Tag: sweden

All Our Audio Announcements From Spotify Talks Sweden

April 27, 2021

Today at Spotify Talks Sweden, we shared knowledge, inspiration, and news for Swedish artists, podcasters, and brands. Artists, labels, podcasters, and advertisers from the Nordics tuned in for a unique one-hour long event featuring some of our exciting updates coming out of the region.

The audience heard from our Nordic Head of Content, Johan Seidefors, and Head of Ad Sales, Caroline Måhl; our local Music Lead, Daniel Breitholtz, and Podcast Lead Karin Bäckmark, and their editorial teams. Top local artists and podcasters like Veronica Maggio, Anders Lundin, and Isak Jansson joined to share their perspectives on audio streaming and how Spotify has supported them throughout their careers. Adidas’s Nordic Brand Manager, Henrik Hallberg, also joined to talk about two successful artist campaigns we’ve worked on together, and the Nordic Investment Director from media agency OMD, Marcus Norberg, talked about the power of audio with Caroline Måhl. The event was moderated by Amie Bramme Sey, a fantastic journalist and moderator and the host of our own Spotify exclusive show Raseriet.

The audience also enjoyed a live performance by Molly Sandén, one of Sweden’s biggest pop stars. She was recently nominated for an Oscar for the voice of My Marianne in the Original Song “Husavik.” Molly did an intimate performance of her latest single, “Nån annan nu.”

Spotify Supports Underrepresented Podcasters With ‘Sound Up,’ Now in the US, UK and Ireland, Germany, Australia, Sweden, and Brazil

June 1, 2020

If you’ve ever dreamed of creating your own podcast, this is your chance. Spotify’s Sound Up program, now in its third year, is designed to uplift and amplify the voices of aspiring podcasters from underrepresented backgrounds through education, workshops, and support. Applications for Spotify’s Sound Up 2020 program are now available in the US, with applications for other countries rolling out soon.

Through the workshop, participants will learn the ins and outs of developing and producing their very own podcasts. We’ve seen a huge interest in the program, with 20,000+ applications submitted over the past three years. Ultimately, 60 people have completed the program throughout the UK, Australia, the US, and Germany. Ten of those graduates have since launched their own shows, and three now have Spotify Original podcasts on the platform. To celebrate our graduates’ success, we’ve put several of their podcasts all in one place.

This year’s program, however, will look a little different. Due to the challenges of gathering during this unprecedented time, Sound Up will be divided into two phases. First up is a virtual four-week course that will take place later this year. To ensure everyone has equal access to technology, we’ll be providing computers, WiFi access, and podcast recording equipment to participants. Then, those who demonstrate a particular knack for podcasting will be invited to a future in-person training where they will further develop their ideas.

But that’s not the only new thing in store. Sound Up is also making its grand debut in two countries—Brazil and Sweden—in an effort to bring Sound Up to even more individuals. In Sweden, the program is aimed at women and non-binary people who may experience racism because of their skin color, culture, language, religion, or ethnicity. Applications in Brazil, will be open to young people of color from the Periferias, or outskirts of big cities.

Twenty applicants from each participating country will be chosen to take part in the four-week online program. During that time, they’ll start their podcasting journeys, honing their skills in storytelling, designing a podcast, editing audio, and learning the business of the medium. At the very end, participants will leave with the tools they need to create a trailer for their show.

This year’s U.S. session will be facilitated by longtime collaborator and Sound Up veteran, Rekha Murthy. She will be joined by co-facilitator Maria Murriel of the production house Pizza Shark.

Thinking about applying but don’t have podcasting experience? Not to worry. To be a part of the program, you don’t need any prior podcasting experience, just something unique to say and a desire to use podcasts to say it. (Plus, you must be a resident of the country where you’re applying and self-identify as a member of the community being served in that country.)

U.S. residents can now apply for this year’s Sound Up here. Those in Sweden, Germany, and Brazil can apply later this month, and applications for the U.K. and Ireland will be available in August. The program will be offered to women and non-binary people of color in the U.S., U.K. and Ireland, and Sweden; young people of color from the Periferias in Brazil; and members of the LGBQTI community in Germany. We can’t wait to hear what these new podcasters have to share.

Applications are now available for residents in the US . Interested applicants in other countries should stay tuned for more updates.

