Tag: podcast

New Spotify Original Podcast ‘What Now? with Trevor Noah’ Set to Launch November 9

Since announcing a new Spotify Original Podcast with Trevor Noah back in June, fans have waited anxiously to hear what’s next for the comedian, Emmy Award–winning talk show host, and best-selling author. They don’t have to wait in anticipation much longer. What Now? with Trevor Noah is set to launch on Thursday, November 9. 

In this new Spotify Original podcast, listeners will get a chance to hear Trevor Noah like never before. In each episode, Trevor will go deep with a special guest, including entertainers, CEOs, actors, athletes, and thought leaders. He’ll bring the kind of conversations that happen behind the scenes to light, full of radical candor, authentic back-and-forths, and honest reactions, with Trevor bringing to bear his classic, effortlessly playful and equally probing style. 

What Now? with Trevor Noah is executive produced by Trevor and Ben Winston alongside Jenna Weiss-Berman and Max Linksy; and produced by Day Zero Productions, Fulwell 73 Productions, and Audacy’s Pineapple Street Studios.

The series is hosted and distributed by Spotify’s enterprise podcast platform, Megaphone, with Spotify serving as the exclusive sales partner. Presenting sponsors for the podcast include Amazon, Audi, Microsoft, Prize Picks, Smirnoff, and Starbucks.

As Trevor said back in June, “We’ll also probably fix every single issue humankind has ever faced, so you definitely want to join us for every episode.” Starting next month, you can.

Las mentes creativas de “Caso 63” regresan con un nuevo misterio de ciencia ficción: “Caso 63: Enigma

a futuristic rainbow cube

En 2020, lanzamos Caso 63, una audio serie con guión chileno que encabezó las listas de éxitos. El podcast original de Spotify fue tan popular que más tarde adaptamos la historia al Portugués, Hindi, e Inglés

Ahora Julio Rojas, el creador detrás del exitoso original, está de vuelta con una nueva historia ambientada en el mismo universo: Caso 63: Enigma. Y aunque los fans se encontrarán con un nuevo elenco de personajes, recordarán algo que se insinuó en la primera temporada de Caso 63: el 6 de agosto de 2042, Johana Flores, astronauta de una colonia marciana, hace un descubrimiento trascendental en un antiguo vestigio de una civilización madre conocida como “La Estructura”. Allí, Johana descubre un libro que contiene la clave para viajar en el tiempo. Pero, como sugiere el eslogan de la serie, “una cosa es encontrar un enigma y otra resolverlo”.

Caso 63: Enigma profundiza en esta historia, presentando a los oyentes a Isabel, una mujer mexicana encargada de resolver el misterio del libro, (también conocido como “El Enigma”). A lo largo del podcast, los oyentes experimentarán los pensamientos de Isabel, conversaciones con amigos, investigaciones y sueños recurrentes.

El talentoso elenco de actores y actrices del podcast está encabezado por la actriz mexicana Ana Valeria Becerril como Isabel y Diego Klein como Javier. La serie también cuenta con los actores chilenos Gabriel Urzúa como Gaspar, Alvaro Rudolphy como Miguel, Ignacia Baeza como Rebeca y Marcial Tagle como Alfredo.

“La historia está maravillosamente escrita, no deja cabo suelto, creo que es un universo súper basto, pero para mi lo más interesante es el formato de podcast”, comentó Ana Valeria Becerril. “Te pones tus audífonos, te sientas en un sillón, cierras los ojos y dejas que tu imaginación corra libre”.

Para los fans que devoran los episodios en poco tiempo y quieren escuchar aún más contenidos de Caso 63, pueden consultar Caso 63 – El Universo de Canciones, una lista de reproducción musical colaborativa creada por Julio Rojas, el compositor del podcast Mowat, y Ana Valeria Becerril. Esta colección de temas oscuros, melancólicos y futuristas de iconos de la música como Björk, Portishead, Radiohead, y Nick Cave  sirvió de inspiración para la serie, y es el complemento perfecto para sumergirse aún más en su misterio.

Empieza escuchando la nueva serie, disponible ya en Spotify. 

 

Love, Wedding Bells, Deception: Follow the Hunt for a Con Man in ‘The Wedding Scammer,’ a New Podcast from Spotify and The Ringer

a cartoon design of a con man standing on top of a three tier wedding cake

Whether you love to moonlight as a professional wedding guest or just love a good mystery, we have a new podcast that will keep you engaged: The Wedding Scammer.

Brought to you by Spotify’s The Ringer, this new show follows Justin Sayles, a man scammed during the process of working with a—as it turns out—fake media company. Determined to find justice, Justin works to uncover the con man. The culprit makes mistakes along the way, allowing Justin to track his schemes from city to city, scam to scam.

