December 8, 2021
Spotify’s Frequency Platform To Support Black Creatives Through First-Ever Song Shop Program
The popular music streaming platform Spotify is kicking off its new Frequency platform after launching the program earlier this year.
Spotify’s Frequency is global initiative that celebrates the Black community and creatives. The new content hub was created as a platform to amplify established and emerging Black artists and foster community and culture in the realms of music, fashion, tech and business globally.
As part of the new platform launch, Frequency unveiled an Ambassador Program, comprised of industry heavyweights, who have given their time, creativity and resources to further amplify the narrative for Black artistry. Consisting of established hitmakers like Ariana Grande’s long-time Grammy-nominated producer Tommy Brown/ TBHits, Proximity Media co-founder and Judas & The Black Messiah soundtrack creator Archie Davis, and more industry leaders who have been proactive in setting Frequency in motion.
Included in Spotify’s new Frequency platform was the first-ever Song Shop, a three-day-long songwriting camp designed to help further the cultural narrative and build connection amongst Black artists. Frequency will also be unveiling an upcoming Scholarship Fund that will help cultivate more Black creatives in the near future.
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Frequency was created in response to a climate in which Black voices across art, entertainment, and business continue to be left out of the narrative, their contributions left underappreciated and underrepresented. Those behind the new global initiative take pride in its approach as a holistic destination.
“For us, Frequency is all about spotlighting these creatives and giving them a platform where their work, and the community at large, can be celebrated,” Sydney Lopes, Head of Hip-Hop + R&B, Artist Marketing at Spotify told BLACK ENTERPRISE.
“In terms of its legacy, my hope is that Frequency creates a space for cultural understanding, is the conduit to greater collaboration between Spotify and Black artists, and that it allows us to be a best-in-class example on how to truly support the community and our respective partners, both internally and externally, in more meaningful ways.”
Kimmy Summers, Hip-Hop + R&B, Artist Label Partnerships at Spotify is proud of how Frequency can “force people to see us” and get Black creatives the bag they deserve.
“We were very intentional with the way we designed Frequency as we wanted to ensure that we collaborated with and compensated Black creatives,” Summers explained.
“From our collaboration with curators for the ‘Ripple Effect’ playlist led by Domo Wells, Frequency’s music editor, to working with Black production companies, creatives, and directors largely facilitated by Francine Tamakloe, Frequency’s marketing manager, I’m extremely proud of what the team has built and accomplished in our first year, and I’m excited to see how we continue to grow in the future.”
Archie Davis, CEO of Six Course Inc., and Co-Founder of Proximity Media spoke highly of what Frequency offers current and emerging talent across creative genres.
“Having been in this industry for some time, and being a music lover, I think it’s clear that Black artists face unique challenges in breaking in, so I think that was one of the things really inspired me to take part in this initiative,” Davis told BLACK ENTERPRISE.
“Spotify’s Frequency platform provides an opportunity to highlight these creatives on a global scale and champion their voices and art, as it often goes unseen or heard, or we have to fight to get recognized. And with the rise of the streaming era, playlisting is an important part of the matrix. So to be able to put a new artist on a highly recognizable playlist or have them be in rooms with Spotify, or have them participate in the Song Shop and be able to make magic in the studio with the likes of Tommy Brown/TBHits, James Fauntleroy and more, those are all incredible opportunities.”
Davis believes in the value and opportunity Frequency can and will offer all of the talent that gets involved with the new platform.
“In this industry, it’s incredibly important to cultivate relationships and to also uplift and support one another when we can, and programs like this are amazing to see because they aren’t the norm,” he said.
“So for me, I’m always going to try and be a part of any program that helps support the current and next generation of incredible Black talent.”