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.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
07/05/2026
Journalists reporting on Sudan are working in one of the most complex and fast-m...
07/05/2026
Multi-year partnership positions Victory+ as a free home for Dallas Cowboys orig...
07/05/2026
From sideline reporting to directing and producing, the talented sophomore is building a well-rounded foundation for a career in live sports production
In the ...
07/05/2026
Cobalt Digital has received two Future Best of Show awards at NAB Show 2026. The COBALT blueCORE platform was recognized by TV Tech, and the COBALT PACIFIC ULL-...
07/05/2026
ESPN analyst Mina Kimes will host the televised semifinals and finals of the 202...
07/05/2026
Bitmovin has announced that MUBI, the global film streaming platform, has selected Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner. Bitmovin's encoding infrastru...
07/05/2026
NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises and the U.S. Soccer Federation have announced...
07/05/2026
Angel City Football Club (ACFC) and Victory have announced a regional broadcast partnership bringing live match coverage to fans across the greater Los Angeles...
07/05/2026
Spiideo has announced the launch of AI Highlights inside Spiideo Play, its automated sports production platform. AI Highlights combines video, event data, audio...
07/05/2026
Leostream Corporation has announced a unified remote access ecosystem for high-p...
07/05/2026
The Atlanta Dream has partnered with Victory to stream all locally broadcast Dream games for free, expanding the team's digital distribution strategy and g...
07/05/2026
Riedel Communications has announced the appointment of Marc Engroff as Chief Fin...
07/05/2026
SES and ARD, Germany's largest public broadcasting network, have announced a long-term extension of their satellite distribution partnership through 2039. U...
07/05/2026
UpLight Technologies delivers a flexible video and lighting system for a new televised sportLaunching the Pro Cheer League required more than creating a compell...
07/05/2026
Full Day Productions and GSE Worldwide have announced Spikes Under the Lights, a...
07/05/2026
Seit dem Start im Jahr 2023 hat DJ (Beta) das personalisierte H rerlebnis von 94...
07/05/2026
Da quando stata presentata nel 2023, DJ (beta) ha aiutato a definire un'esperienza d'ascolto pi personalizzata per 94 milioni di utenti Spotify Premi...
07/05/2026
Since launching in 2023, DJ (beta) has helped shape a more personalized listenin...
07/05/2026
Desde o lan amento em 2023, o DJ (beta) j ajudou a deixar a experi ncia de ouvi...
07/05/2026
From our earliest days, Spotify has been built on a simple principle: Great audio should be easy to reach. It's what's driven us to expand from music to...
07/05/2026
Asian and Pacific Islander artists continue to shape the global soundscape, pushing creative boundaries and connecting with fans worldwide. This Asian & Pacific...
07/05/2026
Company announce long-requested choir instrument
In the latest expansion of their Symphonic Elements series, UJAM have introduced an all-new vocal instrumen...
07/05/2026
Modular-inspired sound generation with digital control
Buchla have introduced Ziggy, a new compact synthesizer built around the company's complex oscill...
07/05/2026
Combines analogue voices with digital synthesis and sequencing
Polyend have announced Drums, a new hybrid analogue and digital drum machine that combines sy...
07/05/2026
Control surface now officially supports four DAWs
When Nektar launched the Panorama CS12 control surface, it worked exclusively with Apple's Logic Pro, ...
07/05/2026
In the first quarter 2026, SGL Carbon generated consolidated sales of 184.5 million, which was 49.8 million, or 21.3%, lower than in the prior year (Q1 2025: ...
07/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and Greenerwave achieve precise and fast ESA antenna characteriz...
07/05/2026
Two multi-role L3Harris products - the Red Wolf launched effects vehicle and SK...
07/05/2026
L3Harris will be developing key features of a secure and resilient digital infra...
07/05/2026
Alysa Liu and Shohei Ohtani Help Drive Viewership as 91 of the Top 100 Broadcast...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/05/2026
Cobalt Digital Wins Two Future Best of Show Awards at 2026 NAB Show
Manufacturer Recognized by TV Tech and TVBEurope for Innovation in signal processing
Cobal...
07/05/2026
Software and hardware platforms, AI power and user-friendliness on show...
07/05/2026
Intinor will demonstrate its latest technical enhancements for the Direkt series at BroadcastAsia 2026. With a continued focus on reliable contribution and remo...
07/05/2026
Bitmovin has announced that MUBI has chosen Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner, replacing MUBI's legacy on premises encoding setup to improve scalab...
07/05/2026
Meet Graduates from Berklees Class of 2026 Members of this years graduating class reflect on their proudest moments at Berklee and look ahead to whats next.
...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/05/2026
At BroadcastAsia 2026, Interra Systems will demonstrate its latest innovations in automated quality control (QC), real-time monitoring, and captioning. The comp...
07/05/2026
At this year's Broadcast Asia, PlayBox Neo is set to unveil recent innovations across its PlayBox Neo Suite and integrated range of broadcast media solution...
07/05/2026
Strategic three-year partnership marks delivery phase of BFBS' next-generation media vision
Media organisation and military charity BFBS (British Forces Br...
07/05/2026
Amagi, the agentic industry cloud platform for unified broadcast, streaming, and monetization, today announced the availability of its In-Content Ads offering v...
07/05/2026
Lightware Visual Engineering has developed Rack Taurus for rack-based environments such as education and corporate training spaces. It enables clean and simple ...
07/05/2026
Jigsaw24, the UK's leading media equipment supplier and systems integrator, will showcase its expanded end-to-end workflow capabilities at MPTS 2026, signal...
07/05/2026
Ease Live, an Evertz company, today announced that it has been granted a US Patent for its proprietary graphical overlay technology, the foundation for interact...
07/05/2026
Test & measurement innovator Leader Electronics of Europe will present an extensive range of Leader, PHABRIX and LeaderPhabrix test and measurement solutions at...
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.