Justin soon learns that the scammer is not only conning people through this nonexistent media company, but he’s also scamming people out of large sums of money they’ve saved for the wedding of their dreams

Throughout the seven episodes, listeners can follow along with Justin as he finds new leads that bring him closer and closer to unveiling the bold scammer.

The first episode drops on Tuesday, October 17, but you can get a sneak preview today by watching The Wedding Scammer trailer below.

 

Spotify rockea el fin de semana con el Festival EQUAL en Buenos Aires

concert performance at Festival EQUAL

En Argentina la semana pasada se reunieron artistas, podcasters, fanáticos y luminarias de la industria en el muy esperado Festival EQUAL de Spotify para celebrar la creatividad y el talento que las mujeres aportan a la escena de la música y los podcasts. El evento es una extensión de nuestro programa EQUAL, cuyo objetivo es contribuir a la equidad de género en la industria musical amplificando y celebrando el trabajo de las creadoras de todo el mundo.

Comenzamos el festival con un evento de dos días en el C Complejo Art Media, que incluyó paneles y presentaciones específicamente dirigidos a mujeres creadoras y artistas, y concluyó con un concierto con entradas agotadas como ningún otro.

Eventos lanzamiento con industria y creadores

“Con el Festival EQUAL, Spotify ha encontrado una oportunidad para mostrarle al país y al mundo lo que los artistas argentinos están generando en la industria”, destacó Bel Aztiria, Global Head EQUAL para Spotify, antes de los paneles y presentaciones.. 

“Lo que comenzó como una idea en aquel entonces es hoy una realidad. Nos emociona saber que Spotify está a punto de celebrar un hito sin precedentes en el país al reunir a más de 20.000 personas en un solo lugar con un único objetivo común: celebrar el talento de las mujeres argentinas” remarcó Carolina Martin, Artists & Label Partnerships Spotify Cono Sur

Los asistentes escucharon un panel moderado por Carolina y Bel que contó con Barbi Recanati, Sivina Moreno, Juliana Gattas, y Julieta Laso como speakers. Las mujeres compartieron sus sentimientos, ideas y perspectivas sobre el recorrido de las mujeres en la industria local.

Spotify también celebró un Festival de Podcast EQUAL para creadores de podcasts para que las mujeres pudieran compartir sus conocimientos sobre cómo desarrollar carreras de podcasting y promocionar los avances que han logrado en la industria. En el escenario, las creadoras de ConchaPodcast recibieron a Moria Casán hablando sobre el lanzamiento de su podcast Spotify Original, La One.

En otra sesión, Momi Giardina, Mica Vazquez, Marti Benza, y Martu Ortiz, creadoras de LUZU TV, uno de los principales canales de streaming en Argentina, hablaron sobre cómo celebrar el empoderamiento femenino y cuáles son las oportunidades para seguir dando visibilidad a las mujeres en su industria.

Para cerrar el día, Jacinta de Oromí, creadora del podcast TIPO, Marian Soler, creadora del  podcast Cebando Flores, and Buera, creadora del podcast ¿estás?, subieron al escenario para compartir sus tips y recomendaciones para la creación de contenido.

Spotify Rocks the Weekend With the Festival EQUAL in Buenos Aires

Last week in Argentina, artists, podcasters, fans, and industry luminaries came together for Spotify’s highly anticipated Festival EQUAL to celebrate the creativity and talent that women bring to the music and podcast scenes. The event is an extension of our EQUAL program, which aims to contribute to gender equity in the music industry by amplifying and celebrating the work of women creators around the world. 

We kicked off the festival with a two-day event at the C Complejo Art Media venue that included panels and presentations specifically geared toward women creators and artists and concluded with a sold-out concert unlike any other.

Kicking off with industry events for creators

“With the Festival EQUAL, Spotify has found an opportunity to show the country and the world what Argentine artists are generating in the industry,” Bel Aztiria, Global Head, EQUAL for Spotify, noted ahead of the panels and presentations. 

“What started as an early idea back then is today a reality. We are excited to know that Spotify is about to celebrate an unprecedented milestone in the country by bringing together more than 20,000 people in one place with a single common goal: to celebrate the talent of Argentine women,” remarked Carolina Martin, Artists & Label Partnerships, Spotify Southern Cone.

Attendees listened to a panel moderated by Carolina and Bel that included Barbi Recanati, Silvina Moreno, Juliana Gattas, and Julieta Laso as speakers. The women shared their feelings, ideas, and perspectives on the journey of women in local industry.

Spotify also held an EQUAL Podcast Festival for podcast creators so that women could share wisdom on building podcasting careers and tout advancements they’ve made in the industry. Onstage, the creators of ConchaPodcast hosted Moria Casán to discuss the launch of her Spotify Original podcast, La One.

In another session, Momi Giardina, Mica Vazquez, Marti Benza, and Martu Ortiz, creators from top-streaming Argentinian channel LUZU TV, talked about celebrating women empowerment and what the opportunities are to keep women visible in their industry. 

