My guest this week is my old friend 17 time Grammy winner Benny Faccone.

Benny has a rich credit history with artists like Mana, Santana, Ricky Martin, Luis Miguel, Sting, and so many more.

He’s a veteran of the old A&M Studios when it was one of the hottest recording facilities in Los Angeles.

That’s where he honed his recording and mixing skills under old school legends like Bruce Swedien, Shelly Yakus, and Don Hahn.

He’s also a die-hard analog guy, still mixing on a console and using real outboard gear when he can.

During the interview we talked about learning from industry legends, the plugins he uses and why, converting his studio to solar energy, getting caffeine poisoning from too much coffee, and much more.

I spoke with Benny from his studio in just outside of Los Angeles.

Additional Resources:

Learn more about Benny work: http://bennyfaccone.com/

–

(FREE DOWNLOAD) The Magic EQ Frequencies everyone with a DAW should know: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/magic-freqs-registration

Get fantastic mixing tips from the best selling Mixing Engineer’s Handbook: https://bobbyowsinski.com/mixhandbook

Check out my best-selling books: https://bobbyowsinski.com/best-selling-books/

Discover more mixing courses: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/

Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobbyOwsinskiBiz/

Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyo/

Follow me on IG: https://www.instagram.com/bobbyowsinski/

Follow me on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bobbyowsinski.bsky.social

--

In this podcast, music guru Bobby Owsinski shares his personal insights on the music industry, covering news, reviews, analysis, and tips, as well as offering amazing interviews with prominent industry movers and shakers.

In this episode I cover some recent overlooked audio and music industry news. We cover:

• The eras of popular music and why they’re not what you think
• The emergence of AI-generated band Velvet Sundown
• Major labels in the middle of licensing discussions with AI music generators Udio and Suno.
• Major label and private equity want to buy more catalog, and what that means to their artists
• The TikTok closure is pushed back again
• How tariffs are hurting vinyl production
• How pop stardom is now shorter than an adult butterfly’s lifespan.
• An overview of music venue health

–

(FREE DOWNLOAD) The Magic EQ Frequencies everyone with a DAW should know: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/magic-freqs-registration

Get fantastic mixing tips from the best selling Mixing Engineer’s Handbook: https://bobbyowsinski.com/mixhandbook

Check out my best-selling books: https://bobbyowsinski.com/best-selling-books/

Discover more mixing courses: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/

Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobbyOwsinskiBiz/

Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyo/

Follow me on IG: https://www.instagram.com/bobbyowsinski/

Follow me on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bobbyowsinski.bsky.social

--

In this podcast, music guru Bobby Owsinski shares his personal insights on the music industry, covering news, reviews, analysis, and tips, as well as offering amazing interviews with prominent industry movers and shakers.

My guest today is bass player, author and music business marketing consultant, Carter Fox.

Known as the Soulful Traveling Spaceman Bassman, Carter has toured with R&B legend Freddie Jackson and Grammy-winner Regina Belle, while also collaborating with artists and producers such as Skrillex, Leon Huff, David Ivory, Adventure Club, and more.

Carter is also the author of Music Business Bassics series of books, with How to Effectively Release & Promote Your Music as an Independent Artist, becoming the #1 new release in Music Business Books on Amazon in April 2024.

As with his books, Carter’s marketing consulting firm helps artists, podcasts, businesses, and brands grow their online presence.

During the interview we talked about the YouTube channel optimization strategies, promoting your music effectively on YouTube, the Philadelphia music scene, his upcoming new book Exploring Cosmic Melodies, and much more.

I spoke with Carter from his office in Philadelphia.

--

Additional Resources:

To learn more, please visit https://www.carterfoxconsulting.com/ or https://www.carterfoxmusic.com/

--

(FREE DOWNLOAD) The Magic EQ Frequencies everyone with a DAW should know: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/magic-freqs-registration

Get fantastic mixing tips from the best selling Mixing Engineer’s Handbook: https://bobbyowsinski.com/mixhandbook

Access my FREE music mixing crash course training: https://www.mixingcrashcourse.com

Check out my best-selling books: https://bobbyowsinski.com/best-selling-books/

Discover more mixing courses: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/

Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobbyOwsinskiBiz/

Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyo/

Follow me on IG: https://www.instagram.com/bobbyowsinski/

Follow me on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bobbyowsinski.bsky.social

--

In this podcast, music guru Bobby Owsinski shares his personal insights on the music industry, covering news, reviews, analysis, and tips, as well as offering amazing interviews with prominent industry movers and shakers.

My guest this week is modular synthesizer maven Chris Meyer, who has done important engineering work at Sequential Circuits, Digidesign, Marion Systems with the legendary Tom Oberheim, and Roland R&D U.S., where he was chief engineer.

