Metalomics

So, we are going to own nothing. Who cares!? If giving up my right to hold on to a CD or vinyl or cassette means I get access to the celestial jukebox and the infinite volumes floating inside, what’s the big deal? “Sounds like a fair trade for something as “trivial” as music,” you may say. Well, we at METALOMICS don’t think music is trivial at all. In fact, we believe quite the opposite. But if we...

If we will indeed own nothing, just how much nothing will we own? We’re going to follow the numbers to find out how deep the rabbit hole goes. And we will use some standard economic tools as our guide along the way. On this episode of METALOMICS, we apply basic economic theories to the subscription music economy. We ask, what kind of market is this? Monopoly? Competitive? Where do we find elastici...

Are you a subscriber? What do you subscribe to? Magazines? Newspapers? Milk? These dated references make one thing clear: The subscription model has been around for awhile. On this episode of The Metalomics Podcast, we zoom in on the music subscription economy to broaden our understanding of the underlying structures, operations, and technical aspects that put music in minds and profits in pockets...

Does your band have a van? A bus? An 84 Oldsmobile? Our guess is yes. In which case, you’re hurting right now. And we don’t mean from banging your head. We’re talking about the pain at the pump. You don’t need to imagine what it’s like, about to head to a show, looking at the numbers going up and up on unleaded gasoline and wondering to yourself, “Why the f@&$ is this so expensive?!” On this e...

What is a market? How does it function? Can we forge a new understanding of market forces by exploring the ways human instinct and emotion influence the ways we create heavy music? Is it all merely the product of predictable, derivative, and formulaic mechanisms, or can the manners in which we conjure dark and dismal sounds also inform how markets react? On this episode of METALOMICS, we ask if Ad...

Artificial Intelligence: The ultimate "cheat code" or the death knell of human creativity? Welcome back to METALOMICS, the podcast where we prove that metal is more than a bunch of metalheads head banging to heavy music. Today, we unpack AI by exploring how it transcends heavy music and economics. We attempt to break down the realities of this widespread, misunderstood, global phenomena,...

Have you ever pressed "play" on a new album and wondered about the massive financial machinery required to get those sounds into your ears? It isn’t just a "creative spark," it’s a high-stakes lesson in capital investment and information asymmetry. In Part 3 of our series, we look at the Economics of Production to trace the journey of an album from a silent studio to a global m...

Have you ever stood at a merch booth, stared at a $30 price tag for a band's t-shirt, and wondered where all that money actually goes? It isn’t just a "metal tax," it’s a complex lesson in global economics. In Part 2 of our series, we pull back the curtain on the Global Supply Chain to trace the journey of a band shirt from a cotton field to your closet. We break down the invisible f...

Forget the romanticized myth of the "starving artist"—in this episode of Metalomics , we reveal the cold, hard mechanics of the music industry. We treat the modern metal band not just as a creative collective, but as a rational economic Firm navigating a landscape of scarcity and high stakes. From the "Promoter’s Risk" in setting ticket prices to the brutal Opportunity Cost of...

"That is NOT metal!" We’ve all heard it. The accusations of "posers," "selling out," and inauthenticity. But what if we told you that the unwritten, iron-clad rules of the metal subculture aren't just about music? What if they are actually a brutal, informal economic system? On this episode of METALOMICS , we put the metal scene under the economic microscope. We e...

In this episode, we take a macro look at the Metal Economy. By "following the money," we trace the industry's impact beyond just musicians and fans to the unsung economic contributors, from venue security and merch printers to the critical infrastructure of gas stations and American Legion halls. We break down the challenges of quantifying this ecosystem without reliable data and pro...

This episode we tackle Utility : the keystone concept explaining why consumers choose what they choose. What is utility? This discussion explores differing perspectives on the fundamental idea, digging into how economists model human desire with tools like indifference curves , preference maps , and the marginal rate of substitution . The episode also examines core assumptions (like "more is...

How do you build a better world when you're still figuring out how to navigate this one? This podcast is a manual for the citizen economist in all of us. We're skipping the jargon and breaking it down barney style. In our first toolbox episode we'll arm you with the principles, theories, and tactics to navigate our complex world and start making a difference. Economics is Metal! Music...

It seems like a stupid question. The answer is cash, right? Well, no. Not really. Cash has only been around for a few hundred years. Besides, how much cash is in circulation compared to how much “money” is exchanged for goods and services without anyone ever seeing what has historically been regarded as a physical object? In this episode, we seek to understand a little bit more about the concept o...

Ever feel like the word "economics" is just a confusing jumble of charts, jargon, and endless debates? You're not alone! In this episode of Metalomics, hosts Josh Goddard and David Ingram dive into why this essential field often feels so impenetrable to the average person. We're cutting through the complexity to help you finally unpack what economics actually means, how it influe...

In the inaugural episode of Metalomics, Josh and David delve into the essence of economics, exploring its significance and relevance in our lives. They share insights on how understanding economics can empower you to navigate life with greater effectiveness. Economics is Metal! Hosts: Josh Goddard & David Ingram Production: Frequency Factory ⁠https://metalomicspodcast.com/⁠ ⁠https://www.instag...