Photo credit: Henry Be
As of June 2022, there are over 2.4 million podcasts and nearly 400 million podcast listeners in the world. So for a podcast to rise to the top of its niche, it has to be very good. With that in mind, below are five of the best podcasts for musicians.
The Digital Music News Podcast
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the Digital Music News podcast. Hosted by DMN founder, Paul Resnikoff, this podcast shares music news and helpful tips for indie musicians. (Paul didn’t make me include this podcast on the list, there’s just actual helpful information in the episodes).
Each episode, Reskinoff interviews music experts, indie musicians, and even music attorneys. The goal is to educate and encourage musicians by asking probing questions, trying to predict where the industry will go, and telling real-life stories about being a musician.
The NDPNDNT Podcast
The NDPNDNT podcast is one of the most helpful resources for indie musicians. It’s hosted by full-time indie artists Nic D and Connor Price, both of whom currently have over 4 million monthly listeners on Spotify, along with Price’s wife Breanna, who helps Connor and Nic D with administrative work.
They talk about succeeding on TikTok, making money as a musician, promoting your newest release, and much more. It’s cool because they use their own real-world examples and pass on what they’ve learned from doing the work. They also interview fellow indie artists, including Hoodie Allen, Zach Diamond, and Ryan Mack as well as industry experts like Wendy Day.
The New Music Business Podcast
When it comes to the business side of music, Ari Herstand has made himself the go-to source for tons of indies. The New Music Business podcast is his latest iteration of helping his fellow artists.
Ari is known for cutting the crap, getting to the root of an issue, and asking the hard questions. This leads to some transparent answers from his guests, to the benefit of his listeners. Each episode, he interviews indie artists and music industry people, including (but not limited to)…
- Imogen Heap
- Vo Williams (over 1,000 sync placements)
- Music supervisors
- The Director and Head of Creator Brand & Product Marketing at Spotify
- Billboard’s music copyright reporter
- GRAMMY-nominated songwriters and producers
Overall, a podcast with a wealth of information and real-world applications. Definitely a must-listen.
Song Exploder
Just imagine how amazingly helpful it would be to hear directly from an artist you respect on how they made a song you love. You actually don’t have to imagine it, thanks to this podcast.
At this point, if you haven’t heard of Song Exploder, you’ve probably been living off the grid. In each episode, host Hrishikesh Hirway interviews a musician or band who takes apart their song and shares the story of how they made it.
The featured artists are some of the best songwriters, producers, and creative minds in modern music history. I’m talking Billie Eilish, U2, Sheryl Crow, Phoebe Bridgers, Yo-Yo Ma, The Roots, and so many others across pretty much every genre. Literally, just think of your favorite artist and they’ve probably done a Song Exploder episode. There’s even a posthumous episode featuring John Lennon with previously archived audio recordings and interviews.
Hirway also made a Song Exploder Netflix series featuring Alicia Keys, Lin-Manuel Miranda, R.E.M., Ty Dolla $ign, Dua Lipa, Nine Inch Nails, The Killers, and Natalia Lafourcade.
The Working Songwriter
As a songwriter, it can be difficult to know exactly how to make a living and navigate the industry. That’s where The Working Songwriter podcast comes in. As of this writing, host and songwriter Joe Pug has published nearly 200 episodes, almost all of them interviews with acclaimed songwriters.
It’s a conversational podcast where Pug and his guest talk about the craft, the business, and the life of a professional musician. You can hear from Brandon Flowers of The Killers, Bahamas, Matt Nathanson, G. Love, Josh Ritter, GRAMMY-winning songwriter Amy Helm, and so many others.