MPW Podcast

The world of theatre sound design is sometimes overlooked in audio and tech careers, but one that offers a lot of scope for creativity. In this week's episode we spoke to freelance sound designer and audio engineer Anna-Lee Craig about her work as a sound designer for theatre and on 'Hamilton', balancing work and family life, as well as alternative career paths in creative fields. Foll...

Dealing with all kinds of people definitely requires a certain amount of people skills and a whole lot more patience. In this episode, Xylo Aria chats to The Hideout studio manager and engineer Zoe Thrall about her ways of managing a studio, tips for beginner artists & producers, and what to expect when producing songs. Follow Zoe Thrall: https://www.instagram.com/zoethrall/ Bandzoogle has off...

Working on multiple projects can be overwhelming, not to mention the pressure in managing everything amidst additional non-work related circumstances. In this episode Xylo chats to Grammy-nominated audio engineer & radio producer, Jeanne Montalvo on her career as a radio producer and her ways and tips on how to work around hectic schedules to produce a qaulity sounding radio production. Follow...

A great mix is usually when everything in the song makes sense to the artist and the listener, but how do you really achieve that? In this episode, Xylo Aria chats to engineer, mixer, and producer Antonia Gauci about her ways of creating and mixing templates for every element in the song and her tips on sounding like a pro. Follow Antonia Gauci: https://www.instagram.com/antoniagauci/ Bandzoogle h...

Whether you're watching a TV show or playing your favorite video game, adding a particular sound will always give that scene a driving feel and atmosphere. In this episode, post-production audio engineer Christa Giammattei talks about the difference between music production and post-production and her process of creating and developing stories through sound. Follow Christa Giammattei : https:/...

Ever wondered how those background vocals help your favorite song achieve that full, lush pop sound? In this episode, Xylo Aria chats with producer and engineer Becki Whitton about the typical vocal layering techniques often used by artists today and what to do and what not to do with your vocal takes more specifically in terms of phasing. Join our Master Your Music - Live in London on the 16th of...

Promoting your music and building a community is not an easy task especially if you don't have your own site in the digital space. In this episode Xylo Aria chats with CEO for Music Ecommerce platform Bandzoogle, Stacey Bedford about choosing the perfect host in setting up a website and the effect of the rise of social media on traditional marketing websites. Follow Stacey Bedford: https://www...

Do you struggle to work out what might be missing if your song? If so, in this episode, Sydney-based mastering engineer Tahlia-Rose shares her advice on what may or may not be missing from your track and how to determine if it's finished! Follow Tahlia-Rose: https://www.instagram.com/rosiesaudio/ Become a member of MPW: https://musicproductionforwomen.com/membership Learn to produce music with...

Co-writing and collaborating can be one of the most enjoyable parts of making music, but how do you make it happen? In this episode Xylo talks to UK-based artist and topliner, Franky, about how she has managed to build her career and collaborate with some big names including Icona Pop, Izzy Bizu, and ManyFew. Distrokid have kindly offered all MPW listeners a 30% discount off the first year of thei...

Finding the right workflow for your creative process is a daunting task that can be riddled with self-doubt. In this episode Xylo chats to producer, artist, and music educator, Liina Turtonen about how to breakdown your own barriers to your creative confidence, so that you can design better workflows for your music production. Follow Liina Turtonen: https://www.instagram.com/lnadoesaudiostuff/ htt...

Have you been hearing terms like Metaverse, NFT, and Virtual Concerts and wondering what the hell they all mean? In this episode Xylo chats to the very insightful, Head of Insights at Music Ally, Stuart Dredge on what these, and other new terms mean and how they are impacting the music industry today and potentially going forward.  Follow Music Ally: https://www.instagram.com/musicallybiz/ Become...

Music Synchronization and Microsync have become a definite form of income for artists however few artists seem to be making the most of its benefits! In this episode, Xylo chats with Grammy-winning artist and producer J.O.N about how he has used sync income as part of his business model and his tips to other artists on how they can do the same. Follow J.O.N here: https://www.instagram.com/heyj_o_n...