To close the day, Jacinta de Oromí, creator of the podcast TIPO; Marian Soler, creator of the podcast Cebando Flores; and Buera, creator of the podcast ¿estás?; took the stage to share their tips and recommendations for creating content.

Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver Join Forces With Spotify for a New Limited Podcast, ‘Strike Force Five’

This past May, the hosts of five major late-night talk shows had an idea: to meet every week to discuss the complexities behind the ongoing Hollywood strikes. What ensued was a series of hilarious and compelling conversations. Now, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver have teamed up with Spotify for an all-new limited-series podcast, Strike Force Five, so fans can listen in on these once-private chats.

The hosts bring their unique insights, opinions, and humor to the show as they navigate the Hollywood strikes and beyond. Launching August 30 and available across most major podcast platforms, the series will run for at least twelve episodes, with each host serving as a rotating moderator. 

All proceeds received by the hosts from Strike Force Five will go to out-of-work staff from the hosts’ respective shows, including The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

The series will be hosted on Spotify’s Megaphone, with Spotify as the exclusive sales partner. Strike Force Five will be supported by Mint Mobile and Diageo (Aviation American Gin, Bulleit Frontier Whiskey, Casamigos, and Ketel One Vodka), who were first to come aboard to support the show as co-presenting sponsors. 

Follow Strike Force Five on Spotify and get a notification to hit play when the show debuts on Wednesday, August 30.

‘França e o Labirinto’ Launches as the First Brazilian-Produced Spotify Original Scripted Audio Series

Spotify fans in Brazil love a good scripted audio story, as evidenced by the popularity of series like Sofia, Batman Despertar, and Paciente 63Portuguese-language adaptations of the AI-themed drama Sandra, the superhero smash hit Batman Unburied, and the Chilean sci-fi thriller Caso 63, respectively. Paciente 63 even spent three weeks as the country’s most popular podcast on Spotify. 

And starting today, listeners will be able to dig into a new Spotify Original audio series: França e o Labirinto. The Portuguese-language thriller is our biggest fiction-based audio production in Brazil to date, and the first Spotify audio series to be fully produced in the country. 

França e o Labirinto follows private detective Nelson França on a thrill ride as he attempts to solve a murder that feels all too familiar. For years, Nelson helped the police on investigations, including the one that led to the arrest of a famous serial killer. Now, decades later, a new victim is found and França knows it’s the same criminal. This chase will send him down a trail filled with ghosts from his past. And that trail is even harder to navigate when you’re legally blind.  

Over the course of the show’s 13 episodes, Nelson’s sense of hearing is vital to helping him solve this mystery. And to immerse listeners deeper into França’s perspective, França e o Labirinto is the first Spotify Original audio series to deliver lifelike 3D audio through binaural recording techniques, which use two microphones separated by the width of a head to replicate the way our hearing works in real life.

Created in partnership with Jovem Nerd, the Brazilian media platform known for its popular podcast NerdCast, França e o Labirinto features Jovem Nerd founders Alexandre Ottoni and Deive Pazos as showrunners, and actor Selton Mello as the voice of Nelson.

To learn more about the show’s creation, as well as the rising popularity of scripted audio series across Brazil, For the Record spoke with Camila Justo, Spotify Production Operations Lead for Latin America.

França e o Labirinto is the first Spotify Original audio series to be fully produced in Brazil. It’s an exciting achievement!

Being able to produce 100% Brazilian content is an incredible opportunity to explore our identity and culture in an authentic way. Brazilians love fiction content, and França e o Labirinto is a very high-quality thriller. 

The production was a long process that involved more than 100 people between the technical team and the voice actors. We understood that what we were doing was something innovative, and we went through the different stages always focusing on quality.

What sort of success have you seen with fiction podcasts in Brazil to date?

Brazil is a country that consumes a lot of soap operas and series, so fictional content is already part of Brazilian culture. This gave us some indication that adapting fictional podcasts could be a big success. But listener engagement in Brazil went even further. Sofia, Batman Despertar, and Paciente 63 were all among the top podcasts on Spotify following their respective releases, and are still in the top 10 of Brazil’s most popular scripted audio series on Spotify to date. In addition, Paciente 63 won the APCA Award for Best Podcast of 2021.

Why is it important for countries to have innovative stories tailored to their audiences?

Innovating stories and initiatives for audiences in your country and language helps create a deeper connection, a greater identification between the story and the listener. This increases relatability, understanding, and engagement, leading to more meaningful experiences and stronger connections between creators and their audiences.

This new podcast uses binaural audio technology to allow the listener to be immersed in the main character’s perspective. How will this sound different for listeners?

