Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Spotify Supports Underrepresented Podcasters With Sound Up,' Now in the US, UK and Ireland, Germany, Australia, Sweden, and Brazil

02/06/2020

If you've ever dreamed of creating your own podcast, this is your chance. Spotify's Sound Up program, now in its third year, is designed to uplift and amplify the voices of aspiring podcasters from underrepresented backgrounds through education, workshops, and support. Applications for Spotify's Sound Up 2020 program are now available in the US, with applications for other countries rolling out soon.

Through the workshop, participants will learn the ins and outs of developing and producing their very own podcasts. We've seen a huge interest in the program, with 20,000+ applications submitted over the past three years. Ultimately, 60 people have completed the program throughout the UK, Australia, the US, and Germany. Ten of those graduates have since launched their own shows, and three now have Spotify Original podcasts on the platform. To celebrate our graduates' success, we've put several of their podcasts all in one place.

This year's program, however, will look a little different. Due to the challenges of gathering during this unprecedented time, Sound Up will be divided into two phases. First up is a virtual four-week course that will take place later this year. To ensure everyone has equal access to technology, we'll be providing computers, WiFi access, and podcast recording equipment to participants. Then, those who demonstrate a particular knack for podcasting will be invited to a future in-person training where they will further develop their ideas.

But that's not the only new thing in store. Sound Up is also making its grand debut in two countries-Brazil and Sweden-in an effort to bring Sound Up to even more individuals. In Sweden, the program is aimed at women and non-binary people who may experience racism because of their skin color, culture, language, religion, or ethnicity. Applications in Brazil, will be open to young people of color from the Periferias, or outskirts of big cities.

Twenty applicants from each participating country will be chosen to take part in the four-week online program. During that time, they'll start their podcasting journeys, honing their skills in storytelling, designing a podcast, editing audio, and learning the business of the medium. At the very end, participants will leave with the tools they need to create a trailer for their show.

This year's U.S. session will be facilitated by longtime collaborator and Sound Up veteran, Rekha Murthy. She will be joined by co-facilitator Maria Murriel of the production house Pizza Shark.

Thinking about applying but don't have podcasting experience? Not to worry. To be a part of the program, you don't need any prior podcasting experience, just something unique to say and a desire to use podcasts to say it. (Plus, you must be a resident of the country where you're applying and self-identify as a member of the community being served in that country.)

U.S. residents can now apply for this year's Sound Up here. Those in Sweden, Germany, and Brazil can apply later this month, and applications for the U.K. and Ireland will be available in August. The program will be offered to women and non-binary people of color in the U.S., U.K. and Ireland, and Sweden; young people of color from the Periferias in Brazil; and members of the LGBQTI community in Germany. We can't wait to hear what these new podcasters have to share.

Applications are now available for residents in the US . Interested applicants in other countries should stay tuned for more updates.
LINK: https://newsroom.spotify.com/2020-06-01/spotify-supports-underrepresen...
See more stories from spotify

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

07/10/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Media Operations from Ingest to Distribution

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...

06/09/2026

Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Germany with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos

June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...

20/08/2026

Charter Completes $34.5 Billion Cox Acquisition

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

20/08/2026

SubtitleNEXT makes a significant leap in localisation eff...

At IBC, Profuz Digital will showcase at stand 8.A88 the SubtitleNEXT platform delivering innovative AI transcription integrations and stunning new features boos...

20/08/2026

Transformation Church Elevates Production Communications...

Riedel Communications today announced that Transformation Church, one of the fastest-growing and most influential digital ministries in the United States, has d...

20/08/2026

QuickLink Showcases New 4K Capabilities Across StudioEdge and StudioCall at IBC 2026

QuickLink Showcases New 4K Capabilities Across StudioEdge and StudioCall at IBC ...

20/08/2026

The Boys Season Five Graded with DaVinci Resolve Studio

The Boys Season Five Graded with DaVinci Resolve Studio Brie Clayton August 20, 2026 0 Comments Colorist Siggy Ferstl uses Depth Map to bring a three ...

20/08/2026

Adobe Firefly expands its creative AI studio: generate music, speech, and sound effects in one place

Adobe Firefly expands its creative AI studio: generate music, speech, and sound ...

20/08/2026

Broadpeak launches Multiview as a Service to accelerate m...

Multiview available via SaaS for streaming platforms and operators through broadpeak.io, with live demonstrations at IBC2026 Broadpeak , a leader in streaming ...

20/08/2026

Techex Appoints Stuart Almond as Chief Revenue Officer

Techex, a leading provider of live broadcast infrastructure solutions, has appointed Stuart Almond as Chief Revenue Officer, further strengthening its executive...

20/08/2026

MediaCity Studios upgrades with Avid

Avid today announced that MediaCity Studios has upgraded its production infrastructure with an enhanced end-to-end Avid production ecosystem, including the dep...

20/08/2026

MS Now to Launch $7.99 DTC Service

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

20/08/2026

Nielsen Details Improvements to Audience Measurement Capabilities

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

20/08/2026

Study: 174 Billion Illegal Streams During FIFA World Cup 2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

20/08/2026

Prasad Opens New 8K/4K Film Preservation & Restoration Center

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

20/08/2026

IPC Expands Brazilian Presence with New Channel Partner C...

IPC Expands Brazilian Presence with New Channel Partner CCATech Industry veterans Carlos Abrah o and Bruno Lopes strengthen local support and expand IPCs prese...

20/08/2026

Zixi Enters Mauritius Market Through Strategic Deployment...

Zixi Enters Mauritius Market Through Strategic Deployment with MTC Jockey Club Worlds Oldest Horse Racing Club in the Southern Hemisphere Selects Zixis Softwar...

