Bobby Owsinski's Inner Circle Podcast

My guest today is Jesper Skibsby, the CEO and founder of radio monitory service WARM - the first global radio monitoring service focusing on serving the artists and indie segment of the music industry.  WARM track and identify music played on radio, globally and in real-time. The vision behind WARM is to make detailed music data available to everyone, especially the long tail segment of artist, producers, managers and record labels. Jesper has established companies like Fandango Music Management, We Make Noise and Kassiopeia Kollektive, has been a board member of DUP (association for independent record labels in Denmark), and has represented MusicDNA as the head of Scandinavia. During the interview we spoke about why radio metrics are overlooked by indie artists yet so important, why radio is still the biggest driver of music consumption worldwide, how the internet has actually boosted radio music listening, and much more. I spoke with Jesper via Zoom from his office in Copenhagen. On the intro

My guest today is composer / plug-in developer Sam Fischmann from the plugin company Musik Hack. Musik Hack is the brainchild of both Sam and Grammy-nominated producer and engineer Stan Greene. Their first product is the innovative mastering plugin Master Plan. Sam is a seasoned software developer whose portfolio spans audio/DSP, Web development, and embedded systems. He’s obsessed with building creative, functional, major-label-quality products that don’t look like airplane cockpits. During the interview we spoke about getting the most from the Master Plan plugin, the different audio needs for different music genres, trends in plugins, how Ai will be used in plugins in the future, and much more. I spoke with Sam via Zoom from his office in Los Angeles. On the intro I’ll take a look at the latest RIAA mid-year report, and inMusic begins to lay off Moog Music employees. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 88607375, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefin

My guests today are Evan Dhillon and James Paston, two of the founders of the Ai voice cloning service Kits Ai. The company has launched tools for artists to safely create, license, and share their own voice models, opening new opportunities for fan engagement and monetization. Kits Ai has amassed over 100,000 users since launching, with their voice cloning technology training more than 80,000 custom voices based on the conversion of over a million audio files. They’re also backed by investments from a number of organizations and artists that include Steve Aoki, Lionel Richie and Wyclef Jean. During the interview we spoke about some unexpected uses for vocal cloning, new revenue opportunities from using the platform, why the user interface is so important, and much more. I spoke with Evan and James via Zoom. On the intro I’ll take a look at how playlist culture is affecting songwriting, and the unseen costs of analog recording. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 88464205,

My guest today is Los Angeles session guitarist Andrew Synowiec, ,who has recorded for or performed with artists ranging from music industry icons The Who and Alanis Morissette to contemporary trailblazers like Lil Nas X and Meghan Trainor. Other recent collaboration credits include Nick Jonas, Ariana Grande, Michael Bublé, Elton John, Seal, 98 Degrees, Josh Groban, Donna Summer, Bette Midler, and Carole King, among many others. Andrew has performed on projects that have garnered more than 30 Emmy nominations, 25 Grammys, and 20 Oscar nominations. He also boasts a guitar collection of over 100 guitars. Andrew’s latest album entitled FUN, is now available, and he’ll being touring the West Coast soon as well. During the interview we spoke about changing gear to get into session work, the trials of building his home studio, doing online sessions where the client doesn’t attend, how he built his career, and much more. I spoke with Andrew via Zoom from his studio in Hollywood. On the intro I’ll

My guest today is vinyl pressing expert Dustin Blocker, who founded Hand Drawn Records in 2011 and Hand Drawn vinyl pressing in 2014. He’s also been named the first president of the Vinyl Record Manufacturing Association, which is comprised of more than 30 companies from every level of vinyl production, including record labels, mastering, lacquer cutting, electroplating, record pressing, printmakers, equipment manufacturers, brokers, raw material suppliers, and even logistic service providers. During the interview we spoke about the unseen steps in vinyl manufacturing, the latest in cutting-edge vinyl, developing quality standards for vinyl pressing, working towards sustainability, and much more. I spoke with Dustin via Zoom from his office in Texas. On the intro I’ll take a look at music videos losing their importance, and Gibson gets its archives back. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 87420141, backgroundColor: 'white', font: undefined, fontCo