3D audio technology has the capacity to deliver a seamless illusion of alternative reality and change the way we relate to and behave in sound. This resource helps in the construction of immersive narratives, enhancing the experience for the listener. 

Since we wanted the listener to be totally immersed in the main character, this was the best way to provide that experience. The listener will hear and feel everything that the main character feels—if someone whispers in his ear, they will whisper in your ear.

What was the scripting process like?

The script was developed by Leonel Caldela and Fábio Yabu, and also included consultation and revision by Lucas Radaelli, a visually impaired person who gave valuable input, since the main character is blind. 

Work on the script started in 2018, when Jovem Nerd first had the idea for the show. We then started working with them in 2019, and we suggested some ideas that would offer total immersion into the main character. We wanted the main character, França, to be present in every scene, so we opted against using flashbacks or narration.

Can you share some of the collaborators and talent Spotify worked with to bring this story to life. 

For França e o Labirinto, we’ve partnered with some of the best talent in Brazil. The creators and showrunners are Jovem Nerd’s founders, who have been in this audio universe for 20 years, and their show NerdCast is one of the most popular podcasts on Spotify, with more than 1.5 million monthly streams. 

In terms of voice talent, we have Selton Mello, a well-known and recognized actor in Brazil for major roles in TV, cinema, and dubbing. We also have a dream team of Brazilian voice actors including Luiz Carlos Persy, Maíra Góes, and Jorge Lucas, among others. And we have special appearances by Igão and Mítico, hosts of the Spotify Original podcast Carona Podpah, as well as screenwriter and comedian Antônio Tabet. The voice talents were also directed by the talented Fernanda Barone.

What do you see as the future of the fiction podcast genre in Brazil? 

I look forward to seeing the fiction podcast genre continue to grow and diversify in Brazil. We hope that França e o Labirinto will inspire many independent creators to venture into the podcast universe and explore different types of formats and styles. 

Ready to follow along with França as he tracks down a mysterious serial killer for a second time? Stream all 13 episodes of França e o Labirinto by pressing play below. 

‘França e o Labirinto’ estreia como a primeira audiossérie com roteiro original do Spotify produzida no Brasil

Os fãs do Spotify no Brasil adoram uma boa história em áudio com roteiro, como evidenciado pela popularidade das audiosséries Sofia, Batman Despertar e Paciente 63 – adaptações em português do drama com tema de IA Sandra, do sucesso de super-heróis Batman Unburied e do thriller de ficção científica chileno Caso 63, respectivamente. O Paciente 63 chegou a passar três semanas como o podcast mais popular do país no Spotify. 

E a partir de hoje, os ouvintes poderão se aprofundar em uma nova audiossérie Original Spotify: França e o Labirinto. O thriller em português é a nossa maior produção de áudio de ficção no Brasil até o momento, e a primeira áudiossérie do Spotify a ser totalmente produzida no país. 

França e o Labirinto acompanha o detetive particular Nelson França em uma saga emocionante enquanto ele tenta solucionar um assassinato que parece familiar demais. Durante anos, Nelson ajudou a polícia em investigações, incluindo a que levou à prisão de um famoso serial killer. Agora, décadas depois, uma nova vítima é encontrada e França sabe que se trata do mesmo criminoso. Essa perseguição o levará a uma trilha repleta de fantasmas de seu passado. E essa trilha é ainda mais difícil de navegar quando se é totalmente cego.  

Ao longo dos 13 episódios da série, o senso de audição de Nelson é vital para ajudá-lo a resolver esse mistério. E para mergulhar os ouvintes ainda mais na perspectiva do detetive, França e o Labirinto é a primeira audiossérie Original Spotify a oferecer áudio 3D, por meio de técnicas de gravação binaural, que usam dois microfones separados pela largura de uma cabeça para reproduzir a forma como nossa audição funciona na vida real.

Criada em parceria com a Jovem Nerd, a plataforma de mídia brasileira conhecida por seu popular podcast NerdCast, França e o Labirinto conta com os fundadores do Jovem Nerd, Alexandre Ottoni e Deive Pazos, como showrunners, e o ator Selton Mello como a voz de Nelson.

Para saber mais sobre a criação do programa, bem como sobre a crescente popularidade das audiosséries no Brasil, o For the Record conversou com Camila Justo,  líder de produção de podcasts do Spotify para a América Latina.

França e o Labirinto é a primeira audiossérie original do Spotify a ser totalmente produzida no Brasil. É uma conquista enorme!

Poder produzir conteúdo 100% brasileiro é uma oportunidade incrível para explorar nossa identidade e cultura de forma autêntica. Os brasileiros adoram conteúdo de ficção, e França e o Labirinto é um thriller de altíssima qualidade. 

A produção foi um longo processo que envolveu mais de 100 pessoas entre a equipe técnica e os dubladores. Entendemos que o que estávamos fazendo era algo inovador e, por isso, passamos por diferentes etapas, sempre com foco na qualidade.

