Music Production Podcast

We are living through unprecedented times. It is our duty to stay home to slow the spread of coronavirus. In an effort to maintain positivity and make the most of our time at home, this episode runs through some ideas you can use to be productive. Stay healthy! Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Live Performance in Ableton Live - My video course is free when you use the code: STAYHOME Music Production Club - Monthly subscription for a steady flow of music production tools to your inbox. Klevgrand - Makers of Kleverb and other great audio plug-ins. Korg iKaossilator - Amazing app that is currently free. Moog Model D App - Beautiful iPhone recreation of the classic synth. Isolation Loops - Hainbach's free loops for your time home. Quasimidi Sirius Samples - Legowelt is sharing some nice samples of a cool synth. Expanding Sound - Lots of free Ableton Live Packs. Sonic Bloom - Excellent Ableton Live Packs and Tutorials.  Gumroad - Sell something! Sahil Lavinglia - Gumroad CEO on the Music Production Podcast. Listen to Music - LA Times article on deep listening. Thinking In Bets - by Annie Duke. The Paradox of Choice - by Barry Schwartz. You're It! - Collected speakings of Alan Watts.  Live Producer's Online - Dan Giffin's Ableton Live Podcast. Hanging Out with Audiophiles - Jamie Lidell's Podcast. Huston Music - Huston Singletary's Podcast. Art + Music + Technology - Darwin Grosse's Podcast. Mr. Bill's Podcast - Mr. Bill's Podcast. Song Exploder - Podcast about song creation. ELPHNT - Tom from ELPHNT on the Music Production Podcast. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

Thomas Glendinning is an Ableton Certified Trainer and the man behind the popular site ELPHNT, where he helps producers "make better music."  Tom and I sat down to speak for the second time on the podcast about his recent work (including the amazing FRZN GRAINS Ableton Live Pack), finishing music, and crafting a business out of a passion.  Thanks to Tom for creating the beautiful artwork for this episode! Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: ELPHNT - Tom's site that helps music producers make better music. Newsletter - Join Tom's newsletter; I'm a subscriber. YouTube - Tom's incredible collection of tutorials. Instagram - Tom's might be the cleanest and slickest Insta I've ever seen. How to Finish Music - Tom's insights after creating music for the YouTube Audio Library. FRZN GRAINS - Tom's beautiful Ableton Live Pack. YouTube Audio Library - Search for ELPHNT! Favorite Max for Live Devices - Ableton's recent piece on Tom's curation of quality Max for Live devices. Music Production Podcast #26: Tom's first appearance on the podcast. Gumroad CEO - Sahil Lavinglia on the Music Production Podcast. Interview with Floating Points - Tom recommended Floating Points music based on his use of limitations. Audio Jungle - Library music site. Kleverb - Klevgrand's beautiful reverb plug-in. Music Production Club - Get a steady flow of music production tools right to your inbox. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

This episode marks the beginning of the 4th year of the Music Production Podcast! I never imagined I'd be a podcaster, but I think I've done it long enough to earn the title. And that's what this episode is about: if you want to be a thing, act like the thing. Do the things that person would do!  Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Music Production Club - While my very limited supplies last, you can get Klevgrand's Kleverb when you join the Club! Kleverb - Klevgrand's excellent algorithmic reverb plug-in. Liam Gallagher - Entertaining interview with the frontman of Oasis unapologetically owns who he is. Laptop Feedback Ableton Live Pack - My first Ableton Live Pack. A Journey Inward - My new EP available on Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play, SoundCloud, etc. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

I've just released my new EP, "A Journey Inward," and the secret to finishing it was in the story. I find that by having the story of your music clearly defined, making music because much easier and more enjoyable. In this episode we talk about how I used story to complete my latest EP. The episode ends with a listening to the EP itself. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Music Production Club - While my very limited supplies last, you can get Klevgrand's Kleverb when you join the Club! Kleverb - Klevgrand's excellent algorithmic reverb plug-in. A Journey Inward - My new EP available on Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play, SoundCloud, etc. Social Story Songs - Music my friend, Chris P Cauley, and I wrote  to teach acceptable social behavior. Chris P Cauley -  One of my musical brothers.  Leave Stones Unturned - An insightful blog by Seth Godin. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

Graham Cochrane is the founder of The Recording Revolution, whose YouTube channel has over 500,000 subscribers. For over ten years, Graham's tutorials have shown musicians how to record great music at home with affordable gear. Graham also helps entrepreneurs build their online businesses.  Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: The Recording Revolution - Graham's site helping musicians "create radio-worthy songs from your home or bedroom studio." YouTube - A wealth of home recording video tutorials from Graham. GrahamCochrane.com - Learn about online business from Graham. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

