Bobby Owsinski's Inner Circle Podcast

Why Do Musicians Still Struggle to Grow a Fanbase in 2026?

This week on Bobby Owsinski's Inner Circle, Prospect Hill drummer and FanFlowy co-founder Mark Roberge reveals how the music industry still lacks the systems that every other business takes for granted. From cost-per-acquisition to automated fan engagement, Mark shares why most artists burn out - and how FanFlowy was built to fix that. If you're serious about building a music career that scales, this is a must-listen.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
• The music industry lacks core systems like cost-per-acquisition tracking
• Why so many talented artists give up before making it
• How FanFlowy automates fan engagement, growth, and nurturing
• The role of DMs, funnels, and targeted ads in fanbase building
• Why Spotify and YouTube followers are harder to grow than monthly listeners
• How conversation trees inside Instagram helped convert fans
• Why “real” content outperforms polished production in ad strategy
• The importance of mental