Uncover the Best Artists of the Nordics on Oyster, Spotify’s New Playlist and Studio Program

April 24, 2020

The Nordic region has long been a hotspot for game-changing and globally beloved music. Countless artists, producers, and songwriters (ranging from established names Robyn and Yung Lean to newcomers girl in red, SASSY 009, and Augustine) have made their mark on the industry and inspired fans around the world. But with so many of these impactful artists spanning multiple diverse genres, it can be difficult to experience them all in one place. That’s where our new playlist Oyster comes in.

With this playlist, Spotify listeners can discover the best and most relevant work across the Nordic region and beyond—just as they would discover a pearl within an oyster.

“In a lot of the music I listen to, there’s an array of influences that come from everywhere,” says Swedish indie-pop artist Augustine. “It’s hard to categorize artists in one simple genre nowadays. I’m really excited that Spotify is creating a new space for this kind of music with its launch of Oyster, and I look forward to being a part of it.”

Swedish Pop Star Tove Lo Kicks Off New Nordic Spotify Studio Program With Veronica Maggio Cover

April 1, 2020

From ABBA to Robyn, pop music remains one of Sweden’s greatest exports. And among the artists who have risen to international acclaim is Tove Lo, who helped us kick off the new Nordic Spotify studio program Studio It’s Hits by covering Swedish pop star Veronica Maggio’s “I’m Coming.”

Studio It’s Hits is an extension of Sweden’s most popular playlist, It’s Hits Sweden. The program invites some of the region’s top artists and songwriters to showcase their talent and creativity—whether by recording a cover, remaking one of their own songs, or releasing something totally new.

“Our ambition is always to support artist creativity and make a positive impact in their career,” says Johan Seidefors, Head of Content Nordics, Spotify. “Through combining this new studio program with the extension of our biggest and most popular playlists, we can give more artists the chance to come to our studio, record something new, and present themselves to existing and new fans.”

Tove’s cover was recorded earlier this year in Spotify’s headquarters studio in Stockholm. You might be familiar with the original version, “Jag kommer,” which has remained popular since its release a decade ago.

“This song has been one of my absolute favorites since it came out,” Tove told For the Record. “I have so many memories of it, and I’ve always been so impressed with Veronica Maggio’s way with words. I could never write in Swedish the way she can. It’s the perfect mix of poetic, ‘everyday romance’ and making the Swedish summertime feel epic and melancholic all at once.”

While the original song—which has amassed over 65 million streams on Spotify—was written and recorded in Swedish, Tove recorded her version in English. The song was produced by up-and-coming producer Elvira Anderfjärd.

“It was such a cool challenge to translate something so close to my heart and to work with my band and Elvira in the Spotify Studio. Experimenting and playing around with the sound was the perfect studio experience I know and love.”

Your Daily Podcasts Playlist Makes Finding Your Next Favorite Show Easier Than Ever

November 19, 2019

You’ve just binged your favorite podcast and you’re finally caught up. But now you have to wait an entire week until the next episode. Now what? With so many great podcasts on Spotify, it can be hard to know what to listen to next. Thanks to our latest personalized playlist, it’s now easier than ever.

Spotify transformed music discovery with playlists like Discover Weekly and Daily Mix. Now we’ve created Your Daily Podcasts—our first daily personalized podcast playlist that gives users an easy way to discover new shows while also keeping up with old favorites. If you’ve listened to at least four podcasts in the past 90 days, you’ll find the playlist in the “Your Top Podcasts” shelf on Home or in the “Made For You” hub on browse.

Here’s how Your Daily Podcasts works:

Spotify’s algorithms analyze your podcast behavior—like recent streams and follows.
Then, based on your listening history and the podcast type, we’ll recommend the next best episodes for you.
That might be the next sequential episode in a podcast you’re already listening to (think Dog Tales and How’s Work with Esther Perel), a recent stand-alone evergreen episode in another show (maybe Amy Schumer Presents: 3 Girls 1 Keith or Certified Buckets), or a timely episode from a daily updating podcast (like Horoscope Today or The Journal).
Don’t worry—no spoilers here! If you’ve never listened to a story-driven sequential show we think you’d like, you’ll get the trailer or pilot episode first—to see if it catches your eye (er, ear).

Free and Premium users in the U.S., U.K., Germany, Sweden, Mexico, Brazil, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand can check out their Your Daily Podcasts playlist, now available on Spotify.