Staying organized will keep your music making experience fun. You will have the tools you need when you need them. In this episode, I talk about some things that have helped me stay organized. I also talk about the most impactful book I read last year, Getting Things Done by David Allen. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: FRZN GRAINS - ELPHNT's granular Ableton Live Pack Music Production Club - Join the club to get a steady flow of sounds for you music making. Workflowy - Simple and powerful web-based app I use for keeping lists. Getting Things Done - David Allen's incredible system for keeping track of ideas, staying organized, and getting work done. David Allen - Listen to David Allen on the Tim Ferriss Show. #103 and #51: Music Production Podcast episodes with Eshan Khadaroo, aka Push4Life. Audio and MIDI in the Basement - My chart for keeping track of where everything in my studio is connected. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

Mixing is an art. Mixing is technical. A mix can be objectively good or bad. A mix can be subjectively good or bad. This episode of the Music Production Podcast contains some of the general guidelines that have helped me find the sound I'm looking for and improve the technical quality of my mixes.  Thanks for listening and please pardon the clickbait title; I'm running some experiments in naming. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Space Journey Kit - Free Ableton Live Pack used for the opening music. Music Production Club - Get access to a constantly updated collection of music production tools. 10 Time-Saving Music Production Hacks - An experiment in click-bait titling. Currently my second most downloaded episode. Go figure! 10 Things To Do When You Are Uninspired - An experiment in click-bait titling. Currently my fifth most downloaded episode. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

As you work and toil over your music, there comes a point when a song is finished. But how do you KNOW your track is finished? You can always add or change things. You can try new sounds or alter the arrangement. But how do you know where to stop? In this episode, we explore the topic from both a philosophical and practical position. We ask questions about what makes a song complete and then go through specific techniques and approaches you can use to finish your music. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Music Production Club - Subscribe to my Club to get a steady flow of tools and inspiration to your inbox. FRZN GRAINS - ELPHNT's beautiful granular-instrument Ableton Live Pack. Twilight Zone "Escape Clause" - A great episode about what happens when risk and danger are removed from life. What is Your Audience Doing? - Music Production Podcast about what your listeners are doing while listening to your music. Make Bad Music - Just finish your tracks, even if they are bad! Music Production Podcast episode #2. Some Thoughts on Finishing Songs - Music Production Podcast with practical ideas on finishing music. John Lennon - John's sometimes harsh critiques of songs by The Beatles. Gumroad Founder on the Music Production Podcast - Sahil Lavingia has some powerful thoughts on finishing art sooner rather than working on it too long. Derek Sivers - Derek on the EDM Prodcast (great show) talking about releasing art. More Derek Sivers - Derek on the Music Production Podcast. Pay attention to "deep and shallow happy." EDMProd Guidebooks - The makers of EDM Prodcast have a lot of helpful PDFs for music production. A Simple Mistake That Will Ruin Your Mixdown - Make sure your tracks end smoothly, 2 Minute Ableton Live Tip. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

As you are making music, it can help to consider what your listeners will be doing as they listen. You can also think about the 13 musical emotions and which ones you want to evoke with your music. All of this can help us finish and release an album, EP, or single this month, during the Finish February Challenge! Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: FRZN GRAINS - ELPHNT's collection of Ableton Live instruments made from analog sources run through granular effects. Music Production Club - Get a steady flow of music production tools in your inbox. Finish February 2020 - Music Production Podcast about the Finish February Challenge to release some music this month. 13 Musical Emotions - Studies have shown there are 13 musical emotions.  Inner Circle Podcast - Bobby Owsinski's excellent music industry podcast. Jamuary Spreadsheet - A spreadsheet you can use to organize and categorize your Jamuary Jams and decide which ones to finish in February. My 2018 Spreadsheet - See how I used the spreadsheet to categorize my work in 2018. My YouTube Channel - I will be live streaming my Finish February process. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

Jamuary is over! And if you participated, you probably have lots of ideas to work off of. Even if you didn't participate, I'm sure you have a lot of unfinished ideas anyway. Finish February is a challenge to finish some of that music and release it. It can be a single, EP, or full album. The point is to finish some music and get it out to the world! Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: FRZN GRAINS - ELPHNT's collection of Ableton Live instruments made from analog sources run through granular effects. Thomas Glendinning - The man behind ELPHNT made an appearance on episode 26 of the Music Production Podcast. Let's Start Finish February - Episode 48 introduced the idea of Finish February. Jamuary Spreadsheet - A spreadsheet you can use to organize and categorize your Jamuary Jams and decide which ones to finish in February. My 2018 Spreadsheet - See how I used the spreadsheet to categorize my work in 2018. How to Upload Your Music to Major Streaming Services - A post I did about releasing your music with DistroKid. 7% Off at DistroKid - Save a little money when releasing your music with this link. Music Production Club - Get a steady flow of music production tools in your inbox. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk