Bobby Owsinski's Inner Circle Podcast

Can one sync placement change your entire music career? On this episode of Bobby Owsinski's Inner Circle, I’m joined by Chris SD - producer, engineer, songwriter, and founder of Sync Songwriter. Chris has helped artists get $30,000 placements, land Billboard features, and book world tours through sync licensing. In this deep-dive conversation, he breaks down how sync really works today, why c...

What does a life in music look like when you follow curiosity instead of chasing titles? In this episode of Bobby Owsinski’s Inner Circle, 7-time Grammy-winning producer, engineer, and songwriter Brent Maher shares a remarkable journey across genres, generations, and creative mediums. From recording legends like Elvis and Duke Ellington to discovering The Judds and inventing a new format - a music...

What does the future really hold for music in 2026? In this solo episode of Bobby Owsinski's Inner Circle Podcast, Bobby delivers a rapid-fire rundown of where the industry is headed, and what musicians, producers, and music pros need to prepare for right now. From AI-generated music to streaming platform shifts, gear market slowdowns, and major label controversies, these predictions cut thro...

2025 was wild. Is the music business finally changing for good? In this solo edition of Bobby Owsinski's Inner Circle, Bobby breaks down the most important developments across music, audio, and tech in 2025. From AI-generated hits to Spotify insiders cashing out, this episode is packed with sharp insights that every music creator, producer, or business insider needs to hear. Whether you'...

Is your music really yours in the age of AI? In this episode of Bobby Owsinski's Inner Circle, Marc Gray, CEO of SonicOrigin, dives into the future of audio verification. From watermarking that survives TikTok filters to tracking AI-generated content, Marc shares why authentication is becoming essential in today’s music and media industries. If you’re a creator, label, engineer or just curiou...

What happens when a teenage house party promoter takes on one of the biggest forces in live music? In this episode of Bobby Owsinski's Inner Circle, Bobby sits down with Tommy Dorfman, a veteran club promoter and founder of Juice Entertainment. Tommy shares how he built a powerhouse promotion empire from scratch, packed out venues across New Jersey and New York, pioneered the East Coast house...

What makes a brand partnership truly authentic in music today? In this episode of Bobby Owsinski’s Inner Circle , Bobby sits down with Katie Nowak, VP of Marketing and Partnerships at TBA Agency, to explore how meaningful collaborations are redefining success for artists. Katie shares behind-the-scenes stories about building the “Here and There” festival with Courtney Barnett, partnering with bran...

Is high-end studio gear still worth it today? For this milestone 600th episode, Bobby welcomes back fan-favorite Dennis Moody, a world-renowned studio and live mixer who’s appeared on every 100th episode since the podcast’s launch. In this revealing conversation, Dennis opens up about the biggest shifts he’s seen over the last decade in music production, gear, touring, and what truly matters when...

What can a nightclub DJ teach you about running a business? In this episode of Bobby Owsinski’s Inner Circle, we sit down with DJ, author, professor, and speaker Amani Roberts - also known as DJ AMRo - to unpack how his pivot from corporate America to the turntables led to a purpose-driven creative career. Amani shares insights from his book DJ’s Mean Business, his work teaching music business at...

What does a $44 million video game sound like? This week on Bobby Owsinski's Inner Circle, game composer Tim Larkin breaks down the high-stakes world of e-sports music. From scoring Dota 2 tournaments with 100-piece orchestras to building adaptive music systems that respond to gameplay, Tim reveals what it takes to create soundtracks that elevate the gaming experience. If you’ve ever wondered...

🎙️ Is AI the biggest disruption the music industry has ever seen? In this episode of Bobby Owsinski's Inner Circle, Bobby welcomes Matt Adell, COO of Musical.ai, a trailblazer in bridging the gap between rightsholders and AI developers. With a career spanning Napster, Beatport, and Native Instruments, Matt offers deep insight into the seismic shift AI is bringing to music - bigger than file s...

Why is tinnitus still a taboo in the music industry? In this episode of Bobby Owsinski’s Inner Circle, Bobby dives deep into one of music’s most ignored health crises with Sven Köllmann and Jack Rubinacci of Tinnitus Quest. Tinnitus affects up to 1 billion people worldwide, yet it remains misunderstood and overlooked, even as it wrecks lives and careers. Sven and Jack explain why hearing loss is j...

