Music Production Podcast

Michelle Moog is the executive director of the Bob Moog Foundation and daughter of synthesis pioneer Bob Moog. The Bob Moog Foundation's Mission Statement is to inspire creative thinking by providing interactive educational experiences at the intersection of science, music theory, history, and innovation. Michelle helped bring the organization from a volunteer-driven, grassroots effort to the educ...

Carter Vail is a musician, producer, and video creator. His fast-paced, lighthearted short-form songs have garnered him hundreds of thousands of followers across social media. His new album, 100 Cowboys , combines upbeat music with emotional lyrics that document a difficult breakup. Carter shares his songwriting process, thoughts on collaboration, and why he chooses to work fast and be prolific in...

David Alexander is an audio engineer, producer, and musician originally from Portland, Oregon and now based in Los Angeles. He has over 20 years of experience working in all genres, with roots in the subcultures of hardcore and punk. David shares his unique blend of technical skills and creative philosophy on social media. Listen on Apple ,   Spotify ,  YouTube Links: David Alexander's Site - http...

Evan Frankfort is a Songwriter, Sound Designer, and TV and Film Composer. His TV and film credits include Wild Kingdom: Protecting the Wild, The Harlem Globetrotters: Pay it Forward, 90210, and The 100 . He writes music and plays in the indie rock band The Spiritual Machines. He has collaborated with diverse artists including Warren Zevon, The Bangles, Rancid, and Liz Phair. Evan and I spoke about...

Francis Preve is a sound designer, producer, and synthesizer programmer. He programs factory presets for the leading synthesizer manufacturers including Sequential, Roland, Korg, Oberheim, Serum, and many more. He is the Section Lead of Digital Composition at Austin Community College. Francis releases sound packs through his company SympleSound. His latest release, Serum Models, turns the popular...

Tyler Manning and Jordan Dale are part of Boredomfighters, a nonprofit that brings music-making and collaboration to kids across the United States. Boredomfighters conducts workshops, assemblies, and "Instrument Gardens" to empower young people to create music on the fly using modern production techniques. Tyler and Jordan spoke to me about their work in Boredomfighters and how they've been inspir...

Dex Green is a Nashville-based producer, engineer, and songwriter. He recorded his new album, Imaginary War , by himself, playing every instrument. Dex has worked with artists like Elvis Costello, Margo Price, and Collective Soul. His work has been nominated for a Grammy. Dex and I spoke about his work and the lessons he's picked up from recording countless acts in various genres. He discussed the...

AI is getting really good at generating realistic and emotional music. Where will this leave music-makers?  Today we discuss how we can ensure that we remain relevant in the face of an AI music takeover! Listen on Apple ,   Spotify ,  YouTube Links: Rolling Stone AI Song - https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/suno-ai-chatgpt-music-soul-of-the-machine-1234992365/ Jeff Leisawitz on the...

Mikas is the creator of We Make Dance Music, a site of music resources for producers. On his podcast, Live Electronic Music Tutorials with Mikas , he creates tracks in real-time, sharing tips and techniques along the way. The result of each episode becomes a template viewers can purchase on WeMakeDanceMusic.com.  This is the second time Mikas and I spoke on the Music Production Podcast . Immediate...

Jeff Leisawitz is a musician, producer, coach, college songwriting professor, and author. His new book The Magical Impact of Storytelling explores how creatives can connect with their audiences and produce more meaningful work with effective storytelling.  It was great to have Jeff back on the Music Production Podcast to discuss how we can use storytelling to make better music. We talk about how w...

Iftah is the creator of a number of official Ableton Live Packs, including CV Tools, Time and Timbre, Microtuner, and the new Performance Pack for Live 12. Formerly one-half of the duo, Skinnerbox, Iftah has performed around the world. His creative pursuits cover various mediums and styles such as electronic music, field recordings, photography, and programming.  Iftah and I spoke about his work a...

Gregg Lehrman is the founder and CEO of Output. Output is a music-creation software company created by musicians for musicians. Gregg is an ASCAP award-winning musician and producer who has worked in television and film. Gregg spoke about his work at Output and how he started the company to fulfill his creative needs. He shared lessons he learned working for Hans Zimmer and how those experiences i...

