Bobby Owsinski's Inner Circle Podcast

This week I speak with Randall Michael Tobin in Part 2 of our conversation. Randall founded his Theta Sound Studio way back in 1977 and has worked on thousands of projects in various genres including Jazz, Pop, R&B, Classical, Hip Hop, Country, Ragtime, Gospel, Ballet, Alternative, Film Score and Spoken Word. Besides offering just about every audio service you can think of, he also offers art and graphics, online marketing and promotion, video production and editing, and website design and maintenance. As I said last week, there?s more to Randall?s story than just audio. His interest in artisan cooking led him to baking sourdough bread loafs that he gave to clients and friends as gifts. This eventually led to a side business called Random Acts of Breadness, where as an artisan baker, Randall sells sourdough bread along with raw farm butters, honey spreads, jams and organic extra virgin olive oils. And as I also said last week, I eat at least one piece of Randall?s most delicious sourdough just about every day. During Part 2 of our interview, we spoke about how some house concerts started his side-career in cooking and baking, the similarities between food and music, using guerrilla marketing to start his bakery, the importance of pivoting when opportunities present themselves, and much more. I spoke with Randall from his studio in Burbank, California.  On the intro I looked at Warner Music looking to buy Tunecore parent company Believe Music, and the most popular hardware synthesizer by country. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 97658673, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest this week is Randall Michael Tobin, who founded his Theta Sound Studio way back in 1977. Since then he?s worked on thousands of projects in various genres including Jazz, Pop, R&B, Classical, Hip Hop, Country, Ragtime, Gospel, Ballet, Alternative, Film Score and Spoken Word. Besides offering just about every audio service you can think of, Randall also offers art and graphics, online marketing and promotion, video production and editing, and website design and maintenance. But there?s more more to Randall?s story. Along the way his interest in artisan cooking led him to begin baking sourdough bread loafs that he gave as gifts to clients and friends. This eventually led to a side business called Random Acts of Breadness, where as an artisan baker, Randall sells sourdough bread along with delicious compliments like raw farm butters, honey spreads, jams and organic extra virgin olive oils. In fact, I eat at least one piece of Randall?s most excellent sourdough just about every day. During part 1 of the interview, we spoke about how some gear never goes out of style, recording big band, his unique studio clientele, where he got his technical chops, and much more. I spoke with Randall from his Theta Sound studio in Burbank, California.  On the intro I looked at some totally unique physical release formats that you won?t believe, and what we know about Western tuning and harmony just might be wrong. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 97378487, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest this week is mixing and mastering engineer Nick Squids Squillante, who?s recent immersive mixes include ?Rescue Me? by Dirty Heads, which went to Number 1 on the Billboard Alternative charts, and ?Psycho? by Asking Alexandria, which also scored a spot at Number 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts. He?s also done other immersive mixes for artists such as Tommy Lee, Papa Roach and Bad Wolves to name a few. Nick began his career working at Electric Lady Studios with 7-time Grammy-award-winning mixer Michael Brauer. During his time at the studio, Nick worked on records for Bon Jovi, Frank Ocean, Mumford & Sons, and Elle King, to name a few. Since then, Nick has been working with both major label and independent artists, amassing millions of streams on Spotify, Apple Music, and other major platforms. As a result, Nick has worked on records that have charted in the top 10 on iTunes and even more recently was considered for Grammy nomination. During the interview we spoke about his biggest learning moment with the great Michael Brauer, his favorite plugins, how he got into immersive mixing, creating memorable moments in a mix, and much more. I spoke with Nick from his studio in Brooklyn.  On the intro I looked at how social media doesn?t monetize fans, and the new huge optical storage format. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 97068155, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest this week is co-founder and CEO of Moises Ai Geraldo Ramos. Moises is an AI-driven application that enables musicians to separate their tracks into stems, identify chords, adjust tempo or pitch without affecting other musical elements, and refine their audio with professional mastering, among a host of other features. Another feature is Voice Studio, which serves as a marketplace for AI-powered voice modeling, allowing vocalists to monetize their own voice models to other music makers.  Geraldo invented Moises when he was looking for a better way to practice his drums by playing the drums to songs he liked without hearing the original drummer. During the interview we spoke about interesting uses for source separation, how source separation Ai?s are trained, why some producers are developing private voice cloning models, the reason why Ai audio resolution isn?t higher, where Ai music is going, and much more. I spoke with Geraldo from his office in Los Angeles.  On the intro I looked at how many videos are on YouTube, and the $40,000 guitar amplifier. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 96735718, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest this week is Grammy-nominated producer-engineer-scoring mixer Jason LaRocca, who has recorded and mixed music for major motion pictures, games and television. Known for mixing the score of "The Lord of The Rings: Rings of Power" series, Marvel's "Morbius" and more, Jason recently mixed the Grammy-nominated albums "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" and the "God of War: Ragnarok" soundtrack. He has also recorded and mixed for such top recording artists as Jay-Z, CeeLo Green, Fiona Apple, Schoolboy Q and Serj Tankian, of System of a Down. Jason was guest back on podcast #441 a couple of years ago, but I thought I?d have him back to give us an update about what?s going on in television, gaming and film mixing. During the interview we spoke about the enormous number of tracks required to record Sweeny Todd, the differences between mixing a Broadway record and a game soundtrack, whether automation or clip gain is faster, his approach to immersive mixing, mixing trends in film and TV, and much more. I spoke with Jason from his studio in Los Angeles.  On the intro I looked at why the vinyl record backlog has decreased, and hit songs that almost didn?t make the album. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 96487487, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

