Afros & Audio and Beyond: Resources for Black Podcasters

Afros & Audio is a community for and by Black podcast creators and audio professionals. They want “to shift the conversation beyond the issues of diversity, inclusion, limited resources, and industry barriers.” Their next festival is coming up on November 13-14. Alitu is proud to sponsor it. The virtual festival uses the WhoVa platform. It’ll include resources for black podcasters to help with any aspect: launch, growth and promotion, monetization, editing, and much more. Plus, as Afros & Audio’s leadership says, this event will “celebrate where we’ve been, where we are, and the autonomy that we can etch within the podcast industry.” If you purchase your virtual attendance tickets at bit.ly/AFAU21RSVP, with the discount code, AFAUALI21, you can get your tickets for 25% off the regular price.

This is Afros & Audio’s third annual conference. Though they’re a power player in the podcast landscape, they aren’t the only organization that helps podcasters of color. Here are some more organizations that can help you with any aspect of your podcast. And, they can provide a community of like-minded folks who won’t get confused when you talk about bitrate.

Blk Pod Collective

Blk Pod Collective offers visibility, community, and education. They have two directories: one for podcasts and another for podcast service providers. If you want to subcontract a task out, they can help. They partner with brands to facilitate growth. Their membership program includes directory listings, workshops, collaboration opportunities, and more. Plus, Blk Pod Collective: The Podcast highlights conversations with industry professionals as an audio resource for Black podcasters.

The Black & Brown Podcast Collective

The Black & Brown Podcast Collective is “a platform for podcasters and content creators of color.” They have a virtual accelerator, grant opportunities, mentorship, and more.

LWC Studios 

LWC Studios is a digital and audio production studio. Their flagship podcast, 70 Million, has won a Peabody Award nomination and awards in many nationally recognized podcast festivals. This organization has received grants from The Macarthur Foundation, and they work hard to elevate voices and stories. They launched the Podcasting, Seriously awards fund “to support independent BIPOC, Queer and Trans audio producers in submitting high-quality work to media/journalism awards.” Their Podcasting, Seriously newsletter shares weekly resources for black podcasters to thrive.

WOC Podcasters

Only a few years ago, WOC Podcasters started as a Twitter hashtag. It gained momentum quickly and now has over four thousand members. Plus, WOC Podcasters Insiders provides education, tools, and resources in “a results-driven, cohort-based online podcasting membership.” This organization can help you find podcast guests, opportunities, and new techniques to streamline your process. Plus, you can work with other podcasters to grow your audiences.

The Sky’s The Limit

Afros & Audio‘s leadership says, “As a collective of creatives and professionals, we are change agents for real strategies that will transform the current landscape of the Podcast Industry.” These online resources for black podcasters are by no means a complete list. The community’s enthusiasm and determination mean that there will be more resources in the future.

Whether you want to start a podcast or improve your existing show, we can help. Podcraft Academy has courses, videos, downloadable tools, and more. Plus, our Weekly Live Q&A sessions can help with any questions you have. Also, Alitu can save you time and effort, and a steep learning curve with recording, editing, and publishing.