My guest today is Bill McQuay, who’s an  independent audio producer, NPR contributor, National Geographic Explorer and founder of Eco Location Sound. Before starting Eco Location Sound, Bill was Supervising Audio Engineer for the Library of Natural Sound at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and an audio producer for the Lab's Multi-media group. Prior to joining the Lab of Ornithology, Bill was an NPR sound engineer and technical director for NPR programs including: Morning Edition, Weekend Saturday and Sunday, Performance Today and NPR's Radio Expeditions. Radio Expeditions is where he began his long time collaboration with NPR science correspondent Christopher Joyce, a creative relationship that continues today. Bill led NPR's early surround-sound recording effort and was its first technical director. He was also the mastering engineer for NPR Classics CD’s. He has also worked on many other 360 degree interactive projects. Along the way Bill has won the National Academy of Sciences award for the years

My guest today is holistic artist coach Wendy Parr, who’s personal and professional experiences led her to become a coach that helps artists lose perfectionism, overcome resistances, follow their inner vision, and curate a life and career they love. With over 20 years coaching top music artists like Melanie Martinez, Sara Bareilles, Marc Bassy, and taking A Great Big World from their very 1st vocal session to a Grammy award, The Parr Method has also the driving force behind Wendy co-writing “Dreams on Fire” for the soundtrack of Slum Dog MIllionaire, which also won a GRAMMY. The Parr Method empowers recording artists to develop their authentic voice for their ar t, brand and life from the studio to the stage.  During the interview we spoke about doing gigs around Hollywood as a teenager, making music in India with some top Indian artists, how she's helped some of today's top artists overcome their personal roadblocks, developing her holistic approach to coaching, and much more. I spoke with Wendy

My guest today is Sam Gribben, the CEO of the music learning platform Melodics. Melodics is a software platform that teaches you to play keyboards, pad controllers and electronic drums. Melodics uses gamification of practice to encourage you to keep working at getting better. Prior to founding Melodics, Sam was CEO of the DJ software company Serato, where he joined as employee #4 and eventually helped to scale the company into an industry leader. During the interview we spoke about how to keep the fun in learning music, why many DJs and producers want to learn how to play keyboards, how the term “musician” ruins music for many people, why music teachers have embraced Melodics, and much more. I spoke with Sam via Zoom from his office in Auckland, New Zealand. On the intro I’ll take a look at how gold and platinum records are determined, and Avid is acquired by the private equity company STG. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 87169485, backgroundColor: 'white',

My guest today is producer/engineer Ed Stasium, who was an essential element in the New York punk and alternative rock scene in the 70’s and 80’s, having worked on seminal albums by The Ramones, Talking Heads and Living Colour.  He has also worked with a wide range of artists such as Mick Jagger, Pretenders, Soul Asylum, The Smithereens, Motorhead, Joan Jett and many more.  Ed was one of my first guests way back in September of 2014 on Episode 23, and it’s always great to catch up with him to hear about what he’s doing. While in Part 1 of this latest interview we spoke about some of Ed’s history, in Part 2 we traded some studio stories, talked about his home studio, mixing in Atmos, and much more. I spoke with Ed via Zoom from his studio outside of San Diego. On the intro I’ll take a look at superfans that aren’t so super, and the return of Sunn amplifiers.

My guest today is producer/engineer Ed Stasium, who was an essential element in the New York punk and alternative rock scene in the 70’s and 80’s, having worked on seminal albums by The Ramones, Talking Heads and Living Colour.  He has also worked with a wide range of artists such as Mick Jagger, Pretenders, Soul Asylum, The Smithereens, Motorhead, Joan Jett and many more.  Ed likes to say that, “I’ve seen rock and roll grow up, “ and indeed it’s true, having recorded and mixed his first gold single in 1972 with Gladys Knight & The Pips “Midnight Train To Georgia.” After spending time on the staff of New York’s well-known Mediasound getting his feet wet in the music business, Ed became the first staff engineer at the famous Power Station where he played an intricate part in the design of the room and choice of equipment. In part 1 of our two-part interview we spoke about his early sessions as a musician with some recording legends, his first big studio break, working for Ampeg, and much more. Ed w

