Google and PRX Revealed Round Two of Podcast Creator Program

Google and PRX have revealed the teams chosen for their second round of the Google Podcasts creator program. Variety reported that Google and PRX received thousands of applications to the program from more than 100 countries.

PRX revealed the Round Two for the Google Podcasts creator program:

37 Graus (“37 Degrees”) – from Sãn Paulo, Brazil: Named for the average temperature of the human body, and intended to convey both science and human warmth, 37 Graus is a reported Portuguese-language podcast that tells stories behind Brazil’s iconic landscapes and events.

Sarah Azoubel (Co-Creator, Host, and Producer) is a Brazilian biology PhD turned science journalist and audio producer Bia Guimarães (Co-Creator, Host, and Producer) is a Brazilian journalist and audio producer with a master’s degree in Science and Cultural Communication.

City of Women – from Bangalore, India: Discover how Bangalore’s women navigate their working lives and the city through hyper-local tours of their workplaces, neighborhoods, communities, and favorite places to go for fun – because each woman draws her map differently.

Samyuktha Varma (Producer and Host) is a writer and researcher with a longstanding interest in how challenging topics are communicated to broader audiences. Radishika Viswanathan (Producer and Host) is a development researcher an podcaster whose interests lie at the intersection of development research, policy, and communication.

Cocktails & Cancer with MJ and Dani – from West Orange, New Jersey & Queens, New York. This immersive mix of social and cultural commentary and storytelling shapes the journey of two best friends after a breast cancer diagnosis to inspire and empower black women to have real conversations about cancer.

Michelle “MJ” James (Co-Host) and Danielle “Dani” Brown (Co-Host) have worked in media and entertainment for 20+ years. Dani was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, and is now three-years cancer-free.

De Eso No Se Habla – from Madrid, Spain. This Spanish-language show, whose title translates to “We Don’t Talk About That,” maps stories deliberately omitted from everyday discourse – because they hurt too much, because they endanger the status quo, or because we don’t even have the words to talk about them.

Isabel Cadenas Canñon (Creator, Host and Producer) is an independent audio producer and writer).

Her Stage – from Beirut, Lebanon. Discover the underground life of Beirut as this Arabic-language narrated documentary uncovers a hidden world where differences are celebrated, activism is brewing, and the feminine is being set free.

Rhea Chedid (Producer and Host) is the founder of a Beirut-based podcast production company. Afeef Nessouli (Producer and Host) is an American-Lebanese news producer and journalist.

Un periódico de ayer – from Bogatá, Columbia. A Spanish-language, narrative-driven podcast, “Yesterday’s News” is about the personal toll of history and how public issues can shape our most private moments.

Juan Serrano (Host and Lead Producer) is a lawyer, journalist, non-fiction book author and producer of various podcasts. Miguel Reyes (Producer) is a lawyer, writer, and producer. Daniel Díaz (Audio Designer) is a musician, copywriter and animal lover.

Google Podcasts Creator Program Round Two is Open

Google Podcasts Creator Program round two is accepting applications. Teams will that are selected will receive months of training, mentorship, and up to $40K in seed funding. The deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. ET, Sunday, April 14, 2019.

Google and PDX designed this podcast accelerator program to lower barriers to entry and elevate underrepresented voices across podcasting. Last time, they received thousands of applications from over 100 countries. In the first round, they chose six incredible teams.

We’re looking for people who want to invest in and who are making shows we’re excited to help grow. The strongest applicants made clear why they are the team not to just create any podcast, but to create the specific podcast they’re pitching.

They also want to know who you think is your perfect listener. What do they care about?

The team reviewing the applications may not be your target audience, but the more you demonstrate you know who you’re trying to reach, the more the team will trust that you’ll find them.

In the first round, the applications that got their attention had a story to tell. They had driving themes instead of loosely structured conversations. They sketched episode outlines and season arcs that allowed the team to hear the show.

It is recommended that you read the Frequently Asked Questions page before sending in your application. It provides information about what they are looking for, what they are not looking for, the criteria they use to select the winning teams, and more.

Google Introduced Google Podcasts Creator Program

Google announced the Google Podcasts creator program in June. The program aims to support underrepresented voices in podcasting, and to make it easier to learn how to get into this growing medium. The application window is now open.

Google explained why they made the Google Podcasts creator program:

With the launch of Google Podcasts app in June, we’re working to make it easier for people around the world to find and access podcasts. While there are more podcasts than ever before, there continues to be an imbalance in who is creating them. Women and people of color are still underrepresented as hosts, and many of the world’s most popular podcasts hail from western, urban areas. In June, we announced the Google Podcasts creator program, which aims to support these underrepresented voices in podcasting, and make it easier for people to learn how to get into this growing medium.

The Google Podcasts creator program is focused on three main pillars:

  • Empowering and training underrepresented voices through an accelerator program
  • Education a global community with free tools
  • Showcasing participants’ work as a model for others

The application window is officially open globally through November 18, 2018, for the first round of the Google Podcasts creator program. Google has partnered with PRX, who will lead and manage the program. Applications will be accepted from around the globe. For more information on the program, and to apply, visit PRX’s Google Podcasts creator program website.

PRX, alongside a global advisory committee, will select teams to receive mentorship, seed funding, and an intensive 20-week training. For those who want to learn more about what it takes to create a podcast, but are not ready to apply to the program, PRX will draw on learnings from the program to develop a series of broadly accessible podcasting 101 videos in multiple languages.