This week's episode is dedicated to the memory of legendary guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and film and television composer Wayne Kramer, who passed away recently.  Wayne was far more influential than many realize as his band MC5 basically invented punk rock a full decade before it even emerged as a genre. The band and its albums became a model for punk bands on both sides of the Atlantic. In fact, The Clash even wrote not one, but two songs about him! A formidable player, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked Wayne as one of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. He also collaborated with a who?s who of rock?s most elite artists over the years, and his scoring work can be heard on films like Talladega Nights, Step Brothers, the HBO comedy series Eastbound & Down, ESPN?s 5-4-3-2-1, In My Own Words, and Under The Lights, and even for the ?Unlabeled? Jim Beam commercial. Musical accolades are well and good, but I think what Wayne was most proud of was the fact that he was able to overcome his  personal trials with drugs and jail time. He emerged from this darkness transformed, and then went on to save countless lives through his tireless acts of service. He was extremely passionate about his work with Jail Guitar Doors, a program that provides guitars and music lessons for inmates at more than 50 penal institutions throughout the United States. Through the years, he regularly played concerts with an all-star band at prisons around the country. During this interview from January 6th, 2022, we talked about why musicians from Detroit have a special edge to them, why the MC5 was banned from radio, how going to prison saved his life, getting into film scoring, and much more. This is a replay of an interview that I did with Wayne via Zoom from his studio in Los Angeles. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 96191804, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

In this episode I take a big overview of the recent Winter NAMM 2024. Among the things discussed include: A bit of NAMM history Attendance was up but several exhibit halls were empty Big manufacturers that were no-shows The biggest surprises Interesting new products Products that were just more of the same Is a NAMM show (or AES for that matter) even needed? What is the future of NAMM? This is a short but to the point episode that will give you something to think about if you were there, and show you why your FOMO was unnecessary if you weren't. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 95500370, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest this week is a partner at Integral Studios and CEO of SymphonyOS, Megh Vakharia. Since 2016, he?s spearheaded product and data strategy as CTO of Integral Studio, one of the music industry?s leading marketing agencies. At Integral, Megh has worked with every major label and alongside artists of all sizes, from independent creators to today?s superstars, including Travis Scott, SZA, and Future ~ helping them figure out how to most effectively roll out their music in the most creative, data-driven ways. To date, Integral has supported campaigns that have led to 4 Grammy-nominated albums and over a dozen platinum-selling records. SymphonyOS helps creators put their fanbase growth on autopilot with smart, automated marketing. Its suite of apps centralizes the digital marketing workflow, empowering creators with the tools to better understand their audience, engage their fanbase, and increase their revenues. During the interview we spoke about why we?re in a post TikTok era, why artists should consider advertising, how Ai can play into your marketing decisions, why a mailing list is more important than ever for marketing, and much more. I spoke with Megh from his office in Los Angeles.  On the intro I looked at the best times during the year to release music, and how much producers make. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 95226015, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest this week the founder and CEO of Killphonic Rights, Caleb Shreve.  Caleb began professional career in 1998 at Sony Music Studios in New York. As part of the Sony Music Special Projects team, he began working alongside artists such as Michael Jackson, Ricky Martin, Destiny?s Child and Marc Anthony.  In early 2003, Caleb left Sony to work independently as a producer and engineer. He was quickly hired almost exclusively by music producer and executive, Sean ?Puffy? Combs. Over the next decade and a half, Caleb wrote, produced and mixed countless records.  He started Killphonic Rights in 2014 originally as a management company, but eventually pivoted to administrating publishing and neighboring rights for indie artists. During the interview we spoke about the importance of metadata in music publishing, why there are so many writers on some songs, collecting TikTok royalties, the idea of neighboring rights, and much more. I spoke with Caleb from his office in Los Angeles.  On the intro I looked at what happens every minute on the internet, and who actually invented the microphone. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 94825541, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest this week specializes in helping musicians and songwriters get their music into film and television. Chris started off as an award-winning music producer who saw how lucrative the income could be for artists with just one good sync placement.  Chris not only teaches indie songwriters how to get their music heard by top music supervisors in TV and film, he actually introduces them to the gatekeepers.  During the interview we spoke about how the recent Hollywood strikes affected sync placements, how artists and songwriters can rise above the competition for placements, how to determine if your music is right for TV and film, his upcoming Music Supervisors Panel event, and much more. On the intro I looked at the real money behind the global music business, and the doom and gloom in the music instrument and pro audio side of the business is overstated. Click here to save your seat for the free Music Supervisors Panel. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 94552117, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

A look back at how my predictions for 2023 fared, as well as my predictions for 2024. Yep, I'm going out on a limb this year! Happy New Year, and lets make this one the safest and most prosperous ever! var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 94111126, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

It's been an eventful year in the music industry and that's what we'll review in the latest episode of my Inner Circle Podcast. We'll look at: The multiple streaming scams that popped up The surprising outcome of the Ed Sheeran plagiarism lawsuit Venues suffering from not enough alcohol sales Record labels losing influence because of data-analysis Spotify's new royalty structure Ai's influence on the music and production business How hidden way that the Hollywood strikes affected composers and songwriters The many companies that were sold and acquired last year Some of the biggest and oldest Hollywood recording studios closed The breakthrough on tonewood sound The breakthrough on hearing loss And so much more. Listen to it at BobbyOInnerCircle.com, or on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Mixcloud, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Deezer, TunIn Radio, and RadioPublic. I hope you've had a great 2023 and I look forward to us both having a fruitful 2024. Enjoy the show! var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 93905174, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

