Amplifying Female Voices of Color Through the Power of Podcast

Podcasts are taking over. As it stands, one-third of Americans tune in, with 12 percent of listeners streaming 10 hours or more a week. Needless to say, it's an exciting storytelling medium-and one that can have a major impact when it comes to representing diverse voices. And while women of color have been breaking ground in podcasting well ahead of the latest boom, theres plenty more to be done, with a recent study showing that only 22 percent of podcasts are hosted by women, and even fewer when it comes to minority women.

In order to begin shifting that imbalance, Spotify hosted the first-ever Sound Up Bootcamp, a weeklong June intensive for aspiring female podcasters of color. The goal of the program was to bring more diverse voices into the podcast world-specifically voices belonging to women of color.

Podcasting is more accessible to makers than most other media-production costs are lower, and the gatekeepers fewer, says Rekha Murthy, a podcast and radio veteran with over 20 years of experience who co-taught the workshop. More people are starting to take advantage of that opportunity. Ive learned more about the experiences and perspectives of people of color through podcasting than anywhere else. Ive come to a better understanding and appreciation of my own identities as a woman, and as a woman of color, thanks to podcasts. Im sure some of that is because I intentionally seek out these voices. But also, they are there in ways I rarely find in, say, broadcast radio. There are also not enough.

Sound Up Bootcamp featured daily sessions for 10 women of color who had been selected from over 18,000 applicants. Murthy and her colleague Graham Griffith led conversations on topics ranging from identifying an audience to honing a breakthrough message. Over the course of the week, attendees also learned from experts in the field about the art of podcast creation, from initial ideation to editing, producing, and marketing.

The women in attendance included Titi Shodiya, Kristina Ogilvie, Janina Jeff, Shont Daniels, Amanda B, Tiara Darnell, Ivy Le, Doreen Wang, Gabriela Quintana, and Sun H. At the end of the course, 3 of the women-Titi, Kristina, and Janina-were awarded up to $10,000 each to fund their proposed podcasts. You can read more about each of the winners, their backgrounds, and their groundbreaking ideas here.

LINK:	https://newsroom.spotify.com/2018-07-11/amplifying-female-voices-of-co...
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