Qual tipo de sucesso você obteve com os podcasts de ficção no Brasil até o momento?

O Brasil é um país que consome muitas novelas e séries, portanto, o conteúdo de ficção já faz parte da cultura brasileira. Isso nos deu algumas indicações de que as adaptações de podcasts de ficção poderiam ser um grande sucesso. Mas o engajamento dos ouvintes no Brasil foi ainda mais longe. Sofia, Batman Despertar e Paciente 63 ficaram entre os melhores podcasts do Spotify após seus respectivos lançamentos e ainda estão entre as 10 séries de áudio mais populares de ficção no Spotify até hoje. Além disso, o Paciente 63 ganhou o prêmio APCA de melhor podcast de 2021.

Por que é importante que os países tenham histórias inovadoras adaptadas a seus públicos?

Inovar histórias e iniciativas para o público de seu país e idioma ajuda a criar uma conexão mais profunda, uma maior identificação entre a história e o ouvinte. Isso aumenta a capacidade de relacionamento, a compreensão e o envolvimento, levando a experiências mais significativas e a conexões mais fortes entre os criadores e seus públicos.

Essa nova produção usa a tecnologia de áudio binaural para permitir que o ouvinte fique imerso na perspectiva do personagem principal. Como isso soará diferente para os ouvintes?

A tecnologia de áudio 3D tem a capacidade de proporcionar uma ilusão perfeita de realidade alternativa e mudar a maneira como nos relacionamos e nos comportamos em relação ao som. Esse recurso ajuda na construção de narrativas imersivas, aprimorando a experiência do ouvinte. 

Como queríamos que o ouvinte ficasse totalmente imerso no personagem principal, essa foi a melhor maneira de proporcionar essa experiência. O ouvinte ouvirá e sentirá tudo o que o personagem principal sente – se alguém sussurrar no ouvido dele, sussurrará no seu ouvido.

Como foi o processo de criação do roteiro?

O roteiro foi desenvolvido por Leonel Caldela e Fábio Yabu, e também contou com a consultoria e revisão de Lucas Radaelli, um deficiente visual que deu uma contribuição valiosa, já que o personagem principal é cego. 

O trabalho no roteiro começou em 2018, quando o Jovem Nerd teve a ideia da audiossérie. Começamos a trabalhar com eles em 2019 e sugerimos algumas ideias para proporcionar uma imersão total no personagem principal. Queríamos que o personagem principal, França, estivesse presente em todas as cenas, por isso optamos por não usar flashbacks ou narração.

Você poderia compartilhar alguns dos parceiros e talentos com os quais o Spotify trabalhou para dar vida a essa história? 

Para França e o Labirinto, fizemos uma parceria com alguns dos melhores talentos do Brasil. Os criadores e showrunners são os fundadores do Jovem Nerd, que estão nesse universo de áudio há 20 anos, e seu programa NerdCast é um dos podcasts mais populares do Spotify, com mais de 1,5 milhão de streams mensais. 

Em termos de atores de voz, temos Selton Mello, um ator conhecido e reconhecido no Brasil por grandes papéis na TV, cinema e dublagem. Também temos um time dos sonhos de dubladores brasileiros, incluindo Luiz Carlos Persy, Maíra Góes e Jorge Lucas, entre outros. E temos as participações especiais de Igão e Mítico, apresentadores do podcast Original Spotify Carona Podpah, além do roteirista e comediante Antônio Tabet. Além disso, todos os talentos de voz foram dirigidos pela talentosa Fernanda Barone.

O que você vê como o futuro do gênero podcast de ficção no Brasil? 

Estou ansiosa para ver o gênero de podcast de ficção continuar crescendo e se diversificando no Brasil. Esperamos que o França e o Labirinto inspire muitos criadores independentes a se aventurar no universo dos podcasts e a explorar diferentes formatos e estilos. 

Pronto para acompanhar  França na busca de um misterioso serial killer pela segunda vez? Escute todos os 13 episódios de França e o Labirinto dando o play abaixo.

Journalist Brian Raftery Dissects Vietnam War Films—and America’s Love for Them—in His Podcast From The Ringer, ‘Do We Get To Win This Time?’

Hollywood has long held a fascination with the Vietnam War. From films that were released while the war raged, like John Wayne’s The Green Berets, to the popular 1980s hits, like Oliver Stone’s Platoon, America’s role in the war has been documented—accurately or not—on the big screen for decades.

Growing up in the 1980s, Brian Raftery encountered these combat films left and right, bringing Vietnam to life right before his eyes. Fast-forward to today, and Brian’s ready to take a deeper look into these films and how they still resonate today, both culturally and politically.