Ever wondered how music PR specialists pitch for songs to be added to Spotify Playlists? In this episode Xylo chats with the founder of Many Moon Studio, MK Reynolds on her strategies and tips on how to successfully pitch for playlists.  Follow Many Moon Studio: https://www.instagram.com/manymoonstudio/ More information on Many Moon Studio can be found here: https://manymoon.studio/ Distrokid have...

Ever wondered how some people grow their social media so effortlessly while you're struggling to find your followers? Social Media expert and music producer Seids shares with us her tips and tricks that worked so well for her, that everyone can use to grow their own social media accounts! Follow Seids on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seids_/ Follow Seids on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.co...

Have you ever wondered who makes the music in film trailers and how one goes about getting these jobs? In this episode Xylo chats with trailer music expert Richard Schrieber on how he built his career in this field, honed his skill and is helping others to also land placements! You can learn more about Richard Schrieber here: https://www.richardschrieber.com/ Become a member of MPW: https://musicp...

There is a lot that musicians are expected to know with relation to music law such as details around song splits, music royalties, management contracts and so much more which can result in getting into a legal pickle that can be tough to get out of. This is why Netherlands based music lawyer, Bindu De Knock has written a reference book for musicians to be able to learn and navigate these pitfalls...

Ever wondered how to get a great mix for your drums? In this episode, award-winning mixing engineer Neenah goes through her process from start to finish and how to overcome certain pitfalls that producers often face. Follow Neenah: https://www.instagram.com/neenahmixedit/ Join MPW's free one-day Master Your Music event to learn about Mixing and more here: http://musicproductionforwomen.com/mas...

Vocal production has recently become an art in itself and a secret sauce of getting vocals performed well and full of emotion in pop music today. In this episode, host Xylo Aria chats to Grammy-nominated vocal producer Simone Torres about her process and what to think about to get great vocals. Follow Simone Torres: https://www.instagram.com/iamsimonetorres/ Join MPW's free one-day Master Your...

Have you gone shopping for a pair of studio monitors and been wondering where to start with all the options, from near-field to far-field to ported or unported? In this episode Xylo chats to Danny Greet, a product specialist at Yamaha on all the different things to consider when purchasing a pair of monitors for your setup whether that's a large studio or a smaller home set up. You will need a...

If you're an independent artist, chances are that you are also your own PR manager. In this episode, Xylo Aria chats with the Managing Editor of The Brag Media, Poppy Reid on the best ways for an artist to pitch their music to journalists and also what to avoid. So have a listen before you go out to press for your next release to improve your chances of success! Follow Poppy Reid: https://www....

Artificial Intelligence is becoming a bigger part of lives in a number of fields including music creation. In the field of mastering, artificial intelligence can be used in multiple ways but maybe not everyone sees it as a good thing! In this episode, Xylo chats with expert mastering engineer Jonathan Wyner on his take on the topic, how new advances in technology will impact engineers going forwar...

In a day where you really don't need other people to make music, musicians can often get stuck in the trap of making the creation and releasing of music a very solitary process. Industry professionals however will often tell you that there could not have gotten to where they are today without investing in building and nurturing a network around them. In this episode, Xylo chat to platinum sell...

Ever wondered why the imbalances in power in the music industry seem to be so severe compared to other industries? In this episode, Xylo chats with Dr Jeff Crabtree on his thoughts on this very issue. Together they dig into the causes of misogyny, imbalances of power, specific case studies and potential ways in which we can together make improvements in the industry. The discussion is largely in r...

If you find the topic of music copyright, royalties, and song-splits extremely confusing, you're not alone! In this episode Xylo chats to music royalties expert and Head of Creative & Partnerships at Songtrust to demystify the different types of royalties, who is entitled to them and how to make sure that you collect everything you're entitled to as a songwriter, performer and a produc...

There are LOADS of mental strains that creatives, especially musicians, deal with such as perfectionism, fear of failure, comparison to others, imposter syndrome and more. In this episode Xylo chats with Ariane Paras from Olympia coaching on each of these topics and ways to keep ahead or overcome them.  Follow Ariane Paras & Olympia Coaching: https://www.instagram.com/olympiacoaching/ Become a...