Music Production Podcast

Django Flaherty is a musician, producer, and hybrid DJ from Cape Town, South Africa. Django makes music as DjangoZa. He runs audio for radio programs using Ableton Live. Django released his debut EP,  Transmission Control, in February 2021. Django and I discussed his creative approach and philosophies that help him create his music. Django shared how he uses his Ableton Live Project for radio (thi...

Vianney is one third of BLEASS, a company that makes exciting and intuitive plug-ins for iOS and desktop music producers.  Vianney and I had a great conversation about the work that goes into plug-in design and creation. He shared the creative process and some of the important considerations, such as how much control should a user have over certain parameters of a plug-in. It was great getting som...

Heymun is a Malaysian-born, Sydney-based music composer, producer, and musician. She combines voice, found sounds, and her favorite pieces of gear in her music. She is an official Teenage Engineering Mentor, and shares her passion for music-making and gear. Heymun spoke about her unexpected and sudden musical career that was born out of a background in film studies. She details how she trusted her...

Alberto Chapa is a musician and Ableton Certified Trainer in Austin, Texas. Alberto has helped countless students learn music production and build live performances. Alberto and I had a wide-ranging conversation about music production, teaching, and creativity. He discussed how he was able to turn the most challenging periods of his life into powerful growing experiences. Alberto also shared how h...

Sterling Styles is a musician and producer who recorded his latest album using mostly mobile setups. Sterling took advantage of exciting recording locations, such as a cruise ship and a barbershop, to give his new album its own character. Sterling and I spoke about the benefits and challenges of recording with mobile setups. Sterling shared his thoughts on some of his favorite gear and how we can...

Bobby Huff is a musician, producer, engineer, and songwriter who hosts the YouTube Channel Music Surgery with Dr. Bob. Bobby's unique blend of expert knowledge, experience, and humor has made his YouTube channel one of my favorites for learning new production techniques. Bobby and I had a great conversation covering a wide range of topics. We spoke about songwriting, producing, and some of our fav...

We are creatures of habit. Even the most difficult routines become our normal routine after some time. This is why we must pay close attention to the types of habits we are building. Are you working on being a more lazy person? Are you practicing always doing your best at whatever it is you are doing?  In this episode, we talk about how we can become better musicians and producers while doing the...

Rob Parton is a musician and producer who is actively building communities for fellow music producers. Rob hosts open jams through Plugged, a community for artists, educators, and young people interested in making music.  Along with MixMash Studios, Rob and Plugged bring you Make Music Day on June 21st, 2021. It's a 24-hour track-making challenge with community-supplied samples. Sign up to be a pa...

Connor Frost is a musician and songwriter who coaches musicians through the various steps of writing, recording, and releasing their own original music. Connor is a prolific musician, releasing numerous albums and touring with his band Dizzy Bats. Connor and I had a great conversation about productivity, creativity, and completing goals. Connor shared some of his techniques and approaches that hav...

Today there are more distractions than ever. Our phones, apps, and favorite websites are constantly trying to claim our attention. In order to be productive musically, we need to be hyper-aware and protective of our attention. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify ; watch on YouTube Show Notes: The Social Dilemma - https://www.netflix.com/title/81254224 Website - https://brianfunk...

Jake Lizzio is a guitar teacher and YouTuber, who has a knack for explaining and demonstrating complex music theory concepts in a practical and easy-to-understand fashion.  It was really fun to talk with Jake about guitar, music theory, and the growth of his YouTube channel. Jake's enthusiasm was in-line with the energy he brings to his teachings, and he shared some really profound insights about...

If you've spent any time making music, at some point, you've probably felt like you have Writer's Block. It's the feeling that we just can't come up with anything; we are out of good ideas; we've lost our touch. I don't think it's real and I don't think you have it. In this episode, we use some mental jiu-jitsu to work our way out of this paralyzing feeling and get back to making music. Listen on...