My guest on this episode is artist manager Zack Zarrillo. Zack is co-founder of Alternate Side, a full-service music company that represents over 30 artists in the alternative/rock/pop/electronic/metal genres. He also co-founded Bad Timing Records, and he began writing his popular music blog "PropertyOfZack" when he was just 16 years old. The blog became a go-to source for music fans and industry insiders alike. Zack’s Alternate Side management has a combined catalog of over 5 Billion streams, 10 gold records, and 4 platinum records. He’s also is a fierce advocate for artists’ rights, which is the ethos of his company, and offers mentorship and assistance in music ownership, career development, finances and mental health.  During the interview we spoke about how management has changed over the last few years, where he finds talent, how TikTok has benefited his artists, the reason why labels today aren't signing artists, the current trends in the business, and much more. I spoke with Zack via Zoom

My guest on this episode is engineer, producer and avid gear collector Pete Min. Pete is owner of Lucy’s Meat Market studio, and Colorfield Records, a label where he collaborates with some of LA's best musicians to create one-off LPs made entirely within his studio. Pete’s worked with major artists, including Feist, Diana Ross, Strokes, Third Eye Blind, Orville Peck, Shawn Mendes, Ringo Starr, and many more. He also has a studio filled with not only vintage audio gear, but a fantastic guitar, bass, amp, drum, and keyboard collection that almost any musician would die for. During the interview we talked about doing jingles, buying vintage gear, hot-rodding guitars in the 90’s, his favorite mics and plugins, and much more. I spoke with Pete via Zoom from his studio in Los Angeles. On the intro I’ll take a look at the new Threads social platform, and how music gear retail is in trouble again.

My guest on this episode is Paul Sampson, who’s the founder and CEO of the music licensing service for creators, Lickd. Paul started in the entertainment business working for a small television production company, where he encountered difficulties licensing music multiple times, which made him want to understand the nuances and problems of music licensing that needed solving. That led to a job with the stock music company Extreme Music, where he rose through the ranks to become head of its U.S. operation.  After a stint focusing more on commercial music and unsigned independent acts, Paul launched Lickd to help YouTube and Instagram creators legally license music for their videos. Lickd currently works with over 10,000 labels and publishers to help pre-clear their music for social platforms, games, and even the various metaverses. It’s the only licensing platform in the world where you can get over 1 million chart tracks for your videos without fear of copyright claims. During the interview we tal

My guest on this episode is Vickie Nauman, who’s expertise crosses between music and technology, finance, gaming, and the digital business economy. Vickie’s built one of the first DMCA-compliant services at taste-making station KEXP in Seattle, developed music tech work experience in licensing at MusicNet, which was one of the first legal digital services, ran strategic partnerships for connected device manufacturer Sonos, started and ran the US business for global music platform 7digital, and did digital business in Europe and China as a consultant. In a previous life, she also ran marketing programs and produced live broadcasts in traditional radio in the NPR network. Vickie’s CrossBorderWorks music tech and consulting firm has worked with digital business and sync departments at Universal, Warner, Sony, Sony Publishing, UMPG, Warner Chappell, Merlin, Beggars, and many more labels, publishers, PROs, and distributors, as well as emerging sync platforms and rights administration services. During the

My guest on this episode is Evan Price, who’s an artist manager, educator, branding specialist and CEO of Artist Collective. At age 14, Evan started his first promotion company, and eventually went on to managing rappers and 9-piece bands in Chicago. He launched Artist Collective out of the dorm room of Columbia College Chicago while obtaining his Bachelors Degree in Music Business. Since then he has helped launch 100+ music brands, transforming artists and musicians into "artistpreneurs".  During the interview, we talked about thinking about marketing a release in advance, motivating artists to think more about business, getting artists to understand their branding, overcoming limiting beliefs, and much more. I spoke with Evan via Zoom from his office in Chicago. On the intro I’ll take a look at the power of a song placement in a TV show, and getting reimbursed to record in Iceland. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 86660560, backgroundColor: 'white',

