We close out our History of Music Production series on a high note with a fascinating discussion on the weird history of delay: from hijacking telephone wires to oil cans, it just keeps getting more bizarre. Next, pundits have been saying for a long time that rock music is dead and the future of music is country. But not so fast! Rock music seems to be having a cultural resurgence and we get into why.

Then...whew. We have ...

Our History of Music Production series rolls on with the history of reverb. Just think: they used to dig underground chambers to get the sound that now comes free with every DAW. Next, we discuss a great post by the music marketer Finch Bergling about some things more important than Spotify, which turned into an extended chat on the power of PR.

In AI news: you still can't copyright generated material, Charlie Puth ha...

We continue our History of Music Production series (the name for which we can not remember during our recording session!) with a look at the history of equalizers, aka EQ. After that, industry leaders are taking aim at Suno. We look at a couple open letters written by some prominent industry watchers. Don't let the AI bros fool you into thinking AI music is inevitable! Speaking of AI, Sony has released several papers about how...

Our History of Music Production series carries on with the history of compressors and limiters—from the early radio days to today's exciting plugins and everything in between. This series is not a tutorial, but a bit of background and context so you really know what you're talking about in your next session. Next, Jeffrey Epstein's unrealized plans for the music industry have been revealed. It's as vile as you t...

We continue our History of Music Production series with the history of microphones. Then we take a look at some prominent hip hop music college programs, and discuss what the state of hip hop in higher education says about the times we live in (also, Cameron reveals some more of his lore). In news, we discuss Casey Wasserman selling his namesake agency, Spotify's next "AI Derivatives" move, UMG's acquisition of ...

We kick off our "History of Music Production" series with The History of Mixing and Mastering: what is mixing, how does it differ from mastering? Then, Casey Wasserman, founder and CEO of Wasserman agency, who represents a huge swath of the music industry, is in the Epstein files, and his clients and employees are speaking out. Udio and Suno have differing visions for the future of AI music. Finally, Cameron leaves you wi...

Plus, how can you keep your venue safe from ICE? We have a checklist that will help you prepare. Also, Spotify and the major labels are suing activist and archive group Anna's Archive for 13 trillion dollars (that's "trillion" with a "T"). Then, which musicians are in the Epstein files so far? Finally, this week's Take It Or Leave It advice helps your songs get more radio play.

Links

• Wo...

It's a new year and many of us are thinking about how to plan out our music drops. How should you plan your year? And what about your music video strategy? We look at how music videos remain relevant—and how they don't.

Next, a major shift has taken place in the social media landscape with the transfer of TikTok to its new (rightwing billionaire) American owners. What does this mean for the future of the platform...

Bandcamp recently announced, "music and audio that is generated wholly or in substantial part by AI is not permitted on Bandcamp." But what does that mean, and how will they enforce it? We dive in. In good news, we share a fundraising effort by Fender and Habitat for Humanity to raise money for housing in LA by auctioning custom guitars made from trees affected by last year's fires. Then we discuss a new global initi...

We have roots in Minneapolis, and felt we couldn't have just a regular episode given the murder of Renee Good in Minneapolis at the hands of ICE agents. What can musicians do in times like this? We read Renee Good's wife's statement in its entirety, as a way of honoring her memory and life's work. Next: Spotify has said they're no longer running ICE ads but it's not because of a moral stance. We talk a...

We're back for 2026 with a look at the Grammy's. Are they still relevant? What's it take to get nominated? Is being part of the Grammy's something indie artists should aspire to? Next we look at how rap is embracing the visual art world. YouTube is set to stop reporting to Billboard because of a disagreement between the two organizations about how free streams should be counted. Finally, Spotify has been hacked!...

Kids, mom and dad love you very much, but things got a little hectic this holiday season, so we just got you something small... a Christmas mini-episode! We talk about holiday music strategy, trends in Christmas music—including why it starts so early now—and how and why musicians choose to do so many Christmas songs. It may be a little late for this year, but we'll set you up to succeed for next year.

Links

They say politics make for strange bedfellows, and that's never been more true than when The Wholesome Music Podcast is forced to give props to Gene Simmons (who is gross). He recently testified before US Congress, urging them to close the loophole that lets radio stations not pay for music. Next, we catch up on iHeartRadio's efforts to brand themselves as "Guaranteed Human," and finally we look at investments J...

Are you sure that Spotify actually knows what your musical taste is? And do you really want to outsource your opinions to a profit-driven algorithm? It's Spotify Wrapped season! Next, we look at 2025 vinyl sales trends. Vinyl is on the rise, but why? And what do you need to know about vinyl for your own career? Finally, we talk songwriting: mega-songwriter Dan Wilson shares great tips on songwriting, and we discuss natural lan...

This episode has a decidedly backwards-looking approach. Did you know the last time a band had a #1 song on the US charts was all the way back in 2001? We dig into why are there so few bands in the charts these days. Next we look at two retro trends and discuss if they're linked as well as what they say about tech backlash in the music industry. Finally, we talk about why local music is in decline in Australia, why that matter...

Should YOU register your music with the copyright office? Our final installment on How Musicians Get Paid has answers! Next, in the spirt of Thanksgiving we talk about what we're grateful for in our music careers this year. After that: a major spate of music industry and AI collaborations were announced... but what does it actually mean? We discuss the backlash to Tidal's new upload program, then look at a few hip hop art...

Part three of our "How Musicians Get Paid" series zeroes in on how performers get paid, including the ins and outs of distribution, SoundExchange, and a couple little-known revenue sources for session musicians. We look at TIDAL's new direct upload feature and what this means for indie musicians and the culture. We profile a recent Spotify acquisition and their new efforts to offer more robust credits and discuss SUN...

Part two of our "How musicians get paid" series dives into how songwriters make money, followed by a discussion on publishing deals. Then we break down Spotify’s new “payola” lawsuit, look at Ireland’s universal basic income for musicians, and talk about Kanye West’s recent public apology. 

A lil’ music-biz, a lil’ legal tea, and a whole lot of game for songwriters trying to level up.

Links

• How Songwri...

For months we've been promising you a breakdown on how to get paid in the music industry, and we launch part one of this discussion with a quick overview on the history of music copyright, to help us understand why music copyright is so convoluted. After that, we look at why there are no rap songs in the Billboard Top 40 — the first time since 1990. In AI news, ASCAP, BMI, and SOCAN have announced new plans to accept some kind...