Photo credit Tom Martin

In his new podcast from The Ringer, Do We Get To Win This Time? How Hollywood Made the Vietnam War, Brian chronicles and dissects some of the most seminal movies that reflect the war. Throughout the eight-episode season, Brian talks with filmmakers, experts, and veterans who discuss what these movies tell us about “the most divisive conflict in our country’s history and America’s perception of it.” 

For the Record caught up with Brian to learn more.

What made you want to cover the Vietnam War—and how Hollywood approached it—specifically?

I didn’t grow up under the shadow of Vietnam—I was born after the war—but I did grow up under the shadow of Vietnam movies. When I was a kid, it seemed like every other weekend saw the release of an intense R-rated film about the war, like Platoon and Full Metal Jacket. And even as a preteen, I’d heard of some of the major Vietnam movies of the seventies, like Apocalypse Now and The Deer Hunter. Vietnam was, strangely, a major part of popular culture back then.

I watched as many of these films as I could—and I devoured the countless Vietnam-related TV shows, books, and even comic books that arrived in the eighties and early nineties. And I wasn’t alone: These were huge movies, especially for Gen-Xers. We were being inundated with stories about a war we hadn’t witnessed—and that we barely understood.

For the podcast, I wanted to learn as much as I could about the making of these films, because, frankly, we don’t get many like ’em anymore: These are epic, highly ambitious combat films, all of them made before the CGI era, and the stories behind these productions are amazing. But I was also interested in how Hollywood’s depiction of Vietnam changed over the years, and how it reflected how America felt about a very controversial and disturbing war. This was a war that deeply divided the country, and sometimes one of the best ways to understand a moment in time is to look at the movies it inspired.

Why do you think Hollywood’s fascination with the Vietnam War was different from other major historical events?

Vietnam wasn’t like World War II. That conflict, as horrific as it was, had a definite ending—and a victorious one, at least for America. As a result, some of the movies Hollywood made about World War II in the forties and fifties were celebratory and deeply jingoistic. Not that I mind—I love a good rah-rah moment as much as anyone—but these were movies made at a time of peak national pride, and they could be a bit bloodless, literally and figuratively.

By contrast, Hollywood had no idea what to do with Vietnam at first. This was a divisive war—and the big studios don’t do “divisive.” So they spent years avoiding it, until the late seventies, when it became clear that some veterans were struggling to deal with the aftermath of the war, resulting in movies like Coming Home and The Deer Hunter. By the eighties, there was even greater recognition of what America’s vets had gone through. That helps explain how a movie like Platoon can become such a phenomenon. Don’t get me wrong—it’s a great film, no matter when you see it! But Platoon happened to come at the exact moment that millions of Americans—young and old—were trying to understand what had happened in Vietnam.

As a result, Platoon kicked off a wave of Vietnam films, one that would peak in the late eighties. I can’t even count how many Vietnam films were made during that time. But after the Vietnam wave ended in the nineties, moviegoers would soon lose their interest in war altogether: The conflicts of the last few decades—most notably Iraq and Afghanistan—haven’t produced anywhere near as many films as Vietnam did. It was the last war Hollywood re-created in a major way.

How do you think these films shaped the view Americans had of the war?

I can only speak for myself—and a lot of the people I knew!—but I think movies like Coming Home and Born on the Fourth of July had a huge impact on how young people in the eighties and the nineties perceived Vietnam vets. How could you not have empathy for what they’d gone through, during and after the war, after seeing the struggle depicted in those films?

And I think ground-level movies like Platoon and Hamburger Hill really opened young Americans’ eyes to the horrors of combat. Those movies didn’t make fighting look glamorous in any way. They were gory and terrifying and heartbreaking; they were horror movies, in their own way. I think they made moviegoers understand what happened to those who’d gone to Vietnam.

What movie did you find particularly compelling and knew it had to be covered for the podcast?

We have entire episodes dedicated to both Platoon and Apocalypse Now, which are probably the two best-known Vietnam films ever made. There’s no way you can ignore Platoon—it brought the war to vivid life for millions of moviegoers, and it kicked off an entire movement of Vietnam films. And Apocalypse Now might be the most over-the-top movie production in history: An Oscar-winning superstar director goes into the jungle with millions of dollars and some of the biggest stars of the world . . . and winds up in a swirl of chaos, egos, and explosions. How can you not try to bring that story to life?

What’s something surprising you learned from your interviews or while researching the podcast?

There are a lot of specific stories that amazed me, like when Courtney B. Vance told me that, in order to create enough smoke for Hamburger Hill, the producers actually burned tires all day, which I’m hoping is illegal nowadays. Or when Dale Dye, a lifelong military man, explained how he trained the Platoon actors for the movie by forcing them to endure a brutal bootcamp. Like I said, these movies were made by filmmakers who’d do anything to get their story on the screen. And a lot of stuff was blown up along the way.