Along the way he created Vector Synthesis and worked on the Sequential Prophet 2000, Prophet VS, and Studio 440; Digidesign's Q-Sheet; and the Roland DM-80.

During that time he also served as Technical Chairman of the MIDI Manufacturer’s Association, creating many additions to the MIDI specification, for which he received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2025.

Chris has also taught synthesis at UCLA Extension, wrote numerous articles for Music Technology and a column for Keyboard Magazine, and most recently co-authored the book Patch & Tweak [https://www.patchandtweak.com] with Kim Bjørn.

Today he runs the website, Facebook page, and YouTube channel LEARNING MODULAR, where he teaches others how to master modular synthesis.

During the interview we talked about the evolution of modular synthesis, transitioning to motion graphics and back into creating music, navigating the challenges of studio design, the future of spatial audio, and much more.

I spoke with Chris from his studio in New Mexico.

—

Additional Resources:

Learn more about Chris and module synthesis at: https://learningmodular.com and https://aliaszone.com/

–

(FREE DOWNLOAD) 6 proven ways to avoid muddy mixes: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/6-freqs-download-1

Get fantastic mixing tips from the best selling Mixing Engineer’s Handbook: https://bobbyowsinski.com/mixhandbook

Access my FREE music mixing crash course training: https://www.mixingcrashcourse.com

Check out my best-selling books: https://bobbyowsinski.com/best-selling-books/

Discover more mixing courses: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/

Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobbyOwsinskiBiz/

Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyo/

Follow me on IG: https://www.instagram.com/bobbyowsinski/

Follow me on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bobbyowsinski.bsky.social

--

In this podcast, music guru Bobby Owsinski shares his personal insights on the music industry, covering news, reviews, analysis, and tips, as well as offering amazing interviews with prominent industry movers and shakers.

Online music collaboration is for many the holy grail for efficiently working in a home studio.

The problem is that most tools that are available suffer from latency that makes true collaboration impossible.

SyncDNA is the first online platform that allows frame-accurate synchronization of collaborators anywhere in the world.

Co-founders Dominic Castro and Gary Lux joined me to discuss SyncDNA and how it’s been helping mixers, musicians, composers, directors and producers do their jobs more easily.

Dominic and Gary are not tech guys trying to adapt to the music business, by the way. Dominic is a music producer, mixer, and sound editor with an impressive list of mixing credits for artists like Halsey, Jay-Z, Shawn Mendes, Universal Pictures, Netflix, Amazon, and many more.

Gary is a prominent Hollywood music mixer with a wide range of credits that includes artists like Usher, Keith Urban, Sting, and Janet Jackson among many others. He also served as the head music mixer for Universal Studios, where he received two Emmy nominations. He is widely known for his expertise in Dolby Atmos immersive mixing.

During the interview we talked about overcoming latency and distance limitations, SyncDNA’s impact on music and film collaboration, the platform’s cost structure and subscription plans, and much more.

I spoke with Dominic and Gary from their studios in Los Angeles.

–

Additional Resources:

Learn more about SyncDNA at: https://www.syncdna.com

–

(FREE DOWNLOAD) 6 proven ways to avoid muddy mixes: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/6-freqs-download-1

Get fantastic mixing tips from the best selling Mixing Engineer’s Handbook: https://bobbyowsinski.com/mixhandbook

Check out my best-selling books: https://bobbyowsinski.com/best-selling-books/

Discover more mixing courses: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/

Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobbyOwsinskiBiz/

Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyo/

Follow me on IG: https://www.instagram.com/bobbyowsinski/

Follow me on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bobbyowsinski.bsky.social

--

In this podcast, music guru Bobby Owsinski shares his personal insights on the music industry, covering news, reviews, analysis, and tips, as well as offering amazing interviews with prominent industry movers and shakers.

My guest today is the CEO of the Merlin Network of independent music labels, Jeremy Sirota.

Merlin is a member-based organization representing the digital licensing rights for hundreds of independent labels and distributors in nearly every country around the globe.

That makes up 15% of the recorded music market.

Under Jeremy’s leadership, Merlin has entered into new partnerships and created programs to help its members take advantage of the latest technologies and licensing opportunities.

During the interview we talked about the unique position of Merlin in the music industry, the impact of AI on the industry, the introduction of the Merlin Connect program to simplify music licensing, the role of technology in music consumption, and much more.

Check it out for some great insights!

