As a home for creators of all backgrounds, Spotify is committed to creating spaces to celebrate and uplift BIPOC. In 2020, Spotify launched Outside Voice, an annotated playlist series that celebrates and amplifies BIPOC voices in the global creative community. This series started with giving each curator a platform on Spotify to tell personal stories, discuss their creative passion, and speak to important social issues affecting underrepresented communities with original playlists that feature their favorite music, alongside spoken-word annotations.
Building on this program, today Spotify Advertising is evolving the Outside Voice series into a new podcast that celebrates diversity, equity and inclusion. Hosted by award-winning podcast host, producer, writer, and co-founder of the POC in Audio Directory, Zakiya Gibbons, the Outside Voice podcast spotlights BIPOC professionals who have built equity for businesses and personal brands through programs that authentically elevate their communities.
“I’m thrilled to share that I’ll be hosting Spotify’s new ‘Outside Voice’ podcast. As an ‘outside voice’ myself, I’m excited for the opportunity to partner with Spotify and shine a light on BIPOC creatives and marketing leaders. These individuals have pushed their businesses and industries forward throughout their impressive careers with stories that showcase the power of diversity, equity and inclusion when it’s done right. – Zakiya Gibbons, Outside Voice Podcast Host
Created in partnership with Molten Heart, Outside Voice’s inaugural season will include guests such as, Voice Behind AI DJ and Head of Cultural Partnerships at Spotify, Xavier “X” Jernigan,
founder and CEO of CultureCon & The Creative Collective, Imani Ellis, and Executive VP, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer for Sony Music Group, Tiffany Warren and the chart-topping R&B icon, EGOT winner, and senior coach on The Voice, John Legend. These inspiring voices will discuss their lived experiences that have influenced their professional journey and the work that has moved the needle for their companies.
“The Outside Voice podcast puts BIPOC professionals center stage, giving them the mic to share everything from inspiring stories to their everyday challenges – these are the stories we should all be tuning into,” said Tye Comer, Creative Director at Spotify Advertising and Executive Producer of the Outside Voices podcast. “With this new podcast, we’re excited to host a space for these conversations on Spotify to inform and inspire the creative industry to strive for change.”
The podcast builds on the success of Spotify’s Outside Voice series, which featured curators like Mike Shum, Emmy-winning film producer whose work focuses on telling immigrant stories, Nwaka Oswusa, former Chief Curator and VP of Curatorial Affairs at the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame and the first African American female curator in the museum’s history, Rania Robinson, WACL (Women in Advertising and Communications, Leadership) president and diversity champion, and more.
