Podcasting is an innovative new way for music fans to access and consume audio content. Podcasts combine recordings with text, video and graphics – offering fans another means of accessing audio recordings.
Podcasts are an invaluable way for musicians to expand their audience, connecting them directly with fans. Here are 10 podcasts specifically for artists and their listeners to get you started!
Why We Bleep
As podcasts of all varieties continue to gain in popularity, a new genre of music history podcasts has appeared. These programs reimagined interview formats by exploring an intimate side of artists that may not be seen during live performances or traditional Q&A sessions.
Hrishikesh Hirway of Song Exploder stands out from traditional podcast interviews by cutting himself out of the conversation in order to allow artists to discuss their songs fully and eloquently – amplifying their voices while making the story behind creating it come alive!
The podcast provides an illuminating view of how music has developed through time, and the numerous ways artists have created their unique styles. Interviews with musicians from varying genres are enhanced with authentic audio recordings to add depth to each tale told.
As a result, these podcasts are some of the most captivating and captivating you’ll find today. A unique form of storytelling, they provide an engaging alternative when traveling or simply need a break from everyday stressors.
Louder Than a Riot, an insightful podcast exploring hip-hop’s impact on mass incarceration in America, uses music analysis as part of its interviews for maximum depth and resonance with listeners – consistently ranking among iTunes’ best podcast episodes.
Apart from being an excellently produced podcast, The Artist Series feels much like an art project itself: conversations between Hirway and its participants as well as with Hirway themselves; thus creating an experience which feels both intimate and intellectual at once.
Audio storytelling can be extremely difficult. It requires skill and precision as there’s only one sense available to work from: sound. Additionally, this requires time to properly convey to listeners the story being told.
Song Exploder
Have you ever experienced the joys of listening to a podcast? They are an excellent way of expanding our knowledge about our world, while opening doors to discovering new artists and songs.
There are an abundance of podcasts dedicated to music out there and you are bound to find one you enjoy! No matter if it is seeking new artists or just listening to something different – there’s sure to be an audio podcast for all musical interests out there!
Song Exploder is an in-depth podcast about music creation. It takes an in-depth look at how songs come to be created and explores each component that makes up each one piecemeal – an enthralling journey through song creation! Song Exploder provides an amazing look into its creation process that’s truly fascinating to follow.
Hrishikesh Hirway hosts this show produced in Los Angeles. Most guests on the show are musicians who take great care in explaining each song’s creation; such as when and why they began writing it; which influences have had an effect; as well as how each piece comes alive on stage.
Each episode runs around 22 minutes long and contains plenty of useful and captivating information. They use visuals to support their storytelling – this may include concert photos or footage from songwriting sessions – in order to tell their tale.
On this show, there’s also an extremely knowledgeable host who explains everything clearly and logically – it makes you feel as if you were present! A well produced and edited podcast like this truly puts listeners in their place!
At the end of the day, giving this podcast a try will definitely pay dividends; you’ll soon find yourself enjoying its insightful content. From singing along with talented musicians to listening to their original tunes live – there is sure to be something here for everyone!
Song Exploder is just one of the many incredible podcasts out there, and one worth your while if you enjoy electronic music or simply wish to gain more knowledge on the process behind song creation.
Berlin Zwanzig
If you love electronic music, there are countless podcasts out there for you to discover. While some focus on specific genres or artists, others explore general history, theory and culture of musical works. We’ve curated our favorite ones here: whether you prefer listening to selection mixes, discussing artwork with artists or exploring musical theory theory theory: there’s sure to be something here for every taste!
Our first podcast of three has been around for over a decade and recently underwent an upgrade: BBC World Music Service is an international collection of documentaries covering different artists and movements; Radio 3’s Donald Macleod hosts weekly feature Composer of the Week to highlight lesser-known composers whose lives can be seen through their music – expect to learn about Dora Pejacevic, Witold Lutoslawski, Errollyn Wallen etc as much as Beethoven, Puccini or Bach!
No Dogs in Space is another music history podcast hosted by Marcus Parks and Carolina Hidalgo that showcases classic bands like The Replacements, Velvet Underground, Dead Kennedys, Cramps, Ramones Joy Division among others. A must listen for any fan of music – this fascinating look at bands that revolutionized our listening habits is sure to keep the listener engrossed!
Sounds of Cinema (opens in new tab), our third of three BBC podcasts, is also an enjoyable listen and often touches upon cultural movements, film genres and sonic themes from across cinema history.
This podcast not only explores the musical histories of some of the world’s greatest artists, but is also an invaluable resource for aspiring musicians and DJs. Each episode brings a different artist in for an interview and discusses how they got started, what made them successful, and what it takes to become an accomplished artist.
This podcast is ideal for fans of any particular genre as well as artists and DJs seeking to break into the industry. Each episode provides exclusive live performances, unreleased songs and recordings by some of the top artists within that genre, album reviews from across multiple genres as well as album recommendations from within its niche.
Synth History
As fans of electronic music, synthesizers have played an enormous role in modern culture. These devices enable musicians to create sounds they would not normally be capable of making and have given rise to entirely new genres and instruments.
Synth History is an electronic music history podcast that examines the pioneers behind pioneering pieces of hardware. Featuring classic tracks that have inspired new generations of musicians and innovators to create amazing musical experiences with synthesizers, this resource serves as an indispensable guide.
This podcast serves as a complement to Moog Music’s GIANTS series, created to honor some of the most influential electronic musicians and innovators. GIANTS celebrates those whose careers have contributed greatly to shaping modern electronic music history as we know it today.
Milton Babbitt is widely recognized for revolutionizing music through his “robot orchestra”, an analog synthesizer created at Princeton University in 1964. Utilizing this instrument, Babbitt created some of the most difficult compositions ever written and helped pave the way for digital music as we know it today.
We will also explore how the Yamaha DX7 led to a revolution in affordable digital music synthesis and FM synthesis enabled greater control over its sound. Furthermore, we’ll examine MIDI’s introduction and its role in helping new sounds be created and promoted with ease.
As we expand our list of podcasts, we will add fresh content as often as possible – so keep checking back! If you enjoy one or more shows from our catalogue, be sure to follow us on social media for up-to-the-minute updates on Facebook or Twitter!
As well as this podcast, we have assembled some great resources for synth enthusiasts. From an iOS app that enables players to access VCS3 music files directly, to Roland Cloud 4.0’s collection of 80s analog synths in software form – there’s something here for everyone!