Sound Oracle is a music producer and sound designer. He has worked with the heavy hitters in the hip-hop world, and his sounds have been used in Grammy-winning songs by Timbaland, Jay-Z, Drake, and more. His latest packs Golden Era Hip Hop Drums and Trap Drums are featured packs in the new Ableton Live 12 update. Sound Oracle and I had an inspiring conversation about his work as a producer and sou...

The Him is a music producer, DJ, and plug-in designer with over 500 million streams on Spotify. He's toured some of the largest festival stages and done remixes for artists like Tiesto, The Chainsmokers, and Miley Cyrus. The Him just released his first plug-in, Sub Ninja, which allows producers to get an accurate understanding of the bass frequencies in a mix. The Him and I spoke about his career...

Johan Ransby is an artist, coach, and producer. He shares tips and techniques that help artists finish more music and reach their career goals. His website is loaded with helpful creative tools and his social media accounts contain priceless advice. Johan and I had a great conversation about how he approaches making music and teaching his students. He emphasized the importance of seeking challenge...

Michaela Shiloh and Andre Mullens run the community-based record label HRDRV, which helps artists develop their careers. Their combined decades of experience in the music industry include writing music for top artists like Janet Jackson and Jennifer Lopez and working for Bad Boy Records.  Michaela and Andre discuss the importance of camaraderie and collaboration in running their company, HRDRV. Th...

Carlos Sosa is a musician, producer, composer, and music director. Sosa formed Grooveline Horns, a 1970s funk and R&B influenced brass group. Carlos tours and records with Maroon 5, Kelly Clarkson, Jason Mraz, Zac Brown Band, and Hanson. Carlos and I spoke in-depth about his music career recording and touring with some of music's largest acts. He spoke about how his never-ending desire to learn ha...

Philip Röder is a music producer who runs the Copilco professional mixing and mastering studio in Berlin. Philip's YouTube Channel, Pick Yourself, helps music producers hone their craft and tap into their own personal style.  Philip and I had a great conversation about his work and his underpinning philosophies. We went into detail about how he encourages musicians to invest in themselves and "pic...

Tim Smolens is a musician, composer, and recording engineer. He teaches music theory on his YouTube channel and at High Castle Music Conservatory. Tim has toured and plays in the bands ISS and High Castle Teleorkestra. Tim and I had an inspiring conversation about his work and appreciation of music and chord theory. Throughout the episode, Tim demonstrates the principles on his piano. We discussed...

Alexkid is a music producer and plug-in designer. He's been releasing house music for decades and designing Max for Live devices for Ableton and Isotonik Studios. Alex now runs 510k Arts, where he releases his powerful sequencers, including the new VST/AU plug-in Seqund.  Alexkid and I spoke about his work, music, and experience designing sequencers. He went into great detail about the subtle art...

Alex Akimov is the founder of Simple Social, a music digital marketing agency, and Sound. Me, an AI-powered artist and creator platform. He has worked as an artist manager, promoter, and touring guitarist. Alex explores ways to help artists reach their career goals. On this episode, Alex discusses his experience in the music industry and his current focus on Simple Social and Sound. Me. He shares...

Charlie McCarron is a film composer, songwriter, and game designer. He is currently running a Kickstarter campaign for his Troubadeck songwriting cards. Charlie ran the Composer Quest Podcast, where he interviewed songwriters and discussed their creative process. It was great to catch up with Charlie, who was the 2nd guest on this podcast! Charlie showed us his new Troubadeck, which is a fantastic...

Thad Cockrell is a musician, songwriter, and producer in Nashville, TN. His new album, THE KID , comes out January 26th and is available on vinyl for $100. Thad appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon after Fallon discovered his song "Swingin'" at a hardware store. In this episode, Thad discusses the evolution of his musical style and the importance of creating from a place of authenticity....

TJ Dumser is an ambient artist who makes music as Six Missing. His newest album Here For Now combines modular synths, electronic and acoustic instruments, and immersive field recordings. TJ's music explores human resilience and the power of finding the present. TJ and I had a great conversation about his writing process and how he uses music to immerse himself in the present moment. We discussed h...

Here are 4 tips I've learned that improve creativity! Listen on Apple ,   Spotify ,   Google ,  YouTube Show Notes: Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc   5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podc...