When I first started this podcast way back in March of 2014, the first person I thought to call was Dennis Moody. Including the inaugural Episode #1, he's been part of every anniversary podcast since, from #50, 100, 151, 200, 300, 400 (actually 399), and now 500. We worked a lot together over the years, and he's has become a great friend and super source of information. Dennis is one of the few engineers who's as comfortable in a recording studio as he is in a live concert setting. Likewise, he's just as comfortable mixing a rock, R&B, or jazz band as he is doing a full orchestra, again either live or in the studio. I think a great distinction is that he's also the ?Drummer?s Engineer,? as he's the one who all the A-list drummers call when it's time to do their solo album because they trust he'll make their drums sound great. During the interview we spoke about the some the exotic places around the world he?s visited recently, finding high-quality gear in out-of-the-way places, what the world looks like post-pandemic, the typical problems he has to fix in home recordings, some excellent travel tips, and much more. I spoke with Dennis from his studio in the Los Angeles. On the intro I?ll take a look at the new TikTok artist accounts, and Samsung and Google have teamed up for a new immersive audio format. Thank you all for listening and your support! I wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't for you!! var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 93271582, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest today is Biz Morris, a multi-platinum and Grammy Award-winning mixing engineer with credits like Lecrae, Tori Kelly, Kirk Franklin, PJ Morton, and Andy Mineo. For the last decade, Biz has represented independent Atlanta hip-hop label Reach Records as a Vice President and Head of Studio Operations. Biz started recording when he was 14 years old with a small setup at his mom?s house, and incredibly, he was nominated for a Grammy for an album he engineered while he was still in school. Since then accolades have continued to flood in, including Grammy and Dove wins as well as gold and platinum albums. Recently he also launched "GetMxd," a cutting-edge company aimed at providing top-tier mixing and mastering services for independent artists at an affordable price.  During the interview we spoke about why Biz loves editing vocals, making the transition to only mixing, how engineers can overthink a mix, his opinions on mastering, how GetMXD came about, and much more. I spoke with Biz from his studio in the Atlanta. On the intro I?ll take a look at a new Senate bill to reform live ticketing, and Rode acquires Mackie. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 92821647, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest today is Bosco Kante who?s a Grammy award-winning artist, producer, creator of the world's first Tubeless talk box, and co-founder of ElectroSpit. Bosco has performed on albums by Kanye West and Dua Lipa and wrote the theme to the show "In Living Color." You?ve heard the sound of a talkbox before on hits by Joe Walsh, Peter Frampton, Zapp and Roger Troutman, and many more. The traditional talkbox is a horn driver attached to an amplifier on one end, with a plastic tube that goes into the players mouth on the other. They?re bulky and unsanitary. The idea for the tubeless talkbox came when Bosco was forced lip sync on stage with Kanye West at the American Music Awards because the traditional talkbox was not portable. This disappointment set Bosko on a mission to reinvent the talkbox and a few years later the Electrospit ESX-1 was born. During the interview we spoke about the unusual  way he got into the music business, how adding a talkbox to a track makes it more interesting, the long road to the tubeless talkbox, why its phone app is so important, his HiiWave incubator, and much more. I spoke with Bosco from his office in the Bay area. On the intro I?ll take a look at the artists who make millions from Spotify, and Apples latest M3 processor isn?t as powerful as its older M1. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 92363457, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

I?ve had so many great guests over the 10 years and nearly 500 episodes of my inner circle podcast. I always enjoy revisiting them, as I hope you do as well.   One of the best is from back in 2016 with hit mixer Josh Gudwin. Josh has mixed huge hits for Justin Bieber, Bad Bunny, and Dua Lipa, among many others, and has won 12 Grammy?s for his work. He?s also worked with Acoustica on the Magic Flow vocal plugin. During the interview we talked about starting out as a studio intern, the diplomatic aspects of dealing with superstars, recording on the road with Justin Bieber, his approach to mixing at the time of the interview, and much more. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 92201343, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest today is award-winning sound supervisor, sound designer, and mixer Scott Gershin, who?s audio work has enhanced a variety of different visual mediums in film, broadcast, streaming and games. Some of Scott?s vast credits include major films like Pacific Rim, Hellboy 2, Chronicles of Riddick, Team America: World Police, Shrek, Star Trek, and American Beauty, and best-selling games like the Gears of War series, Epic Mickey, and the Resident Evil and Fable series. Scott has a talent for creating personalities with his voice, which has been tapped for such memorable movie characters such as Flubber, Disney?s Herbie, Reapers in Blade II, The Dragon in Shrek, Kirchek in Tarzan, Leather Back in Pacific Rim, and Dog Fish in Pinocchio, to name just a few. During the interview we spoke about how much time it takes to generate deliverables for a movie, how he records sound effects like rocket launches and helicopters, what qualifies as great post-production, the difference in the mix between movies and television, how much gaming is different from other visual mediums, and much more. I spoke with Scott from studio in Burbank. On the intro I?ll take a look at YouTube copyright strikes, and Ai noise-canceling headphones. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 91447815, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest today is Bill Smith, who spent most of his career as a recording engineer and mixer before transitioning into audio archiving (you can hear him talk about recording and mix in Episode 160). Bill started at United Studios Archiving in 2020 until the company that owned the legendary studio decided to close it earlier this year. Since then Bill has started his own archiving business where he uses an unbelievably wide range of mostly obsolete machines over just about every format you can think of. During the interview we spoke about the preparation normally required before a tape can be transferred, his favorite type of clients, the thing about archiving that most people don?t realize, a surprising format that he gets calls to restore, and much more. I spoke with Bill from studio in Hollywood. On the intro I?ll take a look at modified streaming tracks, and how old is too old to be a hit artist. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 91302197, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest today is Nichole Barsalona, who?s the director of Everyday Rebellion Entertainment artist management and the president of the non-profit Women In Music organization.  