Listen up! These Are the Top 5 Music Podcasts Hosted by Black Women

In our not-so-humble opinion, Black women are the curators of cool. Our trends are often duplicated, though the same magic can never be matched, as often as some may try. Black women frequently dominate many creative genres, especially in the music industry.

From artists to writers to producers, the music industry doesn't hit the same without our special sauce, whether the world wants to acknowledge it or not.

In addition to making power moves in the studio, Black women use their voices to discuss trending topics and memorable moments in music through their respective podcasts. Let's take a look at some of the music podcasts hosted by Black women you should listen to.

In an industry often promoted by Black men for Black men, journalist and former Ebony editor-in-chief Danyel Smith made sure Black women artists were part of the conversation with her podcast, Black Girl Songbook. Black Girl Songbook follows Danyel as she, per the show's bio, "celebrates and uplifts the talents of Black women in the music industry" with "in-depth discussions with your favorite songwriters, producers, and artists."

Danyel, who has worked as a journalist, editor, and novelist for several decades, also uses the podcast to discuss her personal life, including her career, love life, music, you name it. Unfortunately, there hasn't been a new pod episode since 2022, but the 10 episodes Danyel produced are worth a few listens!

Everyone has one or 100 music takes that make them completely mad. Friends Mikala, Ama, and Dami routinely get mad about music, hence their podcast's name, MAD Music Podcast, inspired by the first letters of their names.

MAD Music Podcast is a weekly podcast that features them discussing various topics, from their favorite music to "the drama and messiness of the music industry, the latest festival/concert announcements, and songs/artists that you may have been sleeping on!"

It's been said before that Black people aren't a monolith, and we shouldn't be expected to discuss the same genres of music in our podcasts, either. SheHH Podcast shows highlight another musical genre Black women have been known to carry: Christian music.

Hosted by Paula Melissa, the SheHH Podcast is a series "all about Christian women in the front and behind the scenes of Christian music all over the world," according to its Spotify page. The abbreviation for Christian Hip-Hop, CHH, inspired the name.

Women in Hip-Hop Podcast, hosted by entertainment reporter and "The Hip-Hop Barbara Walters," Jazzie Belle, is described as "a catalyst for discussing the importance of amplifying women's voices and encouraging young girls to be both self-sufficient and confident through the lens of hip-hop." The Revolt-produced podcast features Jazzie's hot takes on topics like Nicki Minaj and Megan Thee Stallion's feud, as well as interviews with industry professionals like Shante Paige and Leslie "Big Lez" Segar.

Another podcast that proves Black women rise anywhere you put us is Classical Queens. Classical Queens follows its host and creator, violinist Jessica Joy, as she shares her research on Black women classical musicians who she feels have become the "forgotten women who have done much to contribute to America's musical identity."

"These are the stories of Black women in classical music who have been slayin', seen and unseen, for hundreds of years," the podcast's Spotify page reads.

Although Classical Queens hasn't published a new podcast episode since 2023, those wanting more BIPOC classical music content can follow the show's social media accounts. The brand's active Instagram page states the collective was "founded to keep BIPOC arts safe."

Make sure to give these amazing podcasts a listen and keep showing up and doing the work, ladies!