Whether you are looking to stay productive in your spare time or just want to relax and unwind – podcasts are an excellent way to do it. While they have been around for a while now, the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 have seen an explosion of celebrities, experts and interesting people producing podcasts on every subject under the sun. In this blog, we’ll take a look at some of the best podcasts for musicians…
Podcasts can be great fun. Whether you are doing general admin or some housework, sticking a podcast on is a brilliant way to pass the time. However, they can also be a good way to stay productive and learn new information.
If you’ve got some free time, perhaps while travelling to a venue, it might be worth looking up a podcast to listen to on the way.
Many podcasts can offer amazing advice and insight into furthering your career as a musician, as well as laughter, interest and entertainment.
Below is a list of ten podcasts you might want to check out.
Some of these will be from huge names that you recognise instantly. Others will be from great podcasters, music industry professionals and just really, really interesting contributors. And, of course, some of them are just plain fun!
In no particular order, let’s get started…
1. Song Exploder
Average episode runtime: 20 – 30 minutes
Created by master-podcaster Hrishikesh Hirway (also responsible for The West Wing Weekly, Home Cooking and Partners) Song Exploder sees a huge selection of musicians deconstruct their songs and discuss them.
They’ll tell stories about how they were made and play isolated multi-tracks to show you details you never noticed before, while talking you through the decision process that went into creating their work.
Featuring guests from Metallica, Solange, Lorde, Yo-Yo Ma, Fleetwood Mac, U2, Carly Rae Jepsen and more, Song Exploder is interesting, entertaining and informative.
“Song Exploder is probably the best use of the podcast format ever.” — Vulture
“Some of the finest explorations of the creative process you’ll ever hear.” (‘The Best of the Best Podcasts’) — The Telegraph
2. Wong Notes
Average episode runtime: 35 – 45 mins
Cory Wong is a one-man funk machine. Most will know him as the strat-wielding guitarist extraordinaire for Vulfpeck and The Fearless Flyers, as well as fronting his own fantastic jam band.
In his new podcast (creatively titled Wong Notes) he interviews some amazing musicians and talks about all things guitar, as well as music in general.
While this podcast might be particularly of interest to guitar players, it is definitely worth a listen by musicians specialising in virtually any instrument.
Special guests include George Benson, Joe Satriani, James Valentine and Sean Hurley.
3. Questlove Supreme
Average episode runtime: 80 – 150 mins
For fans of incredible music and Jazz-related puns alike, Questlove Supreme is a fantastic podcast hosted by the amazing Session Drummer/ DJ Questlove.
Perhaps best known as the drummer for jazz-funk/hip-hop group The Roots, Questlove has had the most incredible career as a musician and brings a whole wealth of experience to the podcast series. He interviews both musicians and well-known personalities from across the spectrum.
Special guests include everybody from Usher to Chris Rock, and Chaka Khan to Michelle Obama.
4. DIY Musician Podcast
Average episode runtime: 45 – 60 mins
If you’re looking for grass-roots advice on furthering your career as a musician, the DIY Musician Podcast is a great source of information.
They cover subjects like live streaming on Facebook, how to deal with failure and rejection, how artists make money from sync licensing, getting attention with online advertising and creating videos for 2020 and beyond.
You can check out specific episodes of this podcast if there are subjects you would like to look up and research.
Special guests include Mary Gauthier, Maya de Vitry, Birds of Chicago and Sally & George.
5. Broken Record
Average episode runtime: 50 – 120 mins
In this podcast, legendary producer Rick Rubin and writer Malcolm Gladwell conduct interviews that seek to replicate the “conversation between the artist and the audience and the audience and the rest of the world.”
Interviewing some of the most incredible musicians on the planet, this podcast seeks to provide insight into every aspect of an artist’s music.
Special guests include Nile Rodgers, Jack White, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, The Black Keys, Flea and Andrea 3000.
6. Score: The Podcast
Average episode runtime: 80 – 105 mins
Whether you are a budding composer or just an interested party, if movie and TV scores are your thing – this podcast is going to be right up your street.
Score: The Film was a documentary featuring interviews with everyone from Hans Zimmer to Moby, on how it is that they bring film to life, through music.
