Backstage Pass

Rise Against just released their new album "Nowhere Generation". Hannah got the chance to talk to Tim McLirath, vocalist / rhythm guitar, about writing, releasing and promoting an album these days.

You're a DIY artist and want to take great photos with a basic setup for your press shots? In this episode, Tommy Reynolds shares his experience of being a photographer on tour, how he takes portraits and how you can create an outstanding artwork yourself.

You dream of becoming a successful musician, but you struggle to pursue your deams? Leslie Gaston-Bird and Hannah discuss possibilities to manifest your musical career.

Without doubt, the most asked at the moment question is: How to avoid muting, blocking and take downs in your DJ streams. In this episode Dr. Hayleigh Bosher and Hannah discuss music copyright and what licenses a DJ needs to remix a track and what to consider for legally using samples.

Being a plantium recording engineer, Lenise Bent has been working on many successful records such as Blondie's AutoAmerican. She was also creating the foreign music and effect tracks for the entire Disney cartoon catalog. Apart from all this, one love remains: The love for analog. In this episode, Lenise gives some tips on analog recording and building a sustainable career.

What does an amazing artwork for your music look like? And when is it really finished? Every musician who releases music trys to come up with a unique design for the cover of the single or album. And how does it impact the success of your music?

How can you juggle multiple projects and be an artist at the same time? For many musicians it's hard building a career these days, caused by lockdown-confusions and a quick-changing music market. Ari and Hannah reveal how you can manage yourself and make it as an independent artist. Tune in!

Happy International Women's Day! How can you overcome obstacles and take career controle as a woman in music? Though a music career takes hard work and perseverance, you - as women - prove it is worth it. You have the chance to give the world an outlet for creative impulses, the ability to share important messages and the chance to tell stories. Do so and #choosetochallenge

Why do musicians need a music publisher and what does it take to potentially become one yourself? Facts, Rhiannon Mair (songwriter, producer and founder of "Palm Bay Music") answers. She also reveals how to get on a "New Music Friday"-playlist!

Do specific products sell better than others? And when should an artist or band invest in merchandise? Ever asked yourself this? Then tune in and listen to Jamie from "Awesome Merch" share some insights on how to sell your merchandise successfully.

Have you ever asked yourself how important brand's aesthetics and ethos are? If not, tune in and join Warren Huart (Grammy nominated producer, songwriter and mixer) discuss his NAMM 2021 highlights, favourite new products and funny moments.

NAMM kicked of with their first virtual event called the "Believe in music" week. Guillaume from Thomann's Guitars & Basses and Hannah followed the show and announcements to check out the hottest gear from Ibanez, Fender, Gibson and many other hyped brands for you. Here's a recap of day one and two.

How can you get into production management and tour management for small gigs, arena and festivals? Emma Edgar has been organizing tours for Placebo, Mumford and Sons such as many other bands. 2021 can be your time to shine, if you know what to think of before going on tour.

Pursuing is more than one passion and having a music career longside a job still makes you a musician. It is a great thing to be able to pursue more than one thing you enjoy as it can inspire songwriting! Xylo is a musician herself and founded the music production for women website and offers classes for newcomers.

Touring can be a mistery - but we've got some tips that will help you become a successful touring musician, eventhough you are a newcomer, in 2021. How do you get in touch with clubs and booking agents? And why is networking so important? Danny Harvey is a tour manager and founder of Sonic Workshops who gives advice to upcoming musicians on touring and more!

How can you find your unique sound and true self as an artist? There are many stages that might apear in the process of an artist development. Abigail Barlow, singer and songwriter, talks about her large online following, the results of sharing her originals and songwriting as therapy.

Many musicians and their crew are traveling the world - they are changing locations almost daily and need to bring their own sound with them. John Rupp, sound engineer, shares from funny touring stories and gives advice for people wanting to get into sound engineering, touring and music production.

Ryan Mack is a singer and artist. He has a huge following on tiktok as a result of posting original songs and breaking down his lyrics in short videos. Find out how to use TikTok as a tool to market new music, and how to build a fanbase on TikTok that will convert to listening audiences on Spotify and elsewhere and why there is a chance to get signed to a major label when going viral on TikTok.

You are into electronic music and want to start producing music yourself? Owen Norton, professional and touring DJ & producer discusses some tips to make you get started and reveals how he tests new tracks during his live sets.

Do you have to grow a fanbase and wait for a record label to approach you? Maybe! But there are many other ways to get the attention of major labels in 2020. And what even changes if you sign a label deal? Discuss this with Mark Orr, founder of LAB Records.

You are a songwriter, but don't believe in your songs? You have started to produce lately, but you aren't convinced of your own tracks? Learn how to be confident and how to turn your weaknesses into strengths with the advice of Dylan Pines, a producer and content creator @Musician on a Mission.

Can you still fund tours with brands? Questions many musicians ask themselves before playing live shows. Brand Partnership Manager, Kate Truscott, talks about artist deals and what you should be aware of before signing a contract with brands.

What can you do to proceed or even succed with your music in 2021? In this episode, music industry advisor Mike Burgess, answers the most common questions about the music business and mentions sone tips that can help pushing your musical career to the next level - even these days.

Timberland, Harry Styles, Adele and many more: They are all artists and co-writers at the same time. But what's the their role in a songwriting session and how can co-writing be rewarding for the the record? Our guests today: Hannie, an electronic duo.

