Apple Podcasts Spotlight to celebrate independent, underrepresented podcasts

The first podcast to make it to Spotlight is a podcast that celebrates memoirs of celebrity women who are otherwise ridiculed by mainstream media and social media while facing obstacles of their own.

Apple has not specified if there will be any criteria on the basis of which it will pick a particular podcast artist to be highlighted for a month. (Apple Music)

Apple is definitely taking its podcast business seriously, as is evident from the company's latest move to launch an initiative to highlight and promote podcast creators who it will feature for a month at a time.

The artist to be highlighted as part of the aptly termed Apple Podcasts Spotlight will be selected by the company's Podcast editors who will pick a new artist every month. Apple has not specified if there will be any criteria on the basis of which it will pick a particular podcast artist to be highlighted for a month, but that the selection will be made across a range of genres, formats and locations, focusing on independent and underrepresented voices, according to TechCrunch.

The first podcast to make it to the Cupertino company's newly created spotlight is a podcast by filmmaker, writer and comedian Chelsea Devantez, a podcast from Stitcher that is a virtual ‘book club' that celebrates memoirs of celebrity women who are otherwise ridiculed by mainstream media and social media while facing obstacles of their own.

“Apple Podcasts Spotlight helps listeners find some of the world's best shows by shining a light on creators with singular voices," Ben Cave, Global Head of Business for Apple Podcasts told Sticher. “Chelsea Devantez has created a fun, vibrant space with Celebrity Book Club for listeners to gain new perspectives on the celebrities we thought we knew. We are delighted to recognize Chelsea and Celebrity Book Club as our first Spotlight selection and look forward to introducing creators like Chelsea to listeners each month,” he added.