In Score: The Podcast, the conversation continues, with legendary guests like Howard Shore, A. R. Rahman and Danny Elfman.
“A celebration of the artists who create the musical heartbeat of the movies.”– Richard Roeper/ Chicago Sun-Times
7. Sounding Off with Rick Beato
Average episode runtime: 20 – 45 mins
Sounding Off is a podcast that features interviews with both known and lesser-known artists, as well as working musicians, composers and performers.
It also has a wonderful song analysis feature called “what makes this song great?”
Special guests include Tim Pierce, Vinnie Colaiuta, Steve Vai and Paul Reed Smith.
8. The Music Industry Podcast
Average episode runtime: 20 – 45 mins
If you’re looking to navigate the murky waters of the modern music industry, this is a great podcast for learning about social media trends, as well as getting insider tips from A&R staff, label execs, and more.
Special guests include Claudia Piazza, Anya Du Sauzay, and Andy Knox.
9. Soul Music
Average episode runtime: 25 – 35 mins
Soul Music is a popular series that has been part of BBC radio’s offerings for a long time.
Now available as a podcast, the show takes a slightly different tact to others, looking to not only showcase the song itself, but its impact on the audience. The show might feature interesting contributions from musicians, fans, specialists and more.
Every episode features a huge amount of special guests, from across the spectrum.
10. Wind of Change
Average episode runtime: 40 – 45 mins
It’s a podcast about how the CIA might have written a Scorpions classic for political ends.
Need we say more?
11. Sodajerker On Songwriting
Average running time: 45 – 60 minutes
If you’re a keen songwriter, learning from some of the best names (across the genres) can be a source of inspiration and information.
In ‘Sodajerker On Songwriting’, the UK songwriting team Sodajerker (Simon Barber and Brian O’Connor) interviews some incredibly famous artists and songwriters, including Norah Jones, Daryll Hall, Kelly Jones, Steven Van Zandt, and Time Rice.
12. Alice Cooper’s Vintage Vault
Average running time: 20 – 40 minutes
Whether you’re an Alice Cooper fan, or just a music fan in general, this podcast is an excellent opportunity to hear some of the biggest names in the music business talk about their music, lives, and careers.
In ACVV, the shock-rock pioneer opens his vault of interviews for the public to hear, which includes him chatting with Paul McCartney, Johnny Depp, Chris Cornell, and many more.
13. The New Music Business with Ari Herstand
Average running time: 45 minutes – 1 hour ten minutes
Navigating the music business as a DIY musician is a complex and often daunting prospect, to say the least. In this award-winning podcast, Ari Herstand (described by Forbes as “The poster child of DIY music”) speaks to various guests from across the music industry about their tactics, strategies, and tools his listeners might find helpful.
Recent guests have included Billboard Music’s Copyright reporter Kristin Robinson, the VP of Business Development and Operations at Live Nation, Brandon Pankey, and Grammy-nominated songwriter Bonnie McKee.
14. Walking The Floor with Chris Shiflett
Average running time: 45 minutes – 1 hour ten minutes
When he’s not touring or recording with Foo Fighters, Dead Peasants, or Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Chris Shiflett has a podcast where he interviews musicians, athletes, artists and more to get inside their creative process, as well as talk through their biggest successes and failures.
Chris’ recent guests have included Wolfgang Van Halen, Mike Campbell, Jackson Browne, Imelda May, Greta Van Fleet, and more.
15. Rolling Stone Music Now
Average running time: 45 minutes – 1 hour 45 minutes
Whether you’re looking for something new to listen to or just trying to keep up to date with the latest trends in the music industry, it’s always good to keep one eye on the big picture. Rolling Stone has been a massive name in music journalism for decades, and their podcast, music Now, can help you keep up to date with the latest comings and goings, as well as the most significant new music releases, all curated by Rolling Stone senior writer Brian Hiatt.
Expect interviews, expert reviews of new releases, and much more. Recent guests have included Mariah Carey, Joe Trohman of Fall Out Boy, and Disco legend Nile Rodgers.
Have you got any good podcast recommendations? Were they useful to your career or just really entertaining? Leave your suggestions in the comments below…
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