![](//www.4rfv.com/images/no_image.jpg)
At Spotify, we empower and amplify the voices of underrepresented creators by carving out spaces for new stories and perspectives to be shared and heard. NextGen, funded by Spotify's Creator Equity Fund, is our ongoing program designed to infuse, activate, and grow podcast culture on college campuses. It supplies students across the U.S. with the audio skills they need to pursue their dreams.
Since partnering with our first HBCU-Spelman College in Atlanta-and announcing an audio-first NextGen curriculum and weeklong Spotify Labs Creator Program at our first NextGen Creator Day at Spelman, we've been working diligently alongside our partners to empower and support the next generation of Black audio creators.
But there's still more to do. And we're excited to highlight a few upcoming initiatives.
Renovating Spelman's Podcast Studio Spotify Studios refurbished and modernized Spelman College's existing on-campus podcast studio, fully outfitting the space with state-of-the-art podcasting and video recording equipment and personalized design touches. We also provided portable audio equipment for students and faculty to utilize in the field. The newly renovated studio and mobile equipment will serve as focal points for hosting guest speakers and collaborative projects. We're excited for students to use the space to create a variety of content, following in the footsteps of their original podcast, Emmett Till: The Cultural Afterlife of an American Boy.
Unveiling Our New NextGen x HBCU Partner Schools: Hampton University and North Carolina A&T State University The Spotify Creator Equity Fund has committed over $100K in scholarship funding for students at both Hampton University's Scripps Howard School of Journalism And Communications and North Carolina A&T State University's ACEJMC-accredited Department of Journalism and Mass Communication.
To kick things off at Hampton, we partnered with the Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications to bring Spotify's Opening Act Roadshow to campus for a one-day internship informational session. This event offered Hampton students exposure to Spotify thought leaders-Kristin Jarrett, Lead, Equity & Impact and Creator Equity; LaShanti Jenkins, Global Head of Early Career Pipeline Team; and Briana Younger, Editorial Lead, Hip Hop-as well as skill-building workshops and networking opportunities. Students also saw firsthand what a career path in the tech and audio industries would look like, and they participated in a live playlist challenge. In the spring, we'll also be selecting scholarship winners from the school, donating audio equipment to the campus, and working closely with faculty to support students in their content creation.
Stay tuned for more on our NextGen Audio initiatives at both schools throughout the 2023-2024 academic calendar year!
Collaborating with Howard University and Nikole Hannah-Jones We recently partnered with professor and Pulitzer prize-winning New York Times journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones to bring a podcast narrative course based on the 1619 Project to Howard University during the 2023 fall semester. As students worked with Hannah-Jones to transform their narrative essays into a podcast that will be available on our platform, Spotify experts taught them about audio production. We also donated audio and recording equipment for students to use to create a three-episode podcast series that explores Black culture and influence and the legacies of slavery in America. We will be hosting a listening party for students in January 2024.
Continuing our work with USC Annenberg This year, NextGen's collaboration with the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, including the USC Charlotta Bass Journalism & Justice Lab, will focus efforts toward open dialogue and career development for aspiring podcast creators from marginalized backgrounds. Throughout the fall, we've been providing USC students the opportunity to hear from top audio creator Edwin Covarrubias of Scary Stories, Wondery podcast producer and LA Times writer Dave Schilling, and author and What A Day host Tre'vell Anderson. We've also provided students access to Spotify executives-Creator Partner Manager Amber Watkins; Production Operations Lead Michelle Kitchen; Senior Program Ops Manager Nichole Henderson; and Community Development Lead Christabel Nsiah-Buadi.
On Thursday, November 9, we welcomed 30 USC Annenberg students with a passion for audio storytelling to a Careers in Podcasting day at Spotify's Los Angeles office to learn more about what a career path in audio looks like in 2023 and beyond.
More from Spotify
26/07/2024
Last month, Spotify's annual Songs of Summer predictions made their return, ...
26/07/2024
Summer is peak season for some of our favorite sports and events. Whether you're rooting for the home team at the ballpark or cheering for your country as i...
25/07/2024
At Spotify, we aim to bring great audiobooks to as many listeners as possible, i...
24/07/2024
Building anticipation ahead of a new album release is one of the most important ways for artists to ensure its success. But in today's music landscape, gain...
23/07/2024
Today, we announced our second quarter 2024 earnings. Led by healthy subscriber gains, improved monetization, and record profitability, Spotify reported
Month...
23/07/2024
Idag publicerar Spotify sina finansiella resultat f r andra kvartalet 2024. Med stark kning av antalet premiumanv ndare, f rb ttrad int ktsgenerering och rekor...
19/07/2024
By Marcelina Slota - Head of Platform Integrity, Spotify
Safety is a top priority for Spotify, which is why we want to make it easier for young people and pare...
18/07/2024
Summer is officially in full swing, and that means it's time to chill out. Whether you're heading out on vacation or hoping to make the most of Summer F...
17/07/2024
When we launched our AI DJ in English last year, it gave listeners a new way to connect with and discover music on Spotify. DJ is a personalized AI guide that k...
