Top 10 Podcasts for Music Fans and Industry Professionals

In the ever-growing world of music podcasts, there is an overwhelming wealth of information and inspiration to be discovered. From the intricacies of music production and the art of songwriting to the complexities of industry trends and the personal journeys of renowned artists, there is something for everyone – but it can be hard to sift through the noise and find the true gems.

Whether you’re a seasoned professional, an aspiring musician, or simply a passionate fan, we have put together a list of the top podcasts for everyone in the music industry.

For the indie artist:

The New Music Business with Ari Herstand

Ari Herstand is an L.A.-based independent musician turned music business education guru. What started as his personal blog (Ari’s Take) eventually grew into a book called How to Make It in the New Music Business, first released in 2016 and now in its third edition. The book is jam-packed full of tips for aspiring DIY artists on how to make a living and grow a fan base, and has even been adopted by countless music schools. Herstand took a step further by creating his very own online education platform (Ari’s Take Academy) where he and fellow industry experts teach courses on subjects like streaming growth, touring, sync licensing, and more.

It was then a no-brainer to create an accompanying podcast, where topics include everything from AI and going viral on TikTok to NFTs and music royalties. The New Music Business Podcast with Ari Herstand features special guests like Billie Eilish’s booking agent Tom Windish, Bob Dylan’s engineer Rick Rubin, Troubadour’s talent buyer Jordan Anderson, and Justin Bieber’s co-writer Tab Nkhereanye. In 2021, Herstand won the Webby Award for “Best Music Podcast”.

For the songwriter:

And the Writer Is… with Ross Golan

If you’re a songwriter or are fascinated by the songwriting process, this podcast is for you. It is hosted by Ross Golan, an American songwriter, producer, and playwright who has written with big names like Harry Styles, Max Martin, Charli XCX, Snoop Dog, and many more.

Each week, Golan interviews accomplished pop songwriters who are writing the top songs from the current charts to discuss their behind-the-scenes process. Guests include songwriters – who are also some of today’s biggest artists – such as Michael Bublé, Finneas, Charlie Puth, Meghan Trainor, and Julia Michaels.

For the mixing engineer:

Mixing Music with Dee Kei and Lu

Hosted by two mixing engineers, this is the #1 most downloaded music post-production podcast in the world. On each episode, they dive into various topics such as using different types of reverb, the best vocal mics, mixing acoustic drums, how to charge more for your work, and finding new clients.

They also invite guests, such as Grammy Award-winning mixer Jon Rezin, to discuss their personal techniques, share valuable advice, and talk about how they got to where they are today. From beginners to professionals, this podcast is a favourite among producers.

For the musician:

The Third Story with Leo Sidran

Leo Sidran is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, composer, jazz drummer, and Oscar and Grammy Award winner. In 2014, he began The Third Story podcast, for which he records long-form interviews featuring primarily musicians, as well as artists and writers, about their creative process, career, and personal stories. In 2023, the podcast won a Signal Award in the music category – a prestigious accolade in the podcast world.

Some of his guests include Jacob Collier, Jack Stratton, Lawrence, Gabriela Quintero, and Madeleine Peyroux.

For the activist:

Noble Champions by Santigold

American singer, songwriter, and producer Santigold launched the Noble Champions podcast in 2022, which features round-table style discussions among notable artists, activists, and progressive thinkers who aren’t afraid to use their voice to speak up for important causes. The idea for the podcast was inspired by a quote from 1910 by Russian creative Wassily Kandinsky, who wrote that periods “during which art has no noble champion […] are periods of retrogression”.

Some examples of the fascinating episodes you can listen to: Idris Alba speaking about “cancel culture”, Saul Williams and Mary Annaïse Heglar on the intersection of race and climate change, Questlove discussing “what exactly is black music?”, and Olivia Wilde talking about balancing motherhood and career.

For the analyst:

How Music Charts by Chartmetric

If you aren’t familiar with Chartmetric, we explain this incredible resource in-depth in our article Online Tools Every Artist Should Know About. Essentially, it is a widely used platform in the music industry that allows you to track everything from social media stats to streaming data and provides robust insights that can help artists and their teams grow.

The podcast bridges data, culture, and creativity, and is great for anyone in the business who is interested in learning about the power of data and how to leverage it. Topics featured previously include the power of music metadata, fan conversion and playlist promotion, TikTok charts and their influence on other industry charts, the role of A&R, understanding Spotify follower ratios and artist growth, and music promotion in Southeast Asia.

For the singer:

Backstage Pass with Eric Vetro

Vocal coach to some of the biggest stars – Ariana Grande, John Legend, Rosalía, Shawn Mendes, Katy Perry, P!nk, Lea Michele, Victoria Monet, and Charlie Puth, to name a few – Eric Vetro has a lot of knowledge to share.

Released in 2021, the Backstage Pass podcast features Vetro and his famous students chatting about all things vocal. From their personal singing journeys and their biggest challenges to their best tips and tricks, these major artists let us peek behind the curtains and share intimate details about their craft. Some of the most recent episodes bring in names like John Legend, Camila Cabello, and Sabrina Carpenter.

For the audio engineer:

Working Class Audio

This highly rated podcast is hosted by audio engineer Matt Boudreau, who has worked with the likes of Alanis Morrisette, Green Day, Florence and the Machine, Cordova, and many more. On the show, he talks about various production techniques and invites producers, engineers, and mixers from a diverse range of backgrounds (music, film, video games, etc.) to share their professional journeys and anecdotes on navigating that side of the industry.

Some of his most recent guests include Pete Grossman, Fernando Reyes, BZ Lewis, Bruno Barcella, and Toby Campen, to discuss topics such as sync libraries, acoustic myths, charging what you’re worth, impact mixing, and acoustical design.

For the film composer:

SCORE: The Podcast with Robert Kraft and Kenny Holmes

Based on the hit film Score: A Film Music Documentary, this award-winning podcast is hosted weekly by the co-producers of the film, each accomplished in their own right. Robert Kraft is a film composer, songwriter, and music producer. He was President of Fox Music for nearly a decade and has supervised music for hundreds of feature films. Co-host Kenny Holmes is a celebrated producer, cinematographer, editor, and photojournalist. Their documentary was #1 on iTunes and Amazon for several weeks, eventually earning multiple honours from film festivals and Oscar and Grammy nominations.

On the podcast, they interview acclaimed composers about their work in television and film. Some of their featured guests include Daniel Pemberton (composer of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse), Martin Phipps (composed for Peaky Blinders, Black Mirror, and The Crown), and David Fleming (composer on Last of Us and Blue Planet II).

For the industry professional:

The MBW Podcast & Talking Trends

Tim Ingham is the founder of the well-known music industry news site Music Business Worldwide (MBW). MBW publishes two podcasts: The MBW Podcast features interviews with various music industry experts across the globe (the podcast itself is based in Europe) and Talking Trends where Ingham discusses topical industry news.

The episodes are brief (typically no more than 30-45 minutes, often less) which is very appealing to anyone who wants to stay au courant with all the latest headlines and happenings in the business. Some recent topics include streaming fraud, label lay-offs, the Fortnite Festival, Universal Music Group’s investment into HYBE’s ‘superfan’ app, and Spotify quietly moving access to lyrics behind a paywall.