Music industry is sexist: Jack White

London: Rocker Jack White is convinced female musicians struggle to make it big in the industry because label executives fail to take them seriously.

The 39-year-old star, who shot to fame with his ex-wife Meg in The White Stripes, is adamant women have to work twice as hard as their male counterparts to succeed, but he believes it makes them better musicians, reportedly.

"It's sort of a real shame that if a woman goes on stage with an instrument - a guitar or drums or something - that it's almost a novelty to people; like, 'Oh, isn't that cute?... The ultimate shame of it... Is that... Girls have to try twice as hard to really prove themselves, they don't have a free ticket or something like that.

"But in the end you almost get something better than any other sort of everyday, run-of-the-mill male musician... 'cause they're (women are) sort of put in a position that they have to (be better)."