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Spotify, the world’s largest streaming platform, has announced plans to expand its NextGen partnership with Spelman College to support students with aspirations to work in the audio industry. This semester, Spellman became her first HBCU to offer the NextGen program, joining the University of Southern California, the University of Pennsylvania, and New York University.
The NextGen initiative is supported by Spotify’s Creator Equity Fund (CEF). CEF is committed to showcasing and inspiring historically underrepresented creators in the podcast space.
At the inaugural NextGen Creator Day in Spellman today, Spotify announced several initiatives aimed at amplifying the voices of Black creators. This is a multi-year scholarship for five Spelman first-year students. Each student will receive her $10,000 scholarship during her sophomore, junior, and senior years.
Additionally, the Spotify Labs Creator Program is a one-week incubator program where student podcasters are trained to launch new podcasts from the Spotify for Podcasters team. An Associate Professor at Spelman College, she co-created with Dr. Michelle Hite and her SoundUp team at Spotify. Offers her first custom her curriculum, teaching audio to students. .
“We have over 50 students who have already reported creating their own podcasts, and more than twice as many students have expressed early interest in a career in the audio industry,” said Dr. Hite. “Spellman students routinely demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of the importance of storytelling as a necessary companion for social justice investments, so these figures were not surprising to me. Our students appreciate storytelling as a means to expand how people confront the possibilities of how they can imagine and think about black lives. Our partnership with Spotify gives them the opportunity to develop their interests and learn how to specialize.”
Congressman Nikema Williams attended the event and applauded the groundbreaking collaboration between Spotify and Spellman.
Williams said, “We are so grateful for our partnership at Spotify to continue to inspire our students and highlight more black excellence in our country. But they are stepping up and doing it.” increase.”
Also in attendance were popular show hosts Ricky Thompson and Denzel Dion. we said what we said A podcast sharing the excitement of working with Spellman students.
“I am so excited to be here on Spellman campus! Talking to students is so surreal and I am excited to share my experience as a content creator with their voice and starting a podcast. A great idea is as good as the ability to take action to make it a reality.
“Spotify really pushed us to be better storytellers. It encouraged us to be more descriptive in our storytelling. I usually feel private about my life.But podcasts feel like a safe place.If you really want to know about us, podcasts are the real us,” Dion added. “I love how the podcast is growing. There are more people like us. This is [podcasting] Space is becoming more inclusive. ”
Thompson advised the up-and-coming podcaster to stay true to himself as a Black content creator.
“Be yourself and just do it. And be consistent,” he shared.
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