My guest on this episode is Eric Boulanger, who’s the founder of The Bakery mastering studio as well as a professional studio violinist.  A protege of legendary mastering engineer Doug Sax, Eric has mastered GRAMMY-winning or nominated projects for a variety of popular and legendary artists. Not only that, he’s a studio violinist with performances and recordings that range from orchestral and chamber music, Broadway musicals, contemporary pop music, and film/television scores. In part 2 of my interview with Eric, we’ll talk about his unusual mastering studio, installing a familiar piece of equipment, the reason for the vinyl renaissance, why he chose the gear in his studio, and much more. I spoke with Eric via Zoom from his home in Los Angeles. On the intro I’ll take a look at a band that made 6 figures from their AI-generated album, and the Cakewalk Sonar DAW is being reintroduced. var podscribeEmbedVars = { epId: 86600808, backgroundColor: 'white',

My guest on this episode is Eric Boulanger, who’s the founder of The Bakery mastering studio as well as a professional studio violinist.  A protege of legendary mastering engineer Doug Sax, Eric has mastered GRAMMY-winning or nominated projects for Green Day, Hozier, Selena Gomez, Colbie Caillat, OneRepublic, Imagine Dragons, Neil Young, The Plain White T’s, Chris Botti, and many more. A classically trained violinist since the age of three with over two decades of professional experience, Eric has trained at such renowned institutions as The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music and Tanglewood. His performances and recordings range from orchestral and chamber music, Broadway musicals, contemporary pop music, and film/television scores. In part 1 of the interview we spoke about playing in the string section on Family Guy sessions, working as an intern at Capitol Studios with Al Schmitt, rebuilding the vinyl cutting room at Mastering Lab, having the legendary Doug Sax as a mentor, and much more.

My guest this week is David Packouz, who may have the most interesting back story of just about any guest I’ve had on this podcast. David is the CEO of Singular Sound and creator of the innovative Beat Buddy drum machine pedal, which gives guitar players easy control of drum loops and songs when they play live. But there’s a lot more to his story. Prior to starting Singular Sound, David worked as an major weapons contractor for the U.S. Department of Defense, which is a story in itself. In fact, his journey into arms dealing was the subject of the 2016 film War Dogs where his character was played by Miles Teller. After that adventure filled with international intrigue, David pivoted back to music and started Singular Sound thanks to an extremely successful crowdfunding campaign . Besides the Beat Biddy, Singular also makes looper pedals and controllers, all with the performing musician in mind. During the interview we spoke about navigating the dark world of arms dealing and how international politic

My guest this week is Ryan Schwabe who’s a two-time Grammy nominated, platinum certified mixing and mastering engineer. In 2020, he was nominated for a Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Album for Baauer’s "Planet’s Mad," and in 2023 he was nominated for Best Sound Engineered Album, Non-Classical for mixing and mastering Baynk’s "Adolescence."  Ryan is a former professor of recording arts and music production at Drexel University's Music Industry Program. He’s also owner of the music production and engineering company Xcoustic Sound, the music technology company Schwabe Digital, and co-owner of the digital record label Rare MP3s.  And he's also the developer of the new Gold Clip mixing and mastering plugin. During the interview we spoke about learning the art of mastering, his philosophy on mixing, not being tied to certain mixing techniques, developing his own plugin, and much more. I spoke with Ryan via Zoom from his studio in Philadelphia. On the intro I’ll take a look at how labels may become

My guest this week is Tony Simerman, who as a kid would go to work with his Dad, who was the manager of The Kennedy Center Concert Hall in Washington, D.C. There he’d hang out backstage where he was lucky enough to see every major hard rock and metal show in the 70s and 80s, and make many musical friends over the years. Fast forward to 2023, and Tony’s company KnuckleBonz has been recognized worldwide for the past two decades as the leading creators of high-end and hand-crafted collectibles that feature iconic moments in rock history as well as music legends.  KnuckleBonz creates licensed memorabilia for Pink Floyd, Queen, Alice Cooper, Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, AC/DC, Iron Maiden, KISS, Scorpions, Black Sabbath, and Guns N’ Roses – just to name a few. The company’s commitment to fine craftsmanship is showcased in the artistry and detail of each hand-crafted limited edition statue created for collectors of licensed properties. Think of it as rock meets art. During the interview we spoke about growing