Nichole grew up around music as her father Frank was a pioneering agent later inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His clients included The Who, Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Tom Petty and U2, among many others. Her mother June was a journalist who traveled from the U.K. at the age of 18 to cover The Beatles? first U.S. tour and later worked as a music publicist. Nichole started her career at Steven Van Zandt's multi-media company, Renegade Nation, where a week-long temp gig turned into the most formative years of her career. She eventually served as Chief of Staff and Director of Communications at Renegade Nation, and Road Manager to Van Zandt on tours with Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band. During the interview we spoke about how she observed her father?s influence on the music business as she was growing up, how we?re at a turning point for music promotion, the importance of meet and greets, the most sought-after person on a management team today, her role in Women In Music, and much more. I spoke with Nicole from her office in Boston. On the intro I?ll take a look at the status of claims that the Copyright Claims Board reviewed last month, and big changes in the executive suite of Guitar Center. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 90904524, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest today is country music singer and award winning professional songwriter Drew Ryder Smith, who?s also the owner of Gray Sound Recording in Nashville and Charlotte NC, working as a producer and senior mixing engineer.  Drew is also the author of The Before You Record Course, which prepares new artists for their first recording session and walks them through what goes into making a record, imparting knowledge gleaned from 15 years in the business. During the interview we spoke about how songwriting has changed in Nashville, doing remote recording in India, prepping artists for going into the studio, the difference between NYC, LA and Nashville session players, opening for Merle Haggard at the Ryman Auditorium, and much more. I spoke with Drew from his hotel room in Charlotte. On the intro I?ll take a look at the competing bills for radio airplay royalties, and the Las Vegas Sphere?s ground-breaking sound system. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 89361801, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

Over the nearly 500 episodes of the Inner Circle I?ve had some incredible guests. One is the legendary engineer Elliott Scheiner, and this special replay is from way back on Episode 51 in April of 2015. You certainly have heard Elliot's work as he?s been instrumental in the sound of The Eagles, Steely Dan, Eric Clapton, Jackson Browne, Sting, Foo Fighters and too many others to mention. He?s received 27 Grammy award nominations winning 8, four Emmy nominations and winning two, and a host of other awards for excellence in the field of audio recording. During the interview we spoke about the various stages of his studio life, from his early days at A&R Studios in New York City, going from 4 track to 8 track, his mixing method, the difference between working with Steely Dan and The Eagles, and much more. Remember that this interview was done back in 2015 so some of his comments about digital audio workstations and plugins are no doubt different today. I spoke to Elliott via phone, so the quality is a little shaky, but not the content. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 89276221, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

I?ve had so many great guests on the Inner Circle Podcast, and it?s aways great to go back and revisit some of the best interviews. One is with Don Roeser, better known as Buck Dharma, lead guitarist and and one of the founders of the band Blue Oyster Cult, in an interview for podcast 227 back in 2018. Buck wrote and did the lead vocals on the band?s best known hits, including ?Don?t Fear The Reaper,? ?Godzilla,? and ?Burnin? for You.? During the interview we talked about the early days of the band when it was known as Soft White Underbelly, his best studio experiences, the evolution of his home studio, and much more. I originally spoke with Buck via Skype from his home in New York. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 89209830, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

Over the almost 500 episodes of the Inner Circle podcast I?ve had some excellent guests that are true legends in the music business. One is the late Al Schmitt, who unfortunately left us in 2021.  Al won 20 Grammy awards over his long career, recorded and mixed over 150 gold and platinum albums, and even had his own star on Hollywood?s Walk Of Fame appropriately in front of his beloved studio home, Capitol Records Studios. In this replay from November 2018, we talked about his stint as a staff producer for RCA, working with Paul McCartney, his favorite instrument to record, some of his favorite gear and techniques, and much more. I originally spoke with all via phone from his home outside of Los Angeles. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 88753248, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest today is Jesper Skibsby, the CEO and founder of radio monitory service WARM - the first global radio monitoring service focusing on serving the artists and indie segment of the music industry.  WARM track and identify music played on radio, globally and in real-time. The vision behind WARM is to make detailed music data available to everyone, especially the long tail segment of artist, producers, managers and record labels. Jesper has established companies like Fandango Music Management, We Make Noise and Kassiopeia Kollektive, has been a board member of DUP (association for independent record labels in Denmark), and has represented MusicDNA as the head of Scandinavia. During the interview we spoke about why radio metrics are overlooked by indie artists yet so important, why radio is still the biggest driver of music consumption worldwide, how the internet has actually boosted radio music listening, and much more. I spoke with Jesper via Zoom from his office in Copenhagen. On the intro I?ll take a look at what the Songtradr acquisition of Bandcamp means, and why super-long albums don't fit with today's music consumers.

My guest today is composer / plug-in developer Sam Fischmann from the plugin company Musik Hack. Musik Hack is the brainchild of both Sam and Grammy-nominated producer and engineer Stan Greene. Their first product is the innovative mastering plugin Master Plan. Sam is a seasoned software developer whose portfolio spans audio/DSP, Web development, and embedded systems. He?s obsessed with building creative, functional, major-label-quality products that don?t look like airplane cockpits. During the interview we spoke about getting the most from the Master Plan plugin, the different audio needs for different music genres, trends in plugins, how Ai will be used in plugins in the future, and much more. I spoke with Sam via Zoom from his office in Los Angeles. On the intro I?ll take a look at the latest RIAA mid-year report, and inMusic begins to lay off Moog Music employees. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 88607375, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guests today are Evan Dhillon and James Paston, two of the founders of the Ai voice cloning service Kits Ai. The company has launched tools for artists to safely create, license, and share their own voice models, opening new opportunities for fan engagement and monetization. Kits Ai has amassed over 100,000 users since launching, with their voice cloning technology training more than 80,000 custom voices based on the conversion of over a million audio files. They?re also backed by investments from a number of organizations and artists that include Steve Aoki, Lionel Richie and Wyclef Jean. During the interview we spoke about some unexpected uses for vocal cloning, new revenue opportunities from using the platform, why the user interface is so important, and much more. I spoke with Evan and James via Zoom. On the intro I?ll take a look at how playlist culture is affecting songwriting, and the unseen costs of analog recording. