Scene
In recent years, the music industry has been rocked by a series of scandals – not just involving abuse or harassment, but the legal mechanisms used to keep them hidden. At the center of many of these cases is a familiar but rarely questioned tool: the non-disclosure agreement (NDA).
Originally designed to protect trade secrets and sensitive business information, NDAs have increasingly been used to silence victims of bullying, discrimination, and sexual misconduct. Now, a new UK government report (“Misogyny In Music: On Repeat“) is calling for a ban on NDAs in such cases, arguing they’ve enabled a culture of secrecy and repeat offending.
The report confirms what many are already aware of: NDAs are not just documents, they’re pressure tactics. Artists, assistants, producers, and managers – often young and early in their careers – are pushed to sign them as part of settlement deals, often under threat of losing their jobs if they speak out. The result? A growing list of artists and professionals forced into silence, carrying personal trauma behind closed doors.
Several high-profile cases have brought this issue to light. Behind many public breakdowns, sudden career hiatuses, or artists “crashing out” of the spotlight lies a story that couldn’t legally be told. In some instances, artists have hinted at NDAs in social media posts or interviews, suggesting that their silence was not by choice, but by contract.
The toll is not just legal, it’s emotional and psychological. Being unable to speak out about mistreatment, especially while watching abusers continue to work freely, contributes to burnout, depression, and a deep mistrust of the industry.
Campaigns like Can’t Buy My Silence have been pushing for reform, and with Parliament’s report now backing their stance, the pressure is growing. If NDAs are allowed to remain standard practice in cases of abuse, the industry sends a clear message: protecting reputations matters more than protecting people.
Read the full report here!