Introducing Spotify Kids, A New Standalone App for the Next Generation of Listeners

October 30, 2019

Spotify is committed to bringing audio content such as music and stories to more people in more ways–including the next generation of listeners. That’s why we decided to launch a fun standalone app designed with safety in mind specifically for kids and families.*

We sat down with Alex Norström, Spotify’s Chief Premium Business Officer, to learn a little more about the app.

1. Why create a Spotify Kids app now? What can users look forward to?

We know that families love listening together—whether it’s while driving in the car or cooking dinner together in the kitchen. But we also know that family members love to listen on their own too. That’s why we’re so excited to welcome the next generation of listeners—kids—into the Family Plan experience.

Kids consuming audio content, such as music and stories, isn’t a new phenomenon—in fact, they love it. But most audio experiences were built with adults in mind—meaning they’re not simple, easy, or fun for young kids to use.

Spotify Kids was born out of the desire to create a playground of sound just for kids—to build a place where younger kids can explore their favorite music and stories in a fun environment. The content is ad-free and hand-picked by a team of editors, and the experience is bursting with color. Our visuals help guide young minds through the app with simple navigation and scaled-back text. Before setting out to explore, each kid can also select a custom avatar and color theme to personalize their experience.

Spotify Kids is a composite of playlists, which makes it easy for kids to find music and stories from their favorite movies and TV shows or hit plays on a playlist to sing along to during their favorite activity—or their least favorite chore.

We’re thrilled to beta launch in Ireland and look forward to introducing Spotify Kids in all markets that have Premium Family in the coming months. As we evolve the app experience, we’ll roll out enhanced parental settings and controls for even more customization in an effort to give parents peace of mind.

2. How is the Spotify Kids app different from the original app? Any unique content?

Spotify Kids is a standalone app available exclusively for Premium Family subscribers and intended for kids ages 3+. The content within Kids is hand-picked by a team of editors, who have nearly 100 years of combined experience curating content for kids. They come from some of the most well-respected brands in this space, including Nickelodeon, Disney, Discovery Kids, and Universal Pictures, as well as Public Service in Sweden and BookBeat, which is a family- and kids-oriented audio streaming service.

Beyond the content, the entire Spotify Kids user experience looks and feels different from the Spotify app. And that’s intentional. It’s built for kids, with their specific cognitive skills in mind, and exudes a fun, familiar, playful, and bright atmosphere. This look and feel also varies by age group—for example, the artwork for younger kids is softer and character-based, while content for older kids is more realistic and detailed.

3. Why launch in beta? What are you hoping to learn?

Having a standalone app specifically for younger kids is a new space for Spotify, and we understand the sensitivities around content for children. We are being very deliberate in our launch approach. We’ve started with a beta launch in Ireland, knowing that this initial roll-out phase will yield many learnings from parents, caregivers and other experts as they begin to interact with the app.

As we evolve the Spotify Kids experience over time, we plan to enhance parental control features to allow for even more customization. We’ll also bring our audio expertise to the table with listening experiences that go beyond music—like more stories and audiobooks and eventually podcasts.

4. As you were building the app, did you tap any external resources? Say, consult with any parent organizations or conduct focus groups?

While launching this kids app is an exciting moment for Spotify, creating it was not a task we took lightly. We knew the importance of understanding parents’ needs and making sure they would have peace of mind about the content their kids are consuming.

Spotify has spent more than two years learning about this space, and we’ll continue to learn as people begin to interact with the app. We have gathered expert insight from a number of organizations, including the National Children’s Museum in Washington, D.C., and conducted our own studies with parents around the world and tapped into our Employee Resource Groups here at Spotify.

Spotify Kids is available starting today in Ireland. Ready to get started? Spotify Premium Family master account holders can simply download Kids from the App Store or Google Play, then sign in to their regular Spotify account. (If you’re new to Spotify, you’ll need to sign up for Premium Family before signing in to Spotify Kids.)

For those outside of Ireland, Kids will be rolling out to all markets that currently have Premium Family. Be sure to check back here for more or check out spotify.com/ie/kids.

*Update March 17, 2020: Spotify Kids has also rolled out in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico.

Update February 11, 2020: Spotify Kids has also rolled out in the UK and Australia.

Update November 27, 2019: Spotify Kids has also rolled out in Denmark, Sweden, and New Zealand.

Update May 12, 2020: Spotify Kids has also rolled out in Germany and Japan.