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 88464205, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest today is Los Angeles session guitarist Andrew Synowiec, ,who has recorded for or performed with artists ranging from music industry icons The Who and Alanis Morissette to contemporary trailblazers like Lil Nas X and Meghan Trainor. Other recent collaboration credits include Nick Jonas, Ariana Grande, Michael Bublé, Elton John, Seal, 98 Degrees, Josh Groban, Donna Summer, Bette Midler, and Carole King, among many others. Andrew has performed on projects that have garnered more than 30 Emmy nominations, 25 Grammys, and 20 Oscar nominations. He also boasts a guitar collection of over 100 guitars. Andrew?s latest album entitled FUN, is now available, and he?ll being touring the West Coast soon as well. During the interview we spoke about changing gear to get into session work, the trials of building his home studio, doing online sessions where the client doesn?t attend, how he built his career, and much more. I spoke with Andrew via Zoom from his studio in Hollywood. On the intro I?ll take a look at how the Grammy?s won?t include a popular Ai song, and I?ll answer some common audio questions. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 87523012, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest today is vinyl pressing expert Dustin Blocker, who founded Hand Drawn Records in 2011 and Hand Drawn vinyl pressing in 2014. He?s also been named the first president of the Vinyl Record Manufacturing Association, which is comprised of more than 30 companies from every level of vinyl production, including record labels, mastering, lacquer cutting, electroplating, record pressing, printmakers, equipment manufacturers, brokers, raw material suppliers, and even logistic service providers. During the interview we spoke about the unseen steps in vinyl manufacturing, the latest in cutting-edge vinyl, developing quality standards for vinyl pressing, working towards sustainability, and much more. I spoke with Dustin via Zoom from his office in Texas. On the intro I?ll take a look at music videos losing their importance, and Gibson gets its archives back. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 87420141, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest today is Bill McQuay, who?s an  independent audio producer, NPR contributor, National Geographic Explorer and founder of Eco Location Sound. Before starting Eco Location Sound, Bill was Supervising Audio Engineer for the Library of Natural Sound at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and an audio producer for the Lab's Multi-media group. Prior to joining the Lab of Ornithology, Bill was an NPR sound engineer and technical director for NPR programs including: Morning Edition, Weekend Saturday and Sunday, Performance Today and NPR's Radio Expeditions. Radio Expeditions is where he began his long time collaboration with NPR science correspondent Christopher Joyce, a creative relationship that continues today. Bill led NPR's early surround-sound recording effort and was its first technical director. He was also the mastering engineer for NPR Classics CD?s. He has also worked on many other 360 degree interactive projects. Along the way Bill has won the National Academy of Sciences award for the years best science reporting, a Grammy for the NPR recording of the Benjamin Britten War Requiem, The Alfred I Dupont-Columbia University Journalism award, and Individual Artist Award from the Maryland State Arts Council. During the interview we spoke about telling stories with sound, going around the world to capture audio, helping scientists use sound to understand the world, his setup for recording spatial audio, how sound is determining if insects are disappearing or not, and much more. I spoke with Bill via Zoom from his office in Ithaca New York. On the intro I?ll take a look at BMI being acquired by a private equity fund, and a look at the glut of new musical instruments and audio gear on market today. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 87324464, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest today is holistic artist coach Wendy Parr, who?s personal and professional experiences led her to become a coach that helps artists lose perfectionism, overcome resistances, follow their inner vision, and curate a life and career they love. With over 20 years coaching top music artists like Melanie Martinez, Sara Bareilles, Marc Bassy, and taking A Great Big World from their very 1st vocal session to a Grammy award, The Parr Method has also the driving force behind Wendy co-writing ?Dreams on Fire? for the soundtrack of Slum Dog MIllionaire, which also won a GRAMMY. The Parr Method empowers recording artists to develop their authentic voice for their ar t, brand and life from the studio to the stage.  During the interview we spoke about doing gigs around Hollywood as a teenager, making music in India with some top Indian artists, how she's helped some of today's top artists overcome their personal roadblocks, developing her holistic approach to coaching, and much more. I spoke with Wendy via Zoom from her office in Los Angeles. On the intro I?ll take a look at Ai copyright as we know it so far, and also if wireless speakers will find a home in our studios soon. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 87259528, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest today is Sam Gribben, the CEO of the music learning platform Melodics. Melodics is a software platform that teaches you to play keyboards, pad controllers and electronic drums. Melodics uses gamification of practice to encourage you to keep working at getting better. Prior to founding Melodics, Sam was CEO of the DJ software company Serato, where he joined as employee #4 and eventually helped to scale the company into an industry leader. During the interview we spoke about how to keep the fun in learning music, why many DJs and producers want to learn how to play keyboards, how the term ?musician? ruins music for many people, why music teachers have embraced Melodics, and much more. I spoke with Sam via Zoom from his office in Auckland, New Zealand. On the intro I?ll take a look at how gold and platinum records are determined, and Avid is acquired by the private equity company STG. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 87169485, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest today is producer/engineer Ed Stasium, who was an essential element in the New York punk and alternative rock scene in the 70?s and 80?s, having worked on seminal albums by The Ramones, Talking Heads and Living Colour.  He has also worked with a wide range of artists such as Mick Jagger, Pretenders, Soul Asylum, The Smithereens, Motorhead, Joan Jett and many more.  Ed was one of my first guests way back in September of 2014 on Episode 23, and it?s always great to catch up with him to hear about what he?s doing. While in Part 1 of this latest interview we spoke about some of Ed?s history, in Part 2 we traded some studio stories, talked about his home studio, mixing in Atmos, and much more. I spoke with Ed via Zoom from his studio outside of San Diego. On the intro I?ll take a look at superfans that aren?t so super, and the return of Sunn amplifiers.

