#HighVoltageWoman Spotlight: Faryal Khan-Thompson

BY LAURA HARPER/WWR Staff Writer

As Vice President, International at TuneCore and a mom of two children under two years old, Faryal Khan-Thompson has truly set herself apart as a woman deserving of distinction. In fact, she was offered her current position at TuneCore when she was eight months pregnant.

“When I went through the interview process and met with my now boss, Andreea Gleeson, Chief Revenue Officer and Co-Head of TuneCore, it just felt right,” Khan-Thompson said. “The fact that TuneCore offered me the position when I was eight months pregnant and essentially waited for me says a lot about the company and its values.”

TuneCore is dedicated to helping independent artists at every stage in their career reach audiences and get paid, allowing them to keep 100% of 100% of their earnings. Khan-Thompson’s job at TuneCore entails overseeing their international expansion efforts and introducing their brand to new markets in countries outside of the United States.

Internally, TuneCore is also dedicated to reducing gender disparities in the music industry by placing women in leadership positions, which Khan-Thompson said helped to “seal the deal” in her choice to work for the organization. Currently, TuneCore’s workforce is 56% women and 44% men.

While holding this new position and being a mom of two young children has certainly presented Khan-Thompson with a unique set of challenges, she said she tries her best to find a balance between work and family time, while also allotting time to take care of herself.

“While it’s not always easy, I make sure to give myself 15-20 minutes a day to meditate, read, be silent - whatever,” Khan-Thompson said. “It’s really important for my sanity to make sure I have a moment to myself each day.”

The COVID-19 global pandemic has also added to these challenges, but Khan-Thompson said she has found a silver lining in working from home with her children, especially while they are still so young.

“I’m grateful we’ve had all this time together in close proximity because it’s allowed me to maximize time with my family when I do have spare time,” Khan-Thompson said. “I’m not losing time in commute and we are all in the same place.”

In addition to her new position at TuneCore and her life as a mom, Khan-Thompson is also very passionate about breaking down barriers for women of color in any way she can. While she is grateful that she has never experienced the effects of racism or sexism in her job at TuneCore, she says the disparities that exist within the music industry are prevalent.

“I think like many women of color, we aren’t always taken seriously and are not given opportunities that men or white counterparts might be given,” Khan-Thompson said. “The music industry is also notorious for being male-dominated and rampant with sexism.”

Khan-Thompson said the fact that she was given a seat at the table in a senior leadership position at TuneCore is very encouraging, and she hopes steps will continue to be taken in that direction within TuneCore and across the industry.

As for other women who are looking to make a breakthrough in the music industry, Khan-Thompson said that being a “yes person” helped her a lot in developing her own career and introduced her to opportunities that she may have never known about otherwise.

“Stay open-minded to taking that leap of faith even if what presents itself isn’t exactly what you had envisioned,” Khan-Thompson said.

She expressed the value of networking as well. Her love of connecting with others and meeting new people has greatly helped her in building a solid network, and also allowed her to focus on her passion for community building.

“Don’t doubt yourself and don’t sell yourself short,” Khan-Thompson said. “I think it’s always important to remember your worth and go after what you want.”