But I was also surprised by how many Vietnam movies we were able to cover—and how many genres of Vietnam movies. It’s not just combat films—there are Vietnam-related horror films, comedies, family dramas, revenge fantasies, and so many more. I don’t think any single modern event has found its way into as many stories, and as many kinds of stories, as much as the Vietnam War did.

At the end of the series, what do you hope listeners walk away with?

I hope they’re entertained by it. And, of course, I also hope they come away feeling a little bit smarter! But mostly, I’d love it if the series inspires listeners to add some Vietnam movies to their Letterboxd lists.

Why did you choose a podcast as the medium for best telling this story? How did inserting audio clips from films complement the project?

Audio brings these movies to life in a way that no other medium can. Even a few seconds of movie dialogue plugs audiences directly into a scene—something that’s hard to do in a book. Plus, we get to play a lot of old movie trailers, some of which are very over-the-top. There were entire afternoons in which I spent hours watching old movie trailers, which I can’t believe is an actual job.

Ready to dive into Hollywood’s relationship with the Vietnam War? Join Brian as he digs into the films in his podcast from The Ringer Do We Get to Win This Time?

Heidi and Spencer Pratt Extend Their 15 Minutes of Fame in The Ringer Podcast ‘Speidi’s 16th Minute’

Speidi fans, we have a new podcast coming your way straight from the dynamic duo themselves. Heidi and Spencer Pratt have teamed up with The Ringer to release a new video podcast, Speidi’s 16th Minute.

Heidi and Spencer first found fame on the MTV reality television show The Hills. Now, after more than 15 years in the Hollywood limelight, they are diving into the stories behind notorious paparazzi photos, reality TV villains, and unexpected celebrities who rose to fame. On the podcast they also revisit nostalgic moments cherished by pop culture enthusiasts. 

“Heidi and I have always wanted to do a Masterclass on being famous, but since their people never call us back, we’re taking it to this podcast, which will be both educational and free for you to listen to. A win for everyone!” said Spencer Pratt. “We can’t wait to share this with you!”

On the first episode, Heidi and Spencer will welcome special guest Deuxmoi, the voice behind the eponymous Instagram account that covers celebrity gossip.

Set your calendars to catch up with the couple by watching their first episode, debuting August 2.

 

Spotify’s NextGen Curriculum Participants Release ‘Emmett Till: The Cultural Afterlife of an American Boy’

a collage showing the shadow of a man wearing a hat and buildings in the background.

In March, Spotify brought our NextGen Audio initiative to Spelman College in Atlanta for the first-ever Creator Day. There, we announced the NextGen Curriculum Program, Spotify NextGen Scholarship Program, and Spotify Labs Creator Program—all ways we’re further supporting students who are aspiring to work in the audio industry. Several Spelman students in the NextGen Curriculum Program have since been hard at work under the instruction of Dr. Michelle Hite creating a seven-episode podcast series investigating the brutal murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till and the cultural aftermath of his death. 

Now Spotify listeners can stream Emmett Till: The Cultural Afterlife of an American Boy, where the students examine the way Emmett’s murder became a pivotal moment in American political, media, and civil rights history. Explore the way U.S. citizens have found purpose in Emmett Till’s short life and learned to center on joy and love even in the face of pain and struggle.

The new series is the first to come out of NextGen x HBCU, our program designed to activate and grow podcast culture on college campuses and make a career in podcasting more accessible for the next generation of Black content creators and storytellers. NextGen is funded by Spotify’s Creator Equity Fund, which powers our commitment to showcasing and uplifting creators from communities that have been historically underrepresented in the audio industry. 

Our NextGen Audio initiative will continue into the fall as we prepare to announce the five Spelman College scholarship winners and the second NextGen HBCU. Stay tuned to learn more.  

Creating a New Podcast Space for Underrepresented Voices in Atlanta

Quianah Upton and Jennifer Lind sitting in the new podcast studio in front of two mics at Nourish Botanica

Removing barriers increases accessibility. Making Space, a Spotify for Podcasters initiative aiming to elevate underrepresented creators by making studio-quality podcasting gear available to communities for free, is our way of doing just that. By partnering with local businesses—Greenville, South Carolina–based Savereign, a plant store, and Curia on the Drag café in Gainesville, Florida, are two recent examples—Spotify provides a safe place for storytellers to share and helps build a more diverse ecosystem of podcast creators.

Our third Making Space studio, which received support from Spotify’s Creator Equity Fund, is in Nourish Botanica, an Atlanta, Georgia, plant shop and community space that offers weekly markets, queer karaoke nights, plant festivals, free plant swaps, and more. 

Quianah Upton standing inside nourish botanica in front of the recording equipment

“I really appreciate Spotify partnering with us to model high-level creative entrepreneurship. I love the idea that we can be a Black-owned business in a historically Black neighborhood and provide a level of cool, quirk, and professionalism that you can’t find anywhere else,” shared Quianah Upton, the owner of Nourish Botanica. “It’s also a really good reminder to large companies worldwide how much artists and creative spaces need funding and collaboration support.”