17/07/2024
Cuando lanzamos AI DJ en ingl s el a o pasado, ofrecimos a los usuarios una nueva forma de conectar y descubrir m sica en Spotify. DJ es una gu a de IA personal...
11/07/2024
Around the world, the shift toward streaming has completely transformed the musi...
09/07/2024
For podcast creators who want to grow their audiences, building a stronger relationship with their listeners and fans goes a long way. And in order to amplify t...
03/07/2024
When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Just ask Emma Roberts, star of t...
28/06/2024
As one of the most powerful forms of human expression today, video is becoming...
27/06/2024
Since 2020, RADAR has served as Spotify's program to spotlight rising talent...
27/06/2024
Summer 2024 is officially underway, and with it comes our possibilities for personalizing the soundtrack that'll have you grooving through August. For examp...
25/06/2024
June is Pride Month, a time to honor and celebrate the vibrant LGBTQIA community and its rich history, culture, and achievements. It's also a time to eleva...
24/06/2024
Peso Pluma-aka La Doble P -is one of the fastest-growing Latin artists in Spotify's history and the first to go from 2 million monthly listeners to 50 mill...
21/06/2024
On Spotify, users discover and enjoy music, podcasts, and audiobooks, with various plans that meet our listeners' needs. We offer subscriptions for every st...
21/06/2024
This week, Spotify returned to the South of France for the 2024 Cannes Lions Int...
20/06/2024
Sabrina Carpenter is officially having a moment. From her game-changing Coachell...
20/06/2024
As Spotify's program to spotlight rising talent from around the world, RADAR supports emerging artists on their journeys to global stardom. Since its launch...
19/06/2024
A self-described tourist of different musical genres, Latin Pop sensation Camilo has quickly become one of Colombia's biggest musical exports in recent year...
19/06/2024
Kevin Kwan is one of the most distinguished authors of our time, and has captiva...
13/06/2024
From the music studio to the dance challenge, from the lifestyle to the mpahla (slang for fashion), women have played a critical role in shaping and giving dire...
13/06/2024
Spend enough time browsing music and entertainment news sites, and you'll find no shortage of articles about Amapiano's decade-long rise from undergroun...
13/06/2024
Today Amapiano is everywhere. Some of the world's biggest artists, including...
13/06/2024
Amapiano is a force to be reckoned with on the global music stage, and this is thanks to its influence on popular culture. Spotify provides a home for Amapiano...
13/06/2024
The sound of Amapiano is like prolonging moments when, in South African townships, the sounds of everyday living merge with the music that forms the bedrock of ...
13/06/2024
You can't search for South African music today and not have several Amapiano artists appear in your results. The genre has surged across global dance floors...
12/06/2024
Can you hear the soundtrack to your life over the next few months? It's time for Spotify's Songs of Summer to take over your speakers as you hit the bea...
12/06/2024
In May, Spotify and Billie Eilish welcomed U.K. fans inside the vast, mysterious...
12/06/2024
Our planet is facing some serious issues. And How We Fix This-a new podcast host...
11/06/2024
From the rise of disco in the 1970s to the current wave of hyper pop, queer crea...
10/06/2024
In just a few weeks, fans from around the world will descend on the green fields...
10/06/2024
If you feel like your Spotify just gets you, you're not alone. We know each of our listeners has a unique relationship with their Spotify, or as many of t...
06/06/2024
Each year at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in France, Sp...
05/06/2024
Si no puedes entrenar sin m sica, no est s solo. Hoy, Antonela Roccuzzo, una de ...
05/06/2024
If you can't get fit without music, you're not alone. Today, Antonela Ro...
03/06/2024
On Spotify, users discover and enjoy music, podcasts, and audiobooks. So that we can continue to invest in and innovate on our product features and bring users ...
03/06/2024
Spotify House is returning to CMA Fest for a fifth year, bringing back our marqu...
01/06/2024
Dustee Jenkins, Chief Public Affairs Officer, Spotify
With billions of people from over 50 countries heading to the polls to cast their vote, 2024 is shaping u...
30/05/2024
Mental health and well-being are fundamental components of a child's healthy...
24/05/2024
On April 6, 1974, the Swedish pop quartet ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest w...
24/05/2024
For more than a year, the U.K. government has been working to redefine how the i...
22/05/2024
Spotify is as unique and personal as each listener who's plugged in daily, as well as the artists and creators who have found a home on our platform. We nev...
21/05/2024
As Spotify continues to grow its worldwide audience for audiobooks, we're thrilled to welcome two new publishing partners-Bonnier Books UK and Blackstone Pu...
20/05/2024
Reviews by Carl Chery, Kemet High, and Adrian Covert
In February, we launched Spotify CLASSICS-our first-ever program to celebrate catalog music. Our inaugur...
16/05/2024
May is Mental Health Awareness month, a time to recognize those living with ment...
15/05/2024
Med sin rliga royaltyrapport Loud & Clear kar Spotify transparensen i musikindustrin, s att artister, l tskrivare, fans och hela musikbranschen f r en st rre...