Shift the narrative
Are you an aspiring female podcaster with a great idea?
Strong female voices are everywhere in India – except in the Spotify podcast charts. We want to change all that.
Sound Up was launched to find, train and develop the next generation of diverse creators. We’re creating space for female creators in India to step up to the mic and share their unique stories with the world. You don’t need previous experience to join the program. Passion is what’s important here – along with great ideas and a desire to change conversations for the better.
Active events
There are no active events at the moment. Stay tuned to be the first to know about new events.
About the program
Launched in 2018, Sound Up has grown from a local initiative into a global program - reaching hundreds of aspiring creators around the world. Four years on and we’ve come to India to ensure that female voices right across the continent are celebrated and heard.
What to expect
We invite up to ten creators to join us at each program event. Events in India happen virtually and start with a four-week immersion into the art of making a podcast. Through a mix of live courses, recorded sessions and one-on-one meetings with the Spotify team and our partners, you’ll learn everything from ideation and storytelling to interviewing, editing and producing. As well as completing some home-based assignments, we’ll also ask you to submit an audio project at the end of our four weeks together. If all goes well, we’ll invite you to join us for the next phase where you’ll produce your pilot episode.
Who are we looking for?
Our program is open to storytellers who have historically not had access to the resources and opportunities present in the growing audio and podcasting space. If you’re an aspiring female creator and you live in India, we want to hear from you. Bring us your idea for a great podcast. And we’ll take it from there.
Meet the experts
Get to know the experts you'll be working with that partner with Sound Up.
Mae Mariyam Thomas
Mae Miriyam is the founder of MaedinIndia. She is also a presenter, podcast producer, journalist, entrepreneur and voice over artist, with over a decade of experience in the radio industry and 5 years in the podcasting. She started her career as a News Editor/Journalist for a community radio station in Wales, UK. When she moved back to India in 2010, she continued working in radio as a presenter, producer and creative manager.
Riya Mukherjee
After 15 industry-shaping years with Radio Mirchi in various leadership positions, Riya became an independent consultant in 2014. She advises streaming platforms, apps & websites, radio stations, advertising agencies, production houses & corporate businesses in India & abroad on creating & curating content in the music & entertainment space.
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Discover more about Sound Up from around the world at For the record news section.
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Good to know
Before you hit apply there are a few things we’d like to share.
To apply you must live in India and be over the age of 18 years old.
We are looking for female storytellers to join us at the moment.
The program is free and you don’t need your own kit - we’ll take care of it.
We’ll cover any expenses related to travel and housing for the duration of the program.
No experience is needed. We’ve built this program to find and elevate new creators.