Spotify’s Equalizer Project Raises the Volume at Way Out West

August 14, 2019

The Way Out West festival in Sweden is about much more than music—it’s a three-day celebration of several sustainability- and equality-focused efforts. The artist lineup has been split 50-50 male-female for three years running, and this year’s edition, held August 8-10, amped up its commitment to equal opportunity in the music industry by teaming up with Spotify’s Equalizer Project.

Since it began two years ago in Sweden, Spotify’s Equalizer Project has expanded throughout the Nordic countries in the form of podcasts, workshops, networking events, career tools, and more. Equalizer was a perfect match for sustainability-minded Way Out West (the festival has long been meat- and dairy-free), with their combined power advancing equality in music in exciting new ways.

First, fans at Way Out West could visit the Equalizer Pop-Up Studio, a music studio created jointly by Spotify and Soundtrap. There, some of Sweden’s most talented producers and songwriters spent time recording and perfecting new tracks in plain sight. Second, artist, songwriter, and producer Linnea Henriksson presided over Equalizer Talks, a live version of the Equalizer podcast. She led a series of vibrant panel discussions and interviews on the importance of equal representation and participation in music.

Way Out West also featured 100 Live, the live-show version of the flagship Swedish hip-hop playlist 100. This was the first time the playlist had been staged as a live show. It included memorable performances by several Swedish hip-hop luminaries, among them Aden x Asme, who were invited to join Stormzy on stage during his set.

From an inside look at the music-making process to lively discussions to a landmark hip-hop showcase, check out our Way Out West recap below for all the happenings over the three days.

Day 1: International flavor in studio sessions

Thursday kicked off with several exciting performances from Swedish and international artists alike, including Silvana Imam, Zara Larsson, Spiritualized, James Blake, Blood Orange, and more. Fans also got a first look at the Equalizer Pop-Up Studio, where Nadia Tehran, Pure Shores, Icona Pop, Selen Özan, and several talented producers got to work laying new tracks.

“It’s very rare we see a female producer,” said Aino Jawo of Icona Pop. “That’s why it’s so much fun to be here and make music and meet other women in the music industry. We are so proud to be able to contribute a little to increased equality.”

The studio also got a much appreciated visit from one of the festival’s headliners, Jorja Smith, to show her support for equality in the music industry.

“Male and female producers/songwriters are equally as important,” Jorja told us. “But I do think it’s important for female artists like myself to emphasize and showcase other females we work with, as well as ourselves. Everyone on the scene supports each other, and I think as females we should encourage that more. As of yet I have never worked with [another] female producer. That’s something I’d like to change.”

Midsummer Means Classic Swedish Music and Lots of Tomas Ledin

June 21, 2019

For those who don’t call Sweden home, the country likely makes you think of Spotify, as well as IKEA, meatballs, and fika. But Sweden is also well known for the famous Midsummer celebration, which marks the start of the summer holidays. During Midsummer, people head to the country to dance, eat traditional Scandinavian food, and sing classic Swedish summer songs. And with almost 200,000 Midsummer-themed playlists on Spotify, it’s clear that revelers are enjoying the holiday by jamming out to their favorite folksy hits.

Despite Swedes being known for producing great pop music, listeners are looking for the classics during the holiday. Case in point? The top 10 most popular songs streamed globally on Spotify during Midsummer have stayed the same over the last few years. In 2018, the most commonly played songs on the global scene were classics like “Sol, vind och vatten,” released in 1972, and “Sommaren är kort,” from 1982.

Top 10 most played songs during Midsummer (global)

“Sol, vind och vatten” — Ted Gärdestad
“Sommartider” — Gyllene Tider
“Sommaren är kort” — Tomas Ledin
“Vågorna” — Uno Svenningsson
“Sommarnatt” — Snowstorm
“När vi gräver guld i USA” — Glenmark Eriksson Strömstedt
“Ta mig till havet” — Peter Lundblad
“Oh boy” — Peps Persson
“Oh, vilken härlig da‘” — Ted Gärdestad
“Magaluf” — Orup

One artist in particular personifies the sounds of Midsummer for global listeners. Tomas Ledin spikes each year on the holiday, with streams increasing by 600%.

“Hopefully people listen [to my music] during Midsummer because of my songs and my artistry,” Ledin says. “Possibly because I’ve done different summer tours over the years. I imagine that songs like ‘Sommaren är kort,’ ‘Här under sommarhimlen,’ and ‘Blå blå känslor’ meant a lot.”