20/08/2026

Scripps Research scientist to receive $2.76 million NIAID New Innovators Award

LA JOLLA, CA-Scripps Research assistant professor Tiantian Liu has received a five-year NIAID DP2 award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Di...

20/08/2026

Audiences reveal appetite for multicultural Australia on-screen

Audiences reveal appetite for multicultural Australia on-screen 20 August 2026 Dr Georgie McClean, Dr Rebecca Huntley (L-R) By Dr Georgie McClean and Dr Rebec...

20/08/2026

How Mavis Studio Is Expanding Live Production Teaching at Sussex

How Mavis Studio Is Expanding Live Production Teaching at Sussex Brie Clayton August 19, 2026 0 Comments Hero image displays a student about to mix be...

20/08/2026

Vertical Unscripted Series Legal Queens Captured with Blackmagic Design

Vertical Unscripted Series Legal Queens Captured with Blackmagic Design Brie Clayton August 19, 2026 0 Comments Reality TV veteran Eric Gardner create...

20/08/2026

Bring the Fire: Play Games on GeForce NOW With New Firefox Browser Support

It's a new way into the cloud. GeForce NOW welcomes Firefox support to the cloud, opening up another way to jump into high-performance PC gaming straight ...

19/08/2026

Imagine Communications Steve Reynolds on Kaseya Centers Hybrid IP Build and the Growth of ST 2110

As the cost of IP nears price parity with traditional SDI, Reynolds argues that ...

19/08/2026

European Athletics Championships 2026: BBC, Event Organizers Bring Birmingham Action to Viewers in Style

A private 5G bubble was chosen instead of traditional broadcast RF for the race ...

19/08/2026

Filipiana Sets the Class Divide on a Golf Course in the Philippines

(L-R) Rafael Manuel and Isabel Sicat attend the Filipi ana premiere during the 2026 Sundance Film Festival at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2026, in Park Cit...

19/08/2026

MPG launch Save Our Studios survey

Studio owners invited to have their say on rates cuts The Music Producers Guild (MPG) are inviting UK-based studios to take part in an in-depth survey that ...

19/08/2026

Harrison unveil the Flex-10

Vintage-inspired desktop interface revealed Harrison's latest hardware offering sees them head into the world of audio interfaces, delivering a 10-in/12...

19/08/2026

Minimal Audio release Lucid

Granular effect remains locked to scale and tempo Described as your dream granular effect , Minimal Audio's latest creation is capable of turning any s...

19/08/2026

Audio Modeling open PolySWAM pre-orders

First polyphonic SWAM instrument incoming Audio Modeling's latest physical-modelling orchestral instrument is just around the corner, and is now availab...

19/08/2026

FOX and NBCUniversal Score with FIFA World Cup 2026 Success in Nielsen's June Gauge Reports

World Cup Games Generate 84 Billion Minutes Across FOX, Fox Sports 1 and NBCU...

19/08/2026

The Gauge: Poland | July 2026

July brought typical peak-holiday drops in viewership, driven primarily by viewers stepping away from screens and a visible decline in reach across both traditi...

19/08/2026

Carr Calls ABC Suit 'Meritless

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/08/2026

Henry Alexander Joins BCE as Sales Director

Henry joins BCE as the company accelerates its commercial strategy and expands its international presence across the media, broadcast and technology markets. He...

19/08/2026

iWedia Announces Advanced Android DRAM Optimisation Proce...

iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced a major milestone in Android platform optimization with the successfu...

19/08/2026

NTP Technology announces ST 2110-30-RAVENNA 128-channel A...

NTP Technology announces that ST 2110-30 audio-over-IP connectivity with AES67 and RAVENNA capabilities is now available for the brand's world-class audio i...

19/08/2026

ORF goes full IP with Net Insight in nationwide network o...

Net Insight has been selected to provide its Nimbra platform by the service provider Big Blue Marble, formerly ORS Group, as the core media transport solution f...

19/08/2026

Coventry City Trophy Parade Extends LiveU LIQ Beyond the...

LiveU has supported Coventry City FC and several other top-flight UK football clubs through one of their most demanding live production challenges of the year, ...

19/08/2026

Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF

Nature Seekers Documentary Shot with Blackmagic URSA Cine 12K LF Brie Clayton August 18, 2026 0 Comments Filming endangered turtles required camera...

19/08/2026

Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control Basic

Neyrinck Brings D-Control Consoles Back to Life on Apple Silicon with D-Control ...

19/08/2026

ABC Files First Amendment Lawsuit Against FCC

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/08/2026

Nielsen: Fox and NBCUniversal Score with FIFA World Cup 2026

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/08/2026

ESPN Co-Founder Bill Rasmussen Dies At 93

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/08/2026

Study: NBA Ad Revenue Hit $2.1 Billion Last Season

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/08/2026

Nexstar's WNCN Donates ENG Van for Training

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

19/08/2026

Riedel Brings Professional Live Production Into the Class...

Riedel Communications today announced that Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Perth, Australia, implemented a comprehensive communications infrastructure that brin...

19/08/2026

QuickLink Showcases New 4K Capabilities Across StudioEdge...

QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, will spotlight a major leap forward in remote guest con...

19/08/2026

EMAM together with PlayBox Neo and SNEWS launch combined...

Integrated platform melds media asset management, playout automation and newsroom workflows EMAM, PlayBox Neo and SNEWS have officially launched Nuvex, a conne...

19/08/2026

Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen industry financing pathways

Screen Australia releases the Private Investment Toolkit to strengthen screen in...

19/08/2026

Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdre Brennan

Do Aussies truly value local content? Unpacking Screen Currency 2026 with Deirdr...