My guest today is producer/engineer Ed Stasium, who was an essential element in the New York punk and alternative rock scene in the 70?s and 80?s, having worked on seminal albums by The Ramones, Talking Heads and Living Colour.  He has also worked with a wide range of artists such as Mick Jagger, Pretenders, Soul Asylum, The Smithereens, Motorhead, Joan Jett and many more.  Ed likes to say that, ?I?ve seen rock and roll grow up, ? and indeed it?s true, having recorded and mixed his first gold single in 1972 with Gladys Knight & The Pips ?Midnight Train To Georgia.? After spending time on the staff of New York?s well-known Mediasound getting his feet wet in the music business, Ed became the first staff engineer at the famous Power Station where he played an intricate part in the design of the room and choice of equipment. In part 1 of our two-part interview we spoke about his early sessions as a musician with some recording legends, his first big studio break, working for Ampeg, and much more. Ed was one of my first guests way back on Episode 23 in September of 2014, so it was good time for a catch up. I spoke with him via Zoom from his studio outside of San Diego. On the intro I?ll take a look at some new data on current merch sales, and new findings on what makes a Stradivarius sound so special. Also, all podcast now include full transcriptions if you?d like to read along or find a particular place to listen to. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 87052387, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest on this episode is artist manager Zack Zarrillo. Zack is co-founder of Alternate Side, a full-service music company that represents over 30 artists in the alternative/rock/pop/electronic/metal genres. He also co-founded Bad Timing Records, and he began writing his popular music blog "PropertyOfZack" when he was just 16 years old. The blog became a go-to source for music fans and industry insiders alike. Zack?s Alternate Side management has a combined catalog of over 5 Billion streams, 10 gold records, and 4 platinum records. He?s also is a fierce advocate for artists? rights, which is the ethos of his company, and offers mentorship and assistance in music ownership, career development, finances and mental health.  During the interview we spoke about how management has changed over the last few years, where he finds talent, how TikTok has benefited his artists, the reason why labels today aren't signing artists, the current trends in the business, and much more. I spoke with Zack via Zoom from his office in Philadelphia. On the intro I?ll take a look at how we?re all paying too much for concert tickets, and Spotify and YouTube Music are raising their subscription prices. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 86981157, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest on this episode is engineer, producer and avid gear collector Pete Min. Pete is owner of Lucy?s Meat Market studio, and Colorfield Records, a label where he collaborates with some of LA's best musicians to create one-off LPs made entirely within his studio. Pete?s worked with major artists, including Feist, Diana Ross, Strokes, Third Eye Blind, Orville Peck, Shawn Mendes, Ringo Starr, and many more. He also has a studio filled with not only vintage audio gear, but a fantastic guitar, bass, amp, drum, and keyboard collection that almost any musician would die for. During the interview we talked about doing jingles, buying vintage gear, hot-rodding guitars in the 90?s, his favorite mics and plugins, and much more. I spoke with Pete via Zoom from his studio in Los Angeles. On the intro I?ll take a look at the new Threads social platform, and how music gear retail is in trouble again. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 86899608, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest on this episode is Paul Sampson, who?s the founder and CEO of the music licensing service for creators, Lickd. Paul started in the entertainment business working for a small television production company, where he encountered difficulties licensing music multiple times, which made him want to understand the nuances and problems of music licensing that needed solving. That led to a job with the stock music company Extreme Music, where he rose through the ranks to become head of its U.S. operation.  After a stint focusing more on commercial music and unsigned independent acts, Paul launched Lickd to help YouTube and Instagram creators legally license music for their videos. Lickd currently works with over 10,000 labels and publishers to help pre-clear their music for social platforms, games, and even the various metaverses. It?s the only licensing platform in the world where you can get over 1 million chart tracks for your videos without fear of copyright claims. During the interview we talked about the problem that creators can have with YouTube?s Content ID and music licenses, the nuances of music in the metaverse, how AI will affect production music, and much more. I spoke with Paul via Zoom from his office in London. On the intro I?ll take a look at Spotify DIY successes shrink, and famous guitar collectible prices soar. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 86811969, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest on this episode is Vickie Nauman, who?s expertise crosses between music and technology, finance, gaming, and the digital business economy. Vickie?s built one of the first DMCA-compliant services at taste-making station KEXP in Seattle, developed music tech work experience in licensing at MusicNet, which was one of the first legal digital services, ran strategic partnerships for connected device manufacturer Sonos, started and ran the US business for global music platform 7digital, and did digital business in Europe and China as a consultant. In a previous life, she also ran marketing programs and produced live broadcasts in traditional radio in the NPR network. Vickie?s CrossBorderWorks music tech and consulting firm has worked with digital business and sync departments at Universal, Warner, Sony, Sony Publishing, UMPG, Warner Chappell, Merlin, Beggars, and many more labels, publishers, PROs, and distributors, as well as emerging sync platforms and rights administration services. During the interview we got a brief look at the beginnings of digital music, insights into Web 3 and the opportunities for music, why the metaverse is going to be more than just gaming and social activities, how AI plays into the creator future, and much more. I spoke with Vickie via Zoom from her office in Los Angeles. On the intro I?ll take a look at carmakers leaning towards ditching radios altogether, and Tidal finally offers lossless streaming. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 86738364, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest on this episode is Evan Price, who?s an artist manager, educator, branding specialist and CEO of Artist Collective. At age 14, Evan started his first promotion company, and eventually went on to managing rappers and 9-piece bands in Chicago. He launched Artist Collective out of the dorm room of Columbia College Chicago while obtaining his Bachelors Degree in Music Business. Since then he has helped launch 100+ music brands, transforming artists and musicians into "artistpreneurs".  During the interview, we talked about thinking about marketing a release in advance, motivating artists to think more about business, getting artists to understand their branding, overcoming limiting beliefs, and much more. I spoke with Evan via Zoom from his office in Chicago. On the intro I?ll take a look at the power of a song placement in a TV show, and getting reimbursed to record in Iceland. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 86660560, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest on this episode is Eric Boulanger, who?s the founder of The Bakery mastering studio as well as a professional studio violinist.  