As for what Ledin will be listening to this summer, he says it depends on the situation and the mood: “Right now, I often return to a Spotify playlist that’s very mixed, genre-wise. It includes everything from country giant Chris Stapleton, some of the Eagles’ classic ‘70s and ‘80s songs, and John Mayer’s latest singles, to old favorites like Karla Bonoff and wonderful Sade. Also on my playlist are Miles Davis from the ‘King of cool’ period, jazz guitarist Pat Metheny, the classic cellist and Polar Music Prize winner Yo-Yo Ma, and ambient guru Nils Frahm’s meditative music.”

While Midsummer playlists are mostly created by listeners in Sweden and other Nordic countries, they’re popular among listeners in the U.S and Germany—both of which also have a high number of Midsummer-themed playlists. For Swedes living abroad and celebrating in the U.S., the willingness to keep up Midsummer traditions (flower crowns, anyone?) and sing along to classic Swedish hits shows that you can take a Swede from Sweden, but you can’t take the Sweden out of a Swede.

Top 5 countries with number of playlists with the Midsummer theme

Sweden
Norway
Finland
United States
Germany

Get ready for Midsummer wherever you are by listening to our Swedish Summer Hits playlist.

Swedish R&B Star Cherrie Releases New Spotify Singles with Fans as Backup

June 14, 2019

In April, Sweden’s R&B queen Cherrie posted on Instagram that she’d be recording two new Spotify Singles—and she invited fans to be her backup singers. Nearly 300 people responded. Seven were chosen to join Cherrie in the studio to record her brand-new song, “Ledaren,” or “The Leader,” available today on Spotify.

“Seven of my girls hung with me in the Spotify studio and their sick, heavy energy made this song very special,” says Cherrie. “The studio is my favorite place in the world, so I’m glad to have shared my world for a day with my sisters.”

Gynning and Berg Now Exclusively on Spotify

February 12, 2019

Swedish on-air co-hosts Carina Berg and Carolina Gynning, also close off-camera friends, have launched a new podcast on life’s absurdities—and learning to embrace them through laughter. Carina and Carolina, who’ve shared the screen for 15 years on the country’s local Idol and Stars on Ice, will release 40 weekly episodes of Gynning & Berg Find Themselves, exclusively on Spotify.

“I can never predict what she’s going to say,” says Carina of Carolina. “She is the friend who usually makes my jaw drop. It is such a gift to sit and talk about the big issues in life with her.”

No topic is too sensitive for these two. Expect hilarious discussions ranging from coping with aging to not seeing your children often enough, all examined with “thoughtful self-development and pure nonsense,” explains Carolina. “It will be exciting to hear what listeners think.”

More than just a show about exploring life’s big questions, “Gynning & Berg Find Themselves” represents Spotify’s commitment to offering differentiated and original podcast content around the world.

“We are proud and happy that Carina and Carolina chose Spotify to make their exclusive podcast debut,” says Johan Seidefors, our Nordic Content Manager. “They are two of Sweden’s funniest, most experienced and professional content creators. Carina and Carolina have incredibly dedicated fans, and we look forward to having all Spotify listeners follow their escapades.”

Gynning & Berg Find Themselves launches today. You can find the first episode here.

Fika Isn’t Just a Phenomenon, It’s Our Daily Pause

November 12, 2018

It’s a noun (“Would you like to take a fika?”), a verb (“We’re fika-ing this afternoon”), an everyday ritual, and a state of mind. Fika is the Swedish concept of taking a pause in the day to drink a cup of coffee, sometimes together with a small sweet treat, and connect with each other—in person (no Slack, texts, or DMs).

“It’s not about having a coffee or a cookie, but more about informally meeting other people to get to know them and build trust,” says Johanna, an engineering manager in our Stockholm office. True to our Swedish roots, many of us at Spotify try to make time for fika—whether in the morning (around 9 a.m.) or in the afternoon (around 3 p.m.), not only in Stockholm but at our offices globally. It’s certainly not mandatory, but many participate—call it the lure of the cinnamon bun.

Fika is “definitely a social thing,” Johanna says. “Chatting with colleagues builds trust, but it’s also a way to actually meet and talk about common work problems, which might not happen in your normal day-to-day routines.”

Spotify employees in Stockholm enjoy a fika

Malin, who works in Spotify operations in Stockholm, notes a benefit of this “moment of relaxation,” as she calls it. While “it is not supposed to be productive—rather the opposite,” Malin says, “taking a break from work in the afternoon or having a coffee helps me be more focused.” While work chat is fair game, fika is the time for conversation about what’s happening beyond your desk.

