The plight of the black creative is not a new one.

From In Living Color and Martin to Vine, Twitter, and now TikTok, black creatives and black culture have set the trends. However, the paychecks, and the recognition, often don’t reflect that. Black creatives are making significantly less than their non-black counterparts, and that’s if they’re even being paid at all. Black creativity is often stifled or censored to pander to a specific (non-black) audience. Not only that, but they constantly deal with non-black creators stealing their content and becoming overnight sensations while they are often not even credited. Remember the “Addison Rae does TikTok dances on The Tonight Show” debacle? Are we doomed to keep repeating this cycle generation after generation? Not if Angel has anything to say about it.

The first black woman-owned podcast network.

Angel Livas has worked in the media and entertainment industry for over 20 years. She’s worked with all kinds of talent in television and radio, from Larry King to Tamar Braxton, from local radio stations to NBC. Her work has even been nominated for an NAACP award. After years of watching how the industry treated black creatives and how it affected the audiences, Angel decided to create the change she wished to see in the industry by launching the first black woman-owned podcast network.

Angel saw the impact that black creatives and black culture have had on the industry for decades and decided that instead of asking for more seats at the table…she would build her own.

Angel created The ALIVE Podcast Network (TAP-N) with the black creative and receiver at the heart of the platform. “It’s our job to be a voice and give a voice to people who feel like they don’t have that, and give them outlets to receive things they need.” Says Angel. “These big organizations don’t care how it impacts the community. They’re not set up for black people to thrive.” TAP-N not only gives black creatives editorial control of their content, but they will also offer talent development opportunities through masterminds and other events focused on the progression and monetization of the creative and their brand.

What kind of podcast do you need to join TAP-N? Spoiler alert: A black one.

From educational podcasts that break down business formation and wealth management strategies to comedic content to laugh with at the end of a long day, TAP-N wants to help you build and, most importantly, monetize your podcast. You need to have an authentic voice, be yourself! Believe in what you’re creating and your podcast’s message to the world.

The future of podcasting.

While TAP-N focuses primarily on the creative advancement of the black community, what Angel is accomplishing on a larger scale, is establishing a framework for other communities to learn from to create similar programs. She aims to help different cultures “create a unique experience for their content relevant to them.”

To learn more about ALIVE Podcast Network and become a subscriber, visit https://alivepodcastnetwork.com/ and follow @alivepodcastapp on all social platforms.