
Burgeoning creators on college campuses across the U.S. are already harnessing their creativity for great ideas for the future of audio. At Spotify, we know that once they get the tools they need to amplify their voices, they'll be able to bring their stories to the world.
Enter NextGen, a program from Spotify for Podcasters designed to activate and grow podcast culture on college campuses, and make a career in podcasting more accessible for the next generation of Black content creators and storytellers. NextGen is funded by Spotify's Creator Equity Fund, which powers our commitment to showcasing and uplifting creators from communities that have been historically underrepresented in the audio industry.
We currently offer NextGen programming at New York University, the University of Southern California, and the University of Pennsylvania. We announced last fall that we'd be expanding the program to historically Black colleges and university (HBCU) campuses across the U.S., starting with Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia.
Yesterday, during our first-ever NextGen Creator Day at Spelman, we announced three ways we're broadening our partnership and further supporting students aspiring to work in the audio industry.
NextGen Curriculum Program Spelman is offering a custom, audio-first curriculum designed to upskill students in the art of podcasting. It's co-created with Spelman faculty, starting with Dr. Michelle Hite, and Spotify's SoundUp team. The curriculum shows students how to design an audio newsroom, edit content, and produce a final podcast in place of a traditional paper or presentation.
We have more than 50 students who have reported having already created their own podcasts, and more than double that number who have indicated an early interest in a career in the audio industry, says Dr. Hite. These numbers weren't surprising to me because Spelman students have routinely indicated a sophisticated understanding of the importance of storytelling as a needed companion to their investment in social justice. Our students value storytelling as an instrument for expanding how people confront the possibilities for how Black lives can be imagined and considered. This partnership with Spotify gives them an opportunity to learn how to enhance and professionalize their interests.
The Spotify NextGen Scholarship Program This multiyear scholarship is for five first-year Spelman students interested in pursuing a career in audio media, including podcasting, storytelling, writing, sound engineering, and music. Each recipient will receive a $10,000 scholarship during their sophomore, junior, and senior years.
Spotify Labs Creator Program During a weeklong incubator program, the Spotify for Podcasters team will train aspiring podcasters with the goal of launching a new podcast. Students will participate in a series of interactive workshops that teach them how to successfully develop, launch, and grow a podcast using Spotify for Podcasters-our new, all-in-one podcast creation platform. Students who complete the lab will have a chance to win a podcast starter pack and have their show on the Spotify Student hub.
Leading with audio and centering it in our approach has led us to capturing our voices and the sounds of our environment in compelling ways, explains Dr. Hite. It has allowed us to establish an oral history in the classroom, and in doing so, we have expanded the register for hearing an environment of inquiry that reflects on Black people thinking about Black children-as well as other Black people-with love, respect, and probing. In Spotify, we have a committed partner who understands the importance of our objective and is skilled in storytelling that involves the richness of this landscape of Black life and can help guide us toward recovering parts of the story that we didn't know how to tell or capture so that it so profoundly reflects what we experience.
Together, we're setting out to create a new class of Black content creators-equipping them with tools and resources to develop their podcast skill sets and ultimately making a career in audio more accessible for the next generation of storytellers, said Spotify Equity & Impact Lead Kristin Jarrett. But this is just the beginning, and I'm eager to expand Spotify's NextGen program to more HBCU campuses in the future.
Lessons from the best in the biz In addition to the announcements, students heard from Congresswoman Nikema Williams, Spotify executives including Kristin Jarrett, and attended a fireside chat with Nailing It co-host Wunmi Bello and We Said What We Said hosts Rickey Thompson and Denzel Dion.
I'm so grateful to this partnership at Spotify for uplifting students and continuing to highlight more black excellence in this country, said the congresswoman. Spotify is coming in at a time when a lot of people are saying they want to support HBCUs, but they are stepping up and doing it.
For the Record also asked Wunmi, Rickey, and Denzel to reflect on their creative journeys and imagine themselves in the students' shoes.
What's one piece of advice you would have for your 18-year-old self? Rickey Thompson: Have fun and stop worrying about what others think!
Denzel Dion: Looking back with all the knowledge and experience I have now, there's not one change or risk that I wish I could've taken. I've taken all the risks in order to get to where I am today. I was young, ambitious, and had a goal. To make this happen, I had to move to LA at 17. But a piece of advice I have for my 18-year-old self is to ask for help when necessary.
Wunmi Bello: Be OK with making mistakes. Try not to see them as failures, as they add so much texture and knowledge to the journey. When I was younger, I felt like I had to do everything at once, and the reality is thi
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...
09/06/2026
Kiswe announces an expanded long-term partnership with ONE Championship (ONE), t...