There’s actually science behind the benefits of this sit-down. Studies have shown that, caffeine boost aside, taking fika-esque breaks throughout the day improves productivity and boosts creativity. And while “there are no rules when it comes to fika,” Malin says, she believes that it’s best done with technology set aside.

It’s also a great connector. “Growing up in ‘small town’ Sweden, we would have fika almost every day. It was a great way for friends to come together and hang out for a moment,” says Rasmus, a designer at Spotify. Now based in New York, he finds a global community in fika: “It’s a fun thing to do with my Swedish friends here, and most likely people from other nationalities will join as well.”

There’s no right or wrong way to fika. Phones off (even for just a few minutes), conversation on—and let the coffee do the rest.

Need some music to get you in a fika mood? Try Your Favorite Coffeehouse playlist.

EuroPride 2018: Identify-ing the Music of Diversity

August 2, 2018

Thomas Sekelius’s favorite EuroPride memory is deeply personal—and musical. “Singing my song ‘One More in the Crowd,’ the official Pride song, last year at Stockholm Pride was quite an indescribable feeling,” he recalls. “Not only did I sing a song of my own in front of hundreds of people dancing and cheering, but I got to stand for a cause that I have preached since day one. That was so genuine.”

While U.S. Pride wrapped up at the end of June, the party is just getting started in many parts of the world, including our home country of Sweden. Right now, the continent’s annual EuroPride celebration has just kicked off in Stockholm, where we are currently launching its new original podcast series, Identify, hosted by Thomas.

Identify investigates how music helps construct a person’s sense of self. The podcast features celebrity guests—including sibling duo Arrhult, writer TramsFrans, actress Saga Becker, artist Gabriel Fontana, activist Juliet Atto, YouTuber Sara Songbird and rapper Beri—sharing intimate stories about how music has shaped and influenced them. Each celeb has also created a playlist of inspiring songs, available until the end of August on our Pride Hub in Sweden.

To learn more about Identify, we spoke with Thomas Sekelius about the message behind the series, what it’s like to be LGBTQ in Sweden, and the music that’s helped shaped who he is today.

Thomas Sekelius, host of Spotify’s Identify podcast

Q: EuroPride is underway in Stockholm – what are you excited for?

A: I’m looking forward to seeing the community come together to paint the city in the colors of the rainbow while being the absolute proudest they can be. Pride Week is full of events that in one way or another fit everyone and will guarantee an amazing few days. But let’s not forget that not only this week, but the entire year is equally ours as anyone else’s. Diversity, diversity, diversity. Embrace it!

Q: What is unique about being LGBTQ/coming out in Sweden?

A: The overall acceptance of LGBTQ people in Sweden is pretty far along compared to other countries. This doesn’t mean that we should relax and be satisfied. We have a long way to go, in Sweden as well as other parts of Europe and the world. Even though acceptance has been better by the people there is still a lot of discrimination against more marginalized groups. So more safe spaces are needed for sure until we are all treated the same.

Q: You are open about your sexuality in your song “Awakening.” Why is music a good outlet for coming out?

A: Music plants a feeling in the people listening. Instead of only writing them down, you can combine those words with a melody and a massive production and give everyone a chance to almost actually taste the rainbow. You can really capture a feeling.

**Q: As the host of Identify, you ask your guests questions about how music has shaped their identity. What are three times when music shaped yours?**

A: When I was little, in my preteen years, and within the last two years. When I was little, I used to love listening to music in Swedish, English, and Hungarian, which is my mother tongue. I could float away to the land of music. I found so much happiness in music. When I was in the seventh and eighth grades, I had a hard time in school and could find both strength, peace and a trigger to my tears in music. I was also in musicals, training with a vocal coach, singing in a choir, and so on. Music was a big part of my life. The last few years, I went deeper. I began finding an interest in writing music and paid more attention to the production of songs, whereas before I mostly just listened to melodies, voices and lyrics for the overall feeling. Today, I aim to write my own songs, and am learning step by step how to produce my own product.

Q: Why is it important to feature diverse members of the LGBTQ community in your podcast?

A: People all over the world might be in a minority such as LGBTQ, but they’re still different in sexuality, ethnicity, opinion, and perspective. I wanted to make sure I didn’t just interview people with similar backgrounds. I wanted to showcase diversity to raise the bar for learning while listening.

Check out the Identify podcast and the EuroPride Hub, now available through the end of August.