Three Awesome Podcasts for Musicians
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If you personally know me, then you probably know that I consume a ton of podcasts. It is one of my favorite ways to learn about things, people, places, etc. I get to hear from experts about their specialties on pretty much any topic I could really ask for with only the click of a button. I also get to do this while working my part-time job on the road, which is a pretty sweet deal! If you are anything like me and can’t get enough podcasts to listen to, or if you haven’t caught the audio bug yet and would like to find some cool ones to start with, here are three shows I have been hooked on.
The Entrepreneurial Musician
This podcast is an amazing way to start your journey into entrepreneurship. The host Andrew Hitz who is a former tuba player for the Boston Brass interviews music entrepreneurs all over the world about their journey starting and growing their own music businesses. I’ve learned countless lessons from this podcast, including why and how to start a music business, how to leverage musical skills into money-making opportunities, the basics of marketing, descriptions of non-traditional musical careers, how to build a youtube channel, and so much more. It is truly a treasure trove of information for musicians about to start their careers.
Here are my three recommendations for episodes to get started with and what I learned from them:
Episode 3 - Alarm Will Sound’s Gavin Chuck and Michael Clayville
What it’s like to start and maintain a world-renowned performing ensemble.
Utilizing the democratic process in a professional setting.
Alarm Will Sound’s method of branding and marketing.
Episode 23 - Michael Davis of Hip-Bone Music
How to establish yourself as a New York City freelancer.
The process of funding a large number of recordings.
Why he self-published his books and albums.
Episode 177 and 178 - The Savvy Musician’s 10 Tips for 2017 with David Cutler
The importance of failing in order to achieve success.
Why and how the definition of success in music has changed.
The importance of building your portfolio career and income streams
Song Exploder
This podcast is exactly what it sounds like. Host Hrishikesh Hirway and the world-famous musicians he interviews dissect their massive hits. Each episode includes details like what the lyric-writing process was like, talks with the producer about how they found the perfect sound, break-through moments in the recording process, specific inspirations the writer had in mind, and much more. I found it super informative, and as a composer myself I made mental notes about things I found really effective so I could use them in my own pieces. It is also worth saying that some episodes of Song Exploder feature massive worldwide hits with some breaking a million (or even a billion) listens on Spotify and other streaming services. Pretty cool stuff!
If you are interested in this podcast here are three episodes I recommend checking out and three lessons I learned!
Episode 194 - Levitating by Dua Lipa
Why embracing childhood influences can help you write a fresh new piece of music.
How one small seed of an idea can turn into a billion Spotify listens.
Why trust and collaboration are a must in the commercial music industry.
Episode 131 - KILLMONGER from the Black Panther Soundtrack by Ludwig Göransson
How the composer blended the sounds of current Hip-hop with the traditional sounds of African talking drums to represent the Killmonger.
The importance of how strong friendship and relationships can land you in a life-altering job.
The process to create a soundtrack that would eventually win an academy award for Best Original Score.
Episode 57 - It Might Be Time by Tame Impala
Why sometimes happy accidents become integral parts of songs.
How processing and chopping up drums can completely change the feel and sound of a song.
Tame Impala’s method to finding a melody over a chord structure.
Listen Money Matters
I know, I know. What is a money podcast doing on this blog post? Well, hear me out. This podcast explores information about the basics of personal finance, a must-have skill for today’s musicians. This podcast has really helped me start on my own personal finance journey which has historically been a struggle for me and more often than I would like, has gotten in the way of my journey as a musician. It has helped create a plan to tackle my student debt post-graduation, the basics of investing, managing small-business finances, and how to retire with at an early age.
If any of this information sounds valuable I highly recommend you check out these episodes.
Paying Off Student Loans with Rebecca from Stapler Confessions
How the Snowball Student Loan Debt plan works
How income-based repayment works.
How to get your student loans forgiven by working for a non-profit.
That Will Never Work with Netflix Co-Founder Marc Randolph
Why testing and iteration are so important for small businesses.
How the media giant Netflix was first conceived.
Why finding and solving pain points are critical when developing a business plan.
Zero to FIRE with Airbnb
What is FIRE and why is it such a hot term for personal finance gurus.
How to leverage that extra room in your living space to never have to pay rent.
Why Airbnb is more accessible to renters than they think.
Check These Out!
While this is certainly not an exhaustive list, this is a great start for any musician looking to learn new information through audio! Also, if you have any podcast suggestions you’d love to share with us leave a comment down below.
Looking for more ways to utilize the awesome power of technology? Then check out this article by Lightpost guest writer Emily Miclon on three ways to leverage Virtual Learning Post-COVID!