You can also watch a video version of the episode at https://youtu.be/HzwD_E1Wuu0

Additional Resources:

Learn more about Jeremy and Merlin at: https://merlinnetwork.org/

–

(FREE DOWNLOAD) 6 proven ways to avoid muddy mixes: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/6-freqs-download-1

Get fantastic mixing tips from the best selling Mixing Engineer’s Handbook: https://bobbyowsinski.com/mixhandbook

Access my FREE music mixing crash course training: https://www.mixingcrashcourse.com

Check out my best-selling books: https://bobbyowsinski.com/best-selling-books/

Discover more mixing courses: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/

Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobbyOwsinskiBiz/

Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyo/

Follow me on IG: https://www.instagram.com/bobbyowsinski/

Follow me on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bobbyowsinski.bsky.social

--

In this podcast, music guru Bobby Owsinski shares his personal insights on the music industry, covering news, reviews, analysis, and tips, as well as offering amazing interviews with prominent industry movers and shakers.

I read a lot of music biographies and history books, especially from the Rock era. Like most people, I love reading about the story behind the hits. The best book I’ve ever read about that era is Buzz Me In: Inside The Record Plant Studios.

The Record Plant was co-founded by engineer Gary Kellgrin and businessman Chris Stone, and it’s three studios in New York City, Los Angeles, and Sausalito, plus a fleet of remote trucks, were ground zero for the music business from the 1960s through the 80s. In fact, in 1976 alone, three #1 albums―Stevie Wonder's Songs In The Key Of Life, the Eagles' Hotel California, and Fleetwood Mac's Rumours―were all recorded in Record Plant studios.

The studio was also the center for audio innovation, thanks to the involvement of speaker and studio designer Tom Hidley, who recently passed.

Buzz Me In was written by two great friends of mine, Marty Porter and David “Mr. Bonzai” Goggin. Marty is an author, journalist and publisher who began his career as a technology writer for Rolling Stone, GQ and Premiere magazines, then became editor and publisher of recording and musical instrument publications Pro Sound News, EQ, Guitar Player and Surround Pro magazines.

David is an award-winning author, photographer, and music journalist, who’s written over 1,000 articles for magazines in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, and has published 6 books. He’s also a press agent in the music industry and has represented numerous recording studios, manufacturers, and trade organizations such as SPARS and the World Studio Group.

During the interview, we talked about how Record Plant started and some surprising key players, the unique business model that powered the studio, how new tech drove the studio business, how many believe that it was the real Hotel California, and so much more.

Sit back and listen to some great behind-the-scenes stories.

Additional Resources:

Learn more about Buzz Me In at https://amzn.to/4kAXY6I

Also, a video version is now available on YouTube as well.

–

(FREE DOWNLOAD) 6 proven ways to avoid muddy mixes: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/6-freqs-download-1

Get fantastic mixing tips from the best selling Mixing Engineer’s Handbook: https://bobbyowsinski.com/mixhandbook

Access my FREE music mixing crash course training: https://www.mixingcrashcourse.com

Check out my best-selling books: https://bobbyowsinski.com/best-selling-books/

Discover more mixing courses: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/

Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobbyOwsinskiBiz/

Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyo/

Follow me on IG: https://www.instagram.com/bobbyowsinski/

Follow me on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bobbyowsinski.bsky.social

--

In this podcast, music guru Bobby Owsinski shares his personal insights on the music industry, covering news, reviews, analysis, and tips, as well as offering amazing interviews with prominent industry movers and shakers.

My guest today is Josh Simons, CEO of Australia's only ASX-listed music company, Vinyl Group.

Josh’s journey is as diverse as it gets. He founded Vampr, the 'LinkedIn for creatives,' connecting over 1.4 million music professionals worldwide. He’s also been instrumental in developing platforms like Jaxsta and Vinyl.com, tackling challenges in music metadata and e-commerce.

Prior to working in tech Josh ran a record label, publishing function, film production company, and was the lead singer of Australian indie rock band Buchanan. As a songwriter and producer, he’s shared credits with Travis Scott, Troye Sivan and Kanye West, and as a performer has toured with Coldplay, Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood.

During the interview we spoke about innovations in music consumption, the future of music labels, the intersection of physical and digital media, the resurgence of cassettes, and much more.

I spoke to Josh via zoom from his office in Melbourne, Australia.

Additional Resources:

Learn more about Josh at: https://www.joshsimons.us/ and Vinyl.com

–

(FREE DOWNLOAD) 6 proven ways to avoid muddy mixes: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/6-freqs-download-1

Get fantastic mixing tips from the best selling Mixing Engineer’s Handbook: https://bobbyowsinski.com/mixhandbook

Access my FREE music mixing crash course training: https://www.mixingcrashcourse.com

Check out my best-selling books: https://bobbyowsinski.com/best-selling-books/

Discover more mixing courses: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/

Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobbyOwsinskiBiz/

Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyo/

Follow me on IG: https://www.instagram.com/bobbyowsinski/

Follow me on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bobbyowsinski.bsky.social

--

In this podcast, music guru Bobby Owsinski shares his personal insights on the music industry, covering news, reviews, analysis, and tips, as well as offering amazing interviews with prominent industry movers and shakers.