09/06/2026
SiriusXM will broadcast FOX Sports' English-language commentary for all 104 FIFA World Cup 2026 matches from June 11 through July 19, available to subscribe...
09/06/2026
EVS has announced it is changing its corporate name from EVS Broadcast Equipment to EVS, reflecting the company's expanded portfolio beyond broadcast equipm...
09/06/2026
Fox Corporation and the NFL have announced a multi-year agreement to bring NFL c...
09/06/2026
FOX Sports and ReachTV, an airport media network, have announced an agreement to...
09/06/2026
Cosm Atlanta, a 70,000-square-foot, three-level immersive entertainment venue located within Centennial Yards adjacent to State Farm Arena and Mercedes-Benz Sta...
09/06/2026
NESN captured five awards at the 2026 Boston/New England Emmy Awards, including four program honors and one individual award.
These awards reflect the passion...
09/06/2026
Ateme has announced that its support for Apple Immersive Video workflows was referenced by Apple during its 2026 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC26).
Atem...
09/06/2026
Bitmovin has announced that Axel Springer SE has deployed Player Web X, Bitmovin's web video player, to power audio readouts of news articles and an audio-o...
09/06/2026
Grass Valley and Lawo have announced a technology collaboration to validate orch...
09/06/2026
LiveU has announced a deployment with the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) t...
09/06/2026
Globecast has announced the launch of its Content Exchange platform, powered by ...
09/06/2026
NBC Sports will present live coverage of Overtime's OT7 football league Championship Weekend from Sullivan Field at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angel...
09/06/2026
We're in three different locations, three different production teams. Coveri...
09/06/2026
The intro video for Men's Basketball won Outstanding In-Venue Video in the C...
09/06/2026
Today is match day minus two for FIFA and HBS. On Thursday, there will be two ma...
09/06/2026
Since their debut, the clock-and-score graphic has drawn the affinity and ire of...
09/06/2026
Last month, Spotify hosted PURE FLOWERS LIVE, a special event celebrating the re...
09/06/2026
Last month, RADAR U.K. artist Skye Newman took the stage in East London for a sp...
09/06/2026
Company to cease operating on 30 June 2026
Australian loudspeaker and amplifier manufacturer Wayne Jones Audio have announced that after much consideration,...
09/06/2026
Increases low-end weight and character
The latest plug-in release from Sheffield-based fedDSP aims to offer an all-in-one solution for users in search of mo...
09/06/2026
Introduces AI Studio Assistant, Moises Studio integration & more
Fender Studio have just announced the launch a significant update that brings an array of n...
09/06/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is a statutory body mandated to spearhead the equitable growth and development of the South African film and video...
09/06/2026
The BBC has found its Hercule Poirot.
After Deadline revealed last month that t...
09/06/2026
Media buyers and sellers can now compare YouTube reach from computer, mobile, an...
09/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/06/2026
A project aimed at modernizing scheduling operations across Mediaset's channel portfolio
Mediagenix, a global leader in smart content solutions to profitab...
09/06/2026
tvONE, an ACT Entertainment brand, debuts its most powerful video processor ever built: the 4RU CALICO PRO (C7-PRO-4200), at InfoComm 2026 (Booth N6813). Engine...
09/06/2026
Composer and Conductor Eric Whitacre to Receive Honorary Doctorate at Berklee Va...
09/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/06/2026
Technology collaboration to validate AMPP and Lawo HOME orchestration integration, showcasing Dynamic Media Facility principles in practice.
Grass Valley and ...
09/06/2026
Bitmovin, a leading provider of video streaming solutions, today announced that Axel Springer SE, international media and technology company, has deployed Playe...
09/06/2026
LiveU, the global leader in live IP-video solutions, today announced a landmark deployment with the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) that has brought Video ...
09/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
09/06/2026
Two Alumni Win Tony Awards Mike Morris and Cedric Leiba Jr. won awards for Best Orchestrations and Best Play, respectively.
June 8, 2026
By
Tori Donahue
...
09/06/2026
X-Rite Pantone Launches Offset360 to Modernize Color Control Across Existing Pre...
09/06/2026
09 Jun 2026
VEON Appoints Serkan Ozturk as Chief of Staff & Strategy Officer Dubai and New York, June 9, 2026 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON), a global digital oper...
09/06/2026
Tuesday 9 June 2026
Katie Price: Nothing to Hide, a candid and unfiltered accou...
09/06/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Unveils First Images And Poster For Wrath, A New Brazi...
09/06/2026
Enni Continues to Rely on Arvato Systems - And Will Be Using AEP.EnerS4 Billing Solution
Arvato Systems to implement transformation project for SAP S/4HANA Ut...