Spotify Launches “Sound Up Bootcamp” for Women of Color Podcasters

If you’re a woman of color who is interested in podcasting, Spotify wants you to apply for “Sound Up Bootcamp,” a weeklong intensive program for aspiring female podcasters of color.
Designed to garner equity for women of color in the podcasting space, the all-expenses-paid course will take place over a 5-day period in New York City wherein 10 attendees will learn the art of podcast creation, from initial ideation to editing, producing, and marketing from radio and podcast veterans Rekha Murthy and Graham Griffith.
According to a recent study, only 22 percent of podcasts are hosted by women, and the number’s even smaller when it comes to women of color.
Karen Taylor Bass, award-winning public relations expert, author & speaker, told TNJ.com that this kind of course would definitely pique the interest of many women of color podcasters. “Yes, and as a matter of fact, I applied last week for the one-week training program. As a newbie in the podcast world, the program will offer an intense training for storytelling, pitching, monetizing, editing, mentoring and real-time networking with trailblazers in the media field,” shares Taylor Bass. “That information is necessary and priceless; women of color will have a fighting chance to get their program out there, pivot and understand the secret sauce for success. I decided to launch a podcast on January 1, (2018), simply because I as a black women who is over 50, felt underrepresented as it relates to topics/”change” happening around me and peers. I launched ‘Late Night with Karen Taylor Bass’ which I describe as Paul Mooney meets Oprah podcast. It is raw, motivational and real talk.”
And an article on TNJ.com touts the power of podcasts stating that because of the power of the Internet, podcasts can reach a broader range of people than any radio station with an AM/FM transmitter. Someone in another country can find your podcast on the Internet and subscribe.
On the last day of the course, attendees will have the chance to pitch their podcast ideas to a panel of experts and professionals — and the top three pitches will have the pilot process funded, up to $10,000. Training is set for June 25-June 29, and applications must be in no later than April 10, 2018.
In addition to Taylor Bass, other noted Black women podcast shows include Another Round, Black Women Talk Politics and Side Hustle Pro: Women Entrepreneurs.