Motivated by her own experiences of childhood food insecurity, Quianah conceived the idea for Nourish Botanica in 2013. Her hope was to create food-based events that featured talks surrounding art, storytelling, gentrification, food sovereignty, and justice issues. Now Nourish Botanica will be joined by a podcast studio. “Making Space will allow us to begin to build a safe space where dialogue, education, and conversation can take place,” Quianah explained. “Storytelling affects social justice, conveys history, builds empathy, and educates audiences by instilling a sense of belonging and community among those listening. Through our storytelling programming, Nourish Botanica works towards building an inclusive and equitable world.”  

Jennifer Lind is one creator who hopes to educate audiences by sharing her family’s history through her podcast, Telling HERstory. The Atlanta native had no podcast experience but was able to bring her idea from concept to fruition in just one month by using Spotify for Podcasters. Jennifer’s show explores the life and legacy of her maternal grandmother, longtime Augusta, Georgia, educator Rosa T. Beard, through interviews with those who were closest to her. 

After launching the podcast in 2020, Jennifer is now part of a thriving Atlanta podcast scene. She explained to For the Record that she’s excited that Spotify’s Making Space studio will provide another low-barrier way for those looking to get involved.

Did you have any idea how to make a podcast?

I really knew nothing about podcasting! But most people who know me know that once I decide that I want to do something, it’s not a matter of if I’m going to do it, but how. When I decided to create the Telling HERstory podcast, I started researching everything I could, and that’s how I discovered the Anchor app, which is now Spotify for Podcasters. I saw that it was not only an all-in-one tool, but also free to use. And within four weeks of deciding that I was going to start a podcast, I actually launched it. To me, that is a testament to what a great tool Spotify for Podcasters is—it makes it possible for just about anyone to become a creator.  

Why do you think a podcast was the perfect medium for sharing your grandmother’s story?

I wanted to not only tell her story, but also the stories of those whose lives she touched, and document them for future generations. Especially as someone who comes from the community of color—and when you think back to our roots, of African American and African history, it involves a lot of oral storytelling. There’s something about podcasting that, in a way, goes back to those roots of documenting stories. And to have people say it in their own voice, it’s really impactful.

For example, I was able to interview Ambassador Larry L. Palmer in episode five. He was one of my grandmother’s former students who went on to become a Senior Foreign Service member and U.S. ambassador, serving under six different U.S. presidents. This is someone who had grown up in the segregated South, so there were a lot of barriers—and yet he was still able to go and do these great things. I interviewed him in January of 2021, and sadly he passed away in April 2021. And so to have his voice documented telling his story . . . that kind of solidified why this is so important. 

How did your grandmother influence your life?

One of the things that impressed me the most about her was her pursuit of education. She received her undergrad degree from Paine College in 1942, which was unusual for women then, especially Black women in the South. And then she followed that up by getting a master’s degree from Columbia University in 1951. So here she was, at a top school for her master’s at a time when most people weren’t even able to go to school. She started a legacy that not only changed the trajectory of her life, but the lives of generations to come. Education has also played a big part in my life. I have a doctor of pharmacy degree and two master’s degrees, as well. 

the recording equipment located at nourish botanica

What are you looking forward to most with the new Making Space studio?

I’m excited that other people who want to tell a story now have a free podcasting studio in the community that’s accessible with the tools and the resources they need. I hope that it will give a lot of people the boost in confidence they need to actually start that podcast they’ve been dreaming about.

What’s your advice to others who want to create a podcast but aren’t sure how to get started?

Don’t overthink it. I think we get in our heads and paralyzed by the thought of where to begin. If you have the tools, which we now have, whether you’re using the Spotify for Podcasters app at home or if you’re going into the new Making Space studio in Atlanta, that barrier is removed. 

Also, don’t question your story or your voice. People, me included, are nervous about putting themselves out there. When you start your podcast, know your “why” and know what your motivation is. 

I started The Avana Company LLC, a brand rooted in diversity and creative expression, to focus on amplifying voices and telling our stories because I believe podcasting can open doors. So many doors have been opened to me through this podcasting journey, and I would love to reach back and pull as many people as I can through those doors. A lot of people have asked how I started the podcast, so I decided to make a free launch checklist to help others get started. I want to help as many people as possible realize that it’s not impossible. It’s really about having the confidence to get started. If you have the tools and resources available, it can be a little less intimidating.

Everybody brings a unique perspective from their lived experience to a conversation. And so, the more people we can have out there sharing their stories, the better.

 

Hear more from Jennifer, and learn about the incredible legacy of Mrs. Rosa T. Beard, in her podcast, Telling HERstory, below.