How should you marketing your music without selling your soul? There are hundreds of ways to get heard - Adam Ivy, marketing specialist, reveals which ones are the most effective and how you can establish yourself in the music business.

Ever wondered how to become Yungbluds or a professional drummer? Ben Sharp is the man behind the kit, working for BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge and major label acts who require real drums on their production. Listen and become a pro drummer yourself!

What does it feel like, performing with Ed Sheeran or working with Anne-Marie? Ashton Miranda, musical director, keys player and producer talks about his favorite experiences on tour, working on some of the biggest shows in pop music and his Roland live setup. And what does Robbie Williams have to do with all this?

Do you remember how exhausting it was to find your first band practice room or concert location? In this episode, Danny Keir and Hannah discuss why musicians must have local amenities in order to thrive - from rehearsal rooms and educational facilities, to grassroots clubs and performance spaces.

Touring is not only about performing on stage - it's also about spreading emotions through visual effects, lighting settings and the right show moments. But what does it take to come up with the perfect creative concept for your show?

Most of us remember the first cd we brought - nowerdays sales is made digital / by touring. But how does this influence the process of writing, releasing and promoting your music? In this episode, Hannah and Julia Nunes discuss how the internet has changed over the last ten years and what that means for the modern artists.

You dream of performing on various international tours or working as a session player in recording studios? But what does it take to become a professional musician? Listen to Will Dewsbury, professional guitar player, and become the next Jimi Hendrix.

Listen to Hannah and Janet Devil, former X-Factor UK participant and singer-songwriter talk about the importance of being honest as an artist and as a person, discussing artist identity, the pressures on modern day artists and how to get past them.

Kaity Rae is a writer/producer and multi-instrumentalist. After releasing 2 ep’s as an artist, she now works out of her own writing space in North London producing and writing for others. But what does it take to produce music successfully and writing songs that get listed on Spotify playlists?

Is there a difference between releasing music independently vs. releasing music with the support of a label? And when do you release an album or single? Rob Eaglesham (band management) and Oli (guitarist at Marsicans) talk about the release of their debut album.

Did you ever wonder how to make a living out of music? Emily White is a talent manager and founder of #iVoted who has worked in the music business basically all her life, telling you what touring is about and why collecting all your revenue streams is so important.

Bob James is a mindfulness and wellbeing coach, who specialises in helping artists get past mental blocks around writing and releasing music. Working in the music business for the past 20 years, Bob has been a successfull dj and artist manager working throughout the UK, United States, Germany and Asia.

Shell Zenner, radio presenter (BBC Introducing, Amazing Radio) and music journalist, discusses the best way to approach radio presenters and radio producers with your music, networking tips and what music journalists look for in new talent.

Does having expensive gear make your music better? Ben Matravers, music producer of Easy Life, Hannah Trigwell, Boyce Avenue, Josie Proto talks about music production, how he got into songwriting, and what gear he had in the beginning vs. his studio gear these days.

Are you a female musician and want to get into the music business? Actor and musician, Heather Peace, is talking about women in music, organising and promoting a festival vs. being the performing artist, crowd funding, and supporting women in their musical journeys.

Does the music industry has to change? Tom Gray is convinced: Yes, it does. But how can one set up artist campaigns and write songs successfully in times of Corona?

Did you ever wonder what it takes to shoot a music video on the roof of the Cologne Cathedral? Marvin Stroeter, film maker, has been shooting music videos for various artists all over the world and shares some insights of the perfect shot.

80/20 royalty split, publishment in over 120 countries - that's the modern way of getting signed. If you want to be streamed, played on tv or radio and keep your copyrights, then Sentric Music Publishing might be your choice.

Why should a beatmaker sing? Does an album release even make sense? During your musical career, you will get refusals from other artists. You will be criticized. But how do you establish yourself as an artist? Tune in and get some answers...

Distributing your music is tough - especially, if you don't have a major label deal. But how can you still make it to the Spotify Top list? And how do you found a fanbase before your first release? So many questions, here are some answers.

Did you ever dream of getting signed by a record label once in your musical career? Sony Music is one of the world's biggest and most famous record labels, featuring many artists such as Camila Cabello, Miley Cyrus and Depeche Mode. But how can a newcomer make it to the top and become the world's next popstar?

Organizing a tour, selling your cds, performing on stage, concepting music videos - usually tour or label managers are taking care of that. But what if you are an independent artist and want to successfully promote your own music?

Awkward demands, slips of tongue and old souls. What is it like, interviewing popstars like Harry Styles, Mariah Carey and Shawn Mendes? A snap-shot of the daily life of Olivia Jones (Radio 1)...and of course some tips on having your song played on radio.

Bilie Eilish released one of the hottest and most talked about albums; written and produced in the bedroom of her childhood home. So what's the deal with recording an album from home? And what do you need to do to make that song maybe even award-winning? Lauren Deakin Davies, pop/indie studio engineer will tell you all the secrets.

Inglourious Basterds, Transformers, James Blunt, Korn and Aerosmith - only a few of the projects, Warren Huart laid his hands on. You want to be the next in line? Find out which tools you need to produce like a pro and what it takes to write a chart hit.

Your musical journey starts now - let's have a cup of tea together (spoiler!) and talk about the music scene. How does it feel, going on tour and founding your own record label? And do you even remember when you first started making music?