What if the biggest roadblock in music licensing wasn’t legal complexity, but outdated systems? In this episode of Bobby Owsinski’s Inner Circle , we dive deep into the wild world of music rights with Grayson Sanders, CEO of Chordal. A former film composer turned tech founder, Grayson reveals how his sync clearing platform is transforming the way music gets licensed, making it faster, easier, and...

How do you build merch that actually connects with fans? In this episode of Bobby Owsinski’s Inner Circle , I sit down with Seamus Menihane , CEO of Armada , a top-tier merch company helping artists, from indies to heavy hitters, turn merch into a true brand extension.  If you've ever wondered what merch sells best, how to price it, or how to avoid costly mistakes, Seamus breaks it all down....

How Mark Wood Reinvented the Violin and Inspired a Generation On this episode of Bobby Owsinski’s Inner Circle , I’m joined by recording artist, performer, inventor, Emmy-winning composer, and music education advocate Mark Wood. Known as the original string master of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Mark shares how he revolutionized the world of string instruments with his electric violin designs and...

Barry Coffing has lived every corner of the music business, from opera scholarships to songwriting for Hollywood films, and now, innovating the licensing space. As founder of MusicSupervisor.com and WeGetArtists.com, Barry has reshaped how independent musicians connect with opportunities in film, TV, and beyond. In this episode, Barry shares his journey from club gigs to scoring major placements,...

In this episode of Bobby Owsinski’s Inner Circle podcast, I sit down with Francois Barrillon, Neural DSP’s plugins product manager and product lead for their new vocal plugin Mantra. Francois shares how he went from building guitar pedals in his spare time to leading development on one of the most innovative vocal tools available today. We talk about Neural DSP’s expansion beyond guitars, how Mant...

In this episode of the Inner Circle Podcast, I sit down with Ritesh Patel , the CEO and founder of Ticket Fairy , a next-generation ticketing platform helping promoters market and manage events . What makes Ticket Fairy unique is its built-in word-of-mouth referral system , where fans can earn rebates—or even free tickets—by getting friends to buy. Ritesh brings a wealth of experience to the platf...

In this episode of the Inner Circle Podcast, I talk with Mitch Beer , a Philadelphia-based session bass player and multi-talented music professional. Mitch has toured with Grammy-winning Digable Planets and The Bacon Brothers , and works as the go-to session bassist for Grammy-winning producer Joe “The Butcher” Nicolo . He also contributed as bassist and producer on Lil Uzi Vert’s #1 platinum albu...

In this episode of the Inner Circle Podcast, I sit down with Barry Rudolph , an audio engineer and prolific technical writer whose career bridges classic studio work and in-depth gear expertise. Barry has worked on records with Rod Stewart, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Pat Benatar, and Hall & Oates , earning credits on more than 30 gold and platinum albums . Beyond his engineering work, Barry is recognized...

In this episode of the Inner Circle Podcast, I’m joined by John von Seggern, the visionary behind Futureproof Music School—a next-generation program that blends personalized mentorship with AI-driven music production tools. Unlike traditional schools, Futureproof is designed to meet the needs of today’s independent artists. John brings over 30 years of experience as a studio musician, producer, an...

In this episode of the Inner Circle Podcast, I talk with Tony Braunagel , one of the most respected drummers and producers in modern music. Tony has played on more than 200 albums, including Grammy-winning records by Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, and Buddy Guy. On stage, he’s performed with icons like B.B. King, Lightnin’ Hopkins, John Lee Hooker, Robert Cray, and dozens more. As a producer, Tony has w...

In this episode of the Inner Circle Podcast, I’m joined by Jenna LoMonaco , a digital marketing powerhouse who currently leads marketing at ONErpm —a global music company offering artists distribution, publishing, marketing, and content production across 43 offices in 28 countries. Jenna’s career spans roles at Glassnote, Kobalt, and Island Records , where she spearheaded the digital strategy that...

Lucie Burns, also known as artist and producer Lazy Hammock, joins me to talk about building stage confidence, connecting with audiences, and overcoming performance anxiety. We also dive into: Her journey as a #1-charting artist with 25M+ streams How perfectionism and comparison affect live performance Her Stage Ready Artists coaching program and creative support community Insights from her book T...

In this episode, I sit down with music industry veteran Jay Gilbert, co-host of the widely read Your Morning Coffee newsletter and podcast. Jay has held senior executive roles at Universal Music, Sony Music, and Warner Music Group, where he pioneered digital music marketing and online strategies for iconic artists like Nirvana, The Police, KISS, Bob Marley, Elton John, Guns N’ Roses, and many more...