In this episode of the podcast, we talk about whether to place an EQ before or after the Compressor. The answer is: it depends on the situation. Learn a bit about how each device works and how their order depends on your goals. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify ; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Website - https://brianfunk.com Free Channel Strip Ableton Live Rack: https://brianfun...

Here's a short bit of wisdom I learned from a dog trainer that has helped me become a better music producer. Enjoy! Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify ; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Website - https://brianfunk.com Ableton Live Pack Archive - https://brianfunk.com/blog/ableton-live-pack-archive Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc Music Production Podcast - https://...

Caspar Bock is the founder of Baby Audio, makers of creative plug-ins for music producers. Baby Audio is beloved by producers worldwide for their unique and character-filled devices.  Caspar and I spoke about his work for Baby Audio and the various devices they have created. I really enjoyed learning about how they approach their work to bring producers tools that will help them express themselves...

Adam Rokhsar is a musician, programmer, animator, and educator. He is known for some of his Max for Live video devices, such as RokVid and GlitchGif. He creates psychedelic animations as Aesthetic Candy. Adam teaches music production at New York University. Adam and I had a great time reconnecting and discussing his latest work. His new album Computer Queer is available April 2nd and features all...

John Bartmann is a musician, producer, and the host of How I Make Music Podcast. John writes music for video, film, and podcasts. His podcast, How I Make Music, centers on audio drama podcast music composers. Each episode dives into a different composer's work and process. John generously shared some audio samples to help clarify his work. As an homage to him, I worked in a little audio drama to t...

Henny Tha Bizness and Kennard Garrett are both accomplished musicians, producers, songwriters, and educators. They've worked with artists such as Drake, Sting, Shaggy, Lil Wayne, and Jay Z. Both teach at the prestigious Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. Henny and Kennard have just released their first iOS app, House Mark I, a stunning recreation of classic Fender Rhodes electric pianos. Henny...

Ned Rush is a musician, producer, and YouTube personality. Ned's tutorials and Max for Live devices have long been some of my favorite on the internet. His work combines deep explorations of sound and production with a healthy, dry sense of humor. His new album Mode II , released under the name RUDENHS, brings together breakbeats and electric guitars, all delightfully treated with Ned's characteri...

Kiana Corley is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Her latest single, "Lukewarm," is about a love that has lost its spark, and it captures her soulful pop sound. Kiana is releasing her EP,  Take It or Leave It,  in late April. Kiana and I spoke about her songwriting process and her collaborations with other musicians. She shared some of her philosophy behin...

Jordan Rudess is a composer, music technologist, and keyboardist for progressive metal group Dream Theater. Jordan was voted "the best keyboardist of all-time" by Music Radar. He founded Wizdom Music to push the boundaries of music technology. Their newest release is GeoShred 5, a highly expressive, MPE instrument for iOS and soon desktop. Jordan also plays in the prog-metal super-group Liquid Ten...

Improvisational comedians always follow the rule "Yes! And..." It's used to move the scenario forward and foster a positive creative energy in the moment, as the material is being created. This rule can be applied to our music production. During the Jamuary2021 challenge, I used this approach to develop ideas even before I knew if I liked the idea. It's a great approach that can help prevent write...

Today's episode of the show covers another lesson learned during Jamuary 2021. Inspiration is rare and precious, and you have to act on it immediately. Here are some ideas about capturing and making the most of it when it strikes. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify ; watch on YouTube Show Notes: My Jamuary 2021 Jams - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLk4jo7_Rx2-1uqLGE8g8rwRMc...

Let's use the month of February to finish and release some of our music. After Jamuary, I'm sure you have lots of interesting musical ideas. Even if you didn't do Jamuary, you probably have plenty! During February, we are going to challenge ourselves to finish tracks and share them with the world! Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify ; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Derek Sivers on...

You'll learn a lot trying to create a new piece of music every day for a month. Some of the lessons, are reminders of things you already know. But this year, something new occurred to me. It just a simple mindset flip, but it has really changed how I see music production. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify ; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Website - https://brianfunk.com RYTM DRUM...