primary registration portal.
2. Merchandise Sales: The organization operates a shop selling merchandise (merch), with items including apparel and other branded goods sold through the soundgirls.org storefront.
3. Sponsorships and Grants: Corporate sponsors (e.g., L-Acoustics, Noise Engineering, DiGiCo) provide scholarship funding, travel grants, and educational program grants. Sponsors also underwrite the annual virtual conference, providing reduced registration fees for attendees.
4. Donations: The Gaston-Bird Travel Fund accepts tax-deductible PayPal donations to support women attending audio trade conferences. The organization solicits donations from sponsors and individual supporters.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SoundGirls is a non-profit community organization that operates a freemium membership platform (free and paid annual tiers) for women and gender-expansive individuals in professional audio, providing access to networking, mentorship, scholarships, workshops, job resources, and discounts. It supplements membership with a podcast, a community-built Creator Directory, a Living History Project archive, local chapters, an annual Virtual Conference with Women in Vinyl, and curated industry directories for women and BIPOC audio professionals.

Product overview

SoundGirls is a non-profit community organization (not a technology product company) offering a membership program, podcast, creator directory, living history project, chapters with mentoring, scholarships, travel funds, and sexual harassment resources for women in professional audio. The organization provides a platform for education, networking, and advocacy rather than a software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SoundGirls Membership Annual membership program offering women in audio access to discounts, exclusive events, panels, workshops, job resources, and networking opportunities.
• SoundGirls Podcast Free podcast featuring interviews with audio professionals discussing career journeys, industry challenges, and diversity topics.
• SoundGirls Creator Directory Community-built directory of women and gender-expansive content creators in music and audio to help users discover new voices and allow creators to gain visibility.
• The Living History Project Collection of interviews with audio industry veterans highlighting the careers and achievements of women and underrepresented groups in audio.
• SoundGirls Chapters and Mentoring Program Local chapters worldwide run under the SoundGirls mission with mentoring opportunities available to members.
• SoundGirls Scholarships Financial scholarships including the Ethel Gabriel Scholarship, Leslie Ann Jones Scholarship, Noise Engineering scholarships, and general scholarships for audio education.
• Gaston-Bird Travel Fund Fund to increase the presence of women at audio-related trade conferences by covering airfare and lodging for those invited to speak or present.
• Sexual Harassment Resource Center Resource hub for reporting sexual harassment, understanding reforms, self-care for trauma, freelancer resources, and guidance on how men can be allies.
• Women and BIPOC Industry Directories Curated list of directories and resources connecting users with women and people of color in the audio and music industry.
• SoundGirls Virtual Conference Annual Virtual Conference co-hosted with Women in Vinyl featuring panels, workshops, and networking, with reduced registration fees supported by sponsors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 6,000 members served internationally across all audio disciplines

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• L-AcousticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerL-Acoustics is offering 4 grants for courses in the L-Acoustics Education Program through SoundGirls, with in-person and online training options. Grant recipients receive hotel accommodations for in-person attendance. Prospective candidates must be SoundGirls members and apply by October 1, 2026. Winners are notified by October 31, 2026. L-Acoustics has also partnered with SoundGirls on System & Workflow Scholarships.
• Noise EngineeringcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNoise Engineering sponsors two $500 scholarships through SoundGirls for members attending or planning to attend educational programs in Professional Audio. The scholarships apply to college programs, trade schools, seminars, and workshops. Eligibility is open to all genders.
• Women in VinylcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoundGirls and Women in Vinyl co-host an annual Virtual Conference, with reduced registration fees thanks to sponsor support. The 2026 conference is currently in early bird registration phase. Both organizations share the goal of increasing representation of women in audio.
• Audio Engineering Society (AES)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoundGirls co-developed AES's Diversity and Inclusion Guidelines for Convention and Conference Policy Committees, a year-long effort by 40+ committee members. Leslie Gaston-Bird, a SoundGirls member, chairs the AES Diversity and Inclusion Committee. SoundGirls also facilitates access to the AES D&I Committee's roster of diverse panelists for conference organizers.
• Recording Academy / GrammycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoundGirls supports the Recording Academy's Women in the Mix: Producer & Engineering Inclusion Initiative, which asks that at least two women be identified and considered every time a music producer or engineer is hired. The initiative involves prominent producers, labels, artists, agencies, and management companies working toward industry-wide change.
• Step Up Women's NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoundGirls partnered with Step Up Women's Network in March 2013 to host a career day 'Behind the Scenes of Music Industry' for teen girls from under-resourced communities. The event featured women in audio including co-founder Karrie Keyes and highlighted non-traditional careers for young women.
• Know Other FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoundGirls partnered with Know Other Festival to staff the festival's stages with volunteer interns and audio technicians, giving participants real-world experience working alongside experienced professionals in a live festival environment. SoundGirls will be staffing volunteer positions starting next year.
• JDoeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSoundGirls references the JDoe encrypted and anonymous reporting platform as a resource for sexual harassment reporting. JDoe links victims of mutual offenders with lawyers and includes a detailed index of sexual misconduct laws by state to guide users through the reporting process.
• #HereForTheMusic / Calling All CrowsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSoundGirls promotes the #HereForTheMusic campaign by Calling All Crows, which works with artists, management, venues, festivals, crews, and fans to design sexual violence prevention programs. Programming includes fan volunteers, pre-show training, messaging from the stage, and partnerships with local rape crisis centers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• SheSaidSo: Global network of women working across the music and entertainment industries, offering mentoring, events, and community. Comparable community-led model and audience overlap with SoundGirls, with a more digitally-curated membership approach.

Direct peers

• Women's Audio Mission: Non-profit dedicated to advancing women and girls in music production and audio engineering through training, mentorship, and community. Closest direct peer to SoundGirls in mission, audience, and programming (scholarships, studio access, mentorship).
• She Is The Music: Non-profit industry initiative focused on increasing the number of women working in music—songwriters, engineers, producers, and executives. Highly comparable mission and partnership-driven model to SoundGirls.
• Women in Vinyl: Community organization for women in the vinyl and record production industry. SoundGirls' co-host partner for the annual Virtual Conference and adjacent in scope (women in audio/music production industries).

Broad incumbents

• Women in Music: Established non-profit advocating for women across the broader music industry (not audio-specific). Comparable membership and advocacy model, but with a wider scope beyond professional audio disciplines.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/soundgirlsorg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCYP0dnGLCUH7rRgasadHM7A
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/soundgirls

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SoundGirls