Sound Up Bootcamp: London Edition

If you’ve ever listened to a podcast and thought, “I could do this,” we want to hear your voice. Spotify is inviting aspiring podcasters in the UK who identify as a woman of colour to apply for the Sound Up UK week-long residential podcasting workshop, which will be held in London on November 5-9. Applicants don’t need to have any prior podcasting experience, just passion for the medium and an eagerness to bring their great ideas to life.

Sound Up UK follows our first Sound Up Bootcamp in New York, which received thousands of applications. Ten lucky finalists were invited to attend the programme, which consisted of a week of mentoring and networking with podcasting and radio greats. At the end of the week, three of the finalists were awarded $10,000 to produce their podcasts.

“The Sound Up Bootcamp in the US was an absolutely huge success, with over 18,000 applicants, showing just how much enthusiasm and talent exists in the field of podcast creation in 2018,” says James Cator, Spotify Head of Podcast Partnerships, EMEA. “The UK is a leading light in the world of podcasts, so we’re expecting to see a similarly enthusiastic response from ambitious podcast creators there. We are hugely excited to be able to support and promote more diverse and talented voices in the field of podcasting, and to give them a creative platform to share their work with the widest possible audience.”

We are hugely excited to be able to support and promote more diverse and talented voices in the field of podcasting, and to give them a creative platform to share their work with the widest possible audience.

James Cator, Spotify Head of Podcast Partnerships, EMEA

The ten finalists chosen to attend the London Sound Up Bootcamp will learn about the art of podcast creation; from learning about their audience and formulating a concept and story arc, to legal and licensing, graphic design, and technical studio skills. The course is designed and facilitated in partnership with the ShoutOut Network, whose company mission is to “find the next generation of voices.” This will culminate in a pitch session to a panel of industry experts, who will select three participants to receive support to further develop and record their podcast idea.

“The US Sound Up Bootcamp has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my career,” says Natalie Tulloch, Director of Content Partnerships, Spotify. “The week was so much more than planned. It was a privilege being in the room with an amazing group of women. During the course of the week, it was more than learning about the business of podcasting—it was therapy, bonding, and plenty of laughter. We could not have done it without the amazing women in the podcast community in New York City who supported the initiative.”

Now women of colour in the UK have an opportunity to shape that community as well. Interested podcasters should apply before midnight on September 17 at http://bit.ly/soundupuk. We can’t wait to hear what you have to say.