14 podcasts every artist should be listening [2021]
Whatever your interests may be, we are living in the golden age of podcasting, and musicians are no exception! Here, we look at fourteen of the best music-themed podcasts every artist should be sure to check out.
Guest post by Dave Cool of the Bandzoogle Blog
Podcasting has never been more popular, with over 850,000 active podcasts to choose from, and with podcast fans listening to an average of 7 different shows per week.
There are lots of great podcasts for musicians looking to learn about the music business or the latest marketing trends; to hear in-depth conversations about songwriting; or to get inspired by other musicians.
So here’s a list (in alphabetical order) of some of our favorite podcasts – ones we think musicians should be listening to. (Spoiler: you just might hear an ad for Bandzoogle on many of these podcasts, encouraging musicians to build a website for their music!)
1. AND THE WRITER IS…
AND THE WRITER IS… features multi-platinum songwriter and artist Ross Golan sitting down with a featured songwriter to intimately discuss what happens behind closed doors in the music industry. We’ve been a huge fan of this podcast for years. Highly recommended for songwriters.
A few episodes to check out: Lance Bass, Linda Perry, Michael Stipe and Mike Mills of R.E.M
2. Being in a Band
Being in a Band is hosted by digital marketer and musician (and Bandzoogle member!) Monica Strut. If you’re looking to learn more about the music business, marketing, branding, and strategy, this is a podcast worth listening to.
Episode to check out: Bree Noble
3. CD Baby’s DIY Musician Podcast
CD Baby’s DIY Musician Podcast is one of the longest-running and most informative podcasts for musicians. Hosted by longtime CD Baby team members Kevin Breuner and Chris Robley, the podcast covers everything you need to know about releasing and promoting your music, and navigating the music industry.
Episodes to check out: Building a compelling artist website, How to release your music in 2021
4. Female Entrepreneur Musician Podcast
Hosted by Bree Noble, The Female Entrepreneur Musician Podcast shares insights on how to create a sustainable career as a woman in the music business. There are solo episodes where Bree provides tips and tricks from her own experience and ones that feature interviews with female musicians and industry pros.
Episodes to check out: Tools To Create A Profitable Music Website with Bandzoogle CEO Stacey Bedford, The Ultimate Guide To Music Publicity with Ariel Hyatt
Create a modern, mobile-ready website for your music career. Design a website with Bandzoogle today!
5. Gig Gab
The Gig Gab podcast is a weekly discussion hosted by Paul Kent and Dave Hamilton where they share their gigging experiences, tips and tricks learned, and also features interviews with other weekend warriors and pros. For gigging musicians, this is a great podcast to learn and commiserate.
Episodes to check out: Covers and Originals: A Battle?, What’s On Your Gig-Packing Checklist?
6. How to Build a Sustainable Music Career and Collect All Revenue Streams
How to Build a Sustainable Music Career and Collect All Revenue Streams is the podcast version of Emily White’s #1 Amazon best-selling book. Emily White has been at the forefront of the modern music industry throughout her career. We highly recommend this podcast!
Episodes to check out: Pre-Recording Marketing Foundation w/ Cyber PR’s Ariel Hyatt, Get Your Business Affairs Together & Fair Compensation w/ Donald S. Passman
7. Making Money in the Music Business
The Making Money in the Music Business podcast is hosted by professional musician and educator Dr. William E. Smith, and Soul and Jazz independent vocalist/songwriter (and Bandzoogle member!) Kenya McGuire Johnson. They provide insightful views on a variety of topics in the music industry that can help you make more money from your music.
Episodes to check out: How To Manage Your Band Professionally, Interview With Bandzoogle Representative Dave Cool
8. The Music Biz Weekly
The Music Biz Weekly podcast is co-hosted by Michael Brandvold and Jay Gilbert and features discussions for the DIY artist. Topics include music licensing, Facebook marketing, Twitter marketing, email marketing, finding fans online, selling your music, selling merchandise and much, much more. If you want to learn about the music business and music marketing, this podcast is a great place to start.
Episodes to check out: 365 Livestream Ideas for Musicians with Author Leonard Patterson, The Many Commission Free Revenue Streams at Bandzoogle, Bandzoogle Provides the Tools for All Your Website Needs https://www.youtube.com/embed/1sw3_de1Y_Q
9. The New Music Business with Ari Herstand
The New Music Business podcast is hosted by Ari Herstand, the best-selling author of How To Make It in the New Music Business. In the show he deconstructs the brightest minds in the music industry, digging deep to find the tools, tactics, and strategies that listeners can use to run successful careers of their own.
Episodes to check out: 100 Million Streams Doesn’t Come Without Some Pain – Lucidious, Emily Kinney on the Art and Business of Acting and Music
10. The Profitable Musician Show
The Profitable Musician Show is hosted by friend of Bandzoogle Bree Noble, who also hosts the Female Entrepreneur Musician Podcast. The Profitable Musician Show is all about exploring different revenue streams for musicians, and how you can accelerate and diversify your income from music.
Episodes to check out: The Bandzoogle Members’ Secret To Making Over $5M During The Pandemic With Bandzoogle CEO Stacey Bedford, The Business Side Of Music: Band Promotion And Content Creation With Monica Strut
11. The Set Up
Every week, The Set Up navigates new topics through interviews with disruptors in the music industry―turning their experiences working behind the scenes into actionable advice for musicians.
Episodes to check out: Websites for Artists with Bandzoogle CEO, Stacey Bedford, How to Use Data with Jay Gilbert
12. The Working Songwriter
The Working Songwriter is a weekly podcast about songwriting hosted by singer-songwriter Joe Pug. Of all the podcasts that Bandzoogle sponsors, we hear the most feedback from musicians about this one. It is a must-listen for songwriters.
Episodes to check out: Dashboard Confessional, Allison Russell, Lou Barlow of Dinosaur Jr. & Sebadoh, Lera Lynn, Lucinda Williams, Amanda Palmer
13. Unstarving Musician
The Unstarving Musician podcast, hosted by Robonzo, features weekly interviews with independent music artists who share their experience and expertise on recording, touring, getting gigs, the creative process, marketing, and more.
Episodes to check out: Create, Cultivate and Connect–Joy Ike, The Many Ways Musicians Are Adapting To Change–Dave Cool
14. Your Morning Coffee
This podcast is hosted by YOUR MORNING COFFEE newsletter creator/curator Jay Gilbert along with Mike Etchart, former host of the syndicated Sound & Vision Radio program. Every week, Jay and Mike break down the biggest stories so you stay on top of the latest news and trends in this new music business.
Episodes to check out: You should listen every week to get caught up on all of the latest music industry news!
We hope that you check out some of these amazing podcasts for musicians, and that they inform and inspire you. If we missed any of your favorites, let us know in the comments below.