A protege of legendary mastering engineer Doug Sax, Eric has mastered GRAMMY-winning or nominated projects for a variety of popular and legendary artists. Not only that, he?s a studio violinist with performances and recordings that range from orchestral and chamber music, Broadway musicals, contemporary pop music, and film/television scores. In part 2 of my interview with Eric, we?ll talk about his unusual mastering studio, installing a familiar piece of equipment, the reason for the vinyl renaissance, why he chose the gear in his studio, and much more. I spoke with Eric via Zoom from his home in Los Angeles. On the intro I?ll take a look at a band that made 6 figures from their AI-generated album, and the Cakewalk Sonar DAW is being reintroduced. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 86600808, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest on this episode is Eric Boulanger, who?s the founder of The Bakery mastering studio as well as a professional studio violinist.  A protege of legendary mastering engineer Doug Sax, Eric has mastered GRAMMY-winning or nominated projects for Green Day, Hozier, Selena Gomez, Colbie Caillat, OneRepublic, Imagine Dragons, Neil Young, The Plain White T?s, Chris Botti, and many more. A classically trained violinist since the age of three with over two decades of professional experience, Eric has trained at such renowned institutions as The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music and Tanglewood. His performances and recordings range from orchestral and chamber music, Broadway musicals, contemporary pop music, and film/television scores. In part 1 of the interview we spoke about playing in the string section on Family Guy sessions, working as an intern at Capitol Studios with Al Schmitt, rebuilding the vinyl cutting room at Mastering Lab, having the legendary Doug Sax as a mentor, and much more. I spoke with Eric via Zoom from his home in Los Angeles. On the intro I?ll take a look at the class-action lawsuit filed against DistriKid over music takedown notices, and Sonible acquired by Audiotonix, and the Blue Microphone brand being sunsetted. In the upcoming part 2 of my interview with Eric, we?ll talk about his unusual mastering studio, installing a familiar piece of equipment, the reason for the vinyl renaissance, why he chose the gear in his studio, and much more. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 86526804, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest this week is David Packouz, who may have the most interesting back story of just about any guest I?ve had on this podcast. David is the CEO of Singular Sound and creator of the innovative Beat Buddy drum machine pedal, which gives guitar players easy control of drum loops and songs when they play live. But there?s a lot more to his story. Prior to starting Singular Sound, David worked as an major weapons contractor for the U.S. Department of Defense, which is a story in itself. In fact, his journey into arms dealing was the subject of the 2016 film War Dogs where his character was played by Miles Teller. After that adventure filled with international intrigue, David pivoted back to music and started Singular Sound thanks to an extremely successful crowdfunding campaign . Besides the Beat Biddy, Singular also makes looper pedals and controllers, all with the performing musician in mind. During the interview we spoke about navigating the dark world of arms dealing and how international politics plays a part (it's a great story), the key behind his super-successful crowdfunding campaign, why Beat Buddy has become the ultimate drummer in a pedal, and much more. I spoke with David via Zoom from his office in Miami. On the intro I?ll take a look at how physical product might lead to the major label?s downfall, and why music producers fear being replaced by AI. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 86468070, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest this week is Ryan Schwabe who?s a two-time Grammy nominated, platinum certified mixing and mastering engineer. In 2020, he was nominated for a Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Album for Baauer?s "Planet?s Mad," and in 2023 he was nominated for Best Sound Engineered Album, Non-Classical for mixing and mastering Baynk?s "Adolescence."  Ryan is a former professor of recording arts and music production at Drexel University's Music Industry Program. He?s also owner of the music production and engineering company Xcoustic Sound, the music technology company Schwabe Digital, and co-owner of the digital record label Rare MP3s.  And he's also the developer of the new Gold Clip mixing and mastering plugin. During the interview we spoke about learning the art of mastering, his philosophy on mixing, not being tied to certain mixing techniques, developing his own plugin, and much more. I spoke with Ryan via Zoom from his studio in Philadelphia. On the intro I?ll take a look at how labels may become outdated due to localization, and Avid is reportedly up for sale. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 86404695, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest this week is Tony Simerman, who as a kid would go to work with his Dad, who was the manager of The Kennedy Center Concert Hall in Washington, D.C. There he?d hang out backstage where he was lucky enough to see every major hard rock and metal show in the 70s and 80s, and make many musical friends over the years. Fast forward to 2023, and Tony?s company KnuckleBonz has been recognized worldwide for the past two decades as the leading creators of high-end and hand-crafted collectibles that feature iconic moments in rock history as well as music legends.  KnuckleBonz creates licensed memorabilia for Pink Floyd, Queen, Alice Cooper, Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, AC/DC, Iron Maiden, KISS, Scorpions, Black Sabbath, and Guns N? Roses ? just to name a few. The company?s commitment to fine craftsmanship is showcased in the artistry and detail of each hand-crafted limited edition statue created for collectors of licensed properties. Think of it as rock meets art. During the interview we spoke about growing up backstage during rock concerts, his background in 3D animation, the problem with distributing custom beverages, 3D vinyl, and much more. I spoke with Tony via Zoom from his office in California. By the way, use the BOICpc8kbz coupon code for a 10% discount from Knucklebonz for the next 2 weeks! On the intro I?ll take a look at how payola is still with us and a look at software and plugin subscriptions. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 86345967, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest this week is Josh Rogosin, who stumbled into NPR headquarters in 1999 on his way to mixing shows at The Shakespeare Theatre in downtown DC. Since then, he has been at the controls for all of NPR's flagship newsmagazines and gathered sound in far flung places like Togo, Cambodia and Greece for the Radio Expeditions series.  Josh has engineered at both NPR West and NPR NY, and spent two years as Technical Director at Marketplace Productions in Los Angeles. He?s also served as Senior Broadcast Engineer for New York Public Radio and Studio 360, and was an originating producer and sound designer for NPR's Ask Me Another. In his current role, Josh is the Technical Director for NPR Music and has recorded and mixed over 500 Tiny Desk Concerts. During the interview we spoke about learning audio for the theater, recording Congressional hearings, using audio to tell stories, behind the scenes at Tiny Desk Concerts, working with U2 and David Crosby, 3and much more. I spoke with Josh via Zoom from his office in Washington. On the intro I?ll take a look at labels with covert Spotify accounts, and bacteria that play drums. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 86290111, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest this week is Temima Shames, who?s the CEO of Next Step Talent, a full service talent management and digital brand agency that?s home to more than 20 music artists, influencers and actors. While in college, Temema worked for Atlantic Records, and Visionary Music Group before jumping into her own management company. Since then her clients have achieved 5B+ YouTube views, a #7 debut Spotify Album, highlights in Youtube?s Black Creator Class of 2023, TikTok?s biggest POV star, and one of NYFW?s creators with the highest brand return of 2023.  Not only that, songs, records, and projects Temima has been a part of have garnered 25 million streams and viral campaigns with more than 2 million recreates on TikTok. Her company has also partnered with top brands including YouTube, Meta, Disney Music Group, BOSS, Neutrogena, HBO, Netflix, Target, Universal Music Group, and NYX Cosmetics.  During the interview we spoke about how she got started managing social influencers, the strategy behind short form and long form content, branding as story-telling, artist mental health, experiential marketing, and much more. I spoke with Temima via Zoom from her office in Los Angeles. On the intro I?ll take a look at music platforms taking steps against AI-generated songs, and a study about vocal levels in different genres. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 86235468, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest this week is composer and producer Dren McDonald who has done everything from experimental indie rock to video game music to string quartet chamber music to film and VR animation soundtracks. He has worked with game studios and publishers such as Valve Corporation, Ubisoft, Glu Mobile, DeNA/Hasbro, Romero Games, Zynga, Tapulous, and others, and he?s been nominated for awards for his soundtrack, music and sound design work 16 times and has won 5 times. Dren also created music and audio designs for AR and VR experiences at Facebook, and taught at University of California, Santa Cruz and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He has released several original game soundtrack releases on Nerdtracks Recordings, as well as instrumental recordings for Appearing Records. During the interview we spoke about how he got into video games, directing voice overs for games, how sound design is different for games than film, working on AR audio for Facebook, his new album built around hundreds of guitar tracks, and much more. Find out more about Dren and his new album at DrenMcDonald.com. I spoke with Dren via Zoom from his studio in the Bay area. On the intro I?ll take a look at the 5 things that musicians should know about the brain, and an AI for music primer. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 86177374, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest this week is musician Doug Legacy, who?s  one of the founding members of the the Zydeco Party Band, which won an Emmy for being the house band for The Late Mr. Pete Show. The band also provide music for Gilmore Girls, How I Met Your Mother, and The Bucket List starring Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman, and Sean Hayes. Doug has also worked as a steel drummer for Rod Stewart, played accordion for Paul McCartney, played piano for Delbert McClinton, and sang background vocals for Brian Wilson and Todd Rundgren. He has puppeteered background characters on Muppets Tonight and his band were featured as the house band for the show as well, and he?s played a pirate at Disneyland playing sea shanties on accordion and penny whistles. During the interview we spoke about who makes the best steel drums, the difference between German and Italian accordions, playing a pirate at Disneyland, playing with Paul McCartney and singing with Todd Rundgren, and much more. I spoke with Doug via Zoom from his studio in Los Angeles. On the intro I?ll take a look at the latest streaming scam, and vacuum tubes being manufactured in the US. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 86084651, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guests this week are Ritch Esra and Eric Knight of Music Business Television. MUBU TV takes music business education out of the classroom using interviews with music heavyweights to help artists empower their careers. Ritch is a former A&R executive at Arista and co-founder of the Music Business Registry, the music industries leading contact directories for personnel in A&R, Music Publishing, Film/Television Music, Music Law and Artist Management. Erick Knight is a musician, teacher and entrepreneur who?s new venture Symbiotic Nation aims to reinvent the entertainment industry by becoming its version of Google. During the interview, we spoke about how labels struggle to break their own artists, the depth of knowledge that artists need to be effective today, the music business journey, the latest trends in the music business, the idea behind MUBU TV, and much more.  I spoke with Ritch and Eric via Zoom. On the intro I?ll take a look at the Metaverse might be further away than we?ve been told, and Marshall Amplification has been sold to a longtime partner. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 85901075, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest this week is Dr. Martin Clancy, who?s a musician, academic, and events producer focusing on AI ethics.  Martin completed his PhD on AI's financial and ethical implications in 2021 at Trinity College Dublin, and is the editor of Artificial Intelligence and The Music Ecosystem, a new book on trans-disciplinary AI ethics and human creativity. Martin is also a Certified Ableton Live 11 Trainer who founded the Irish rock group Tua Nua and, as a solo artist, had a series of top 40 hits in the US Billboard Dance Charts. His music is featured in the 2022 Sinead O'Conner Nothing Compares to You Documentary, and recent releases by his melodic techno group Valleraphon have appeared in Beatport Charts. During the interview, we spoke about having unexpected success as a solo artist, being a certified Ableton trainer, the practical use for AI in music, how AI affects copyright, how difficult it is to legislate AI, and much more.  I spoke with Martin via Zoom from his studio in Ireland. On the intro I?ll take a look at how a TikTok ban might change the charts, and the most influential digital keyboard. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 85832693, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };

My guest this week is Jennifer Freed, who founded Trevanna Post in NY after working as a Production Accountant on major motion pictures on both coasts & internationally. Trevanna Post has been the gold standard for Post Production Accounting for more than 26 years, and has grown from a 2 person office in NYC?s historic Brill Building to a firm with offices in NY, Los Angeles and London, staffed by over 50 people. The company has worked with every major, mini-major and independent studio on over 800 film and television shows.  Trevanna Tracks was born out of Jennifer?s unique perspective on the need for more efficient collaboration between those responsible for getting music licenses negotiated, paid and delivered. Jennifer?s access to veteran Film and TV industry experts enabled her to create this new software platform for researching, budgeting, tracking, paying and delivering music licenses. During the interview, we spoke about how she got into film accounting, how film and TV shows set their budget for music licensing, why music supervisors won?t use a track that doesn?t indicate the songwriting splits clearly, the many reasons why temp tracks don?t used, the need for standardized data when it comes to music licensing, and much more.  I spoke with Jennifer via Zoom from her office in Los Angeles. On the intro I?ll take a look at the fight over copyrighting a rhythm, and drummers are smarter than the jokes about them. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 85767142, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontColor: undefined, speakerFontColor: undefined, height: '600px', showEditButton: false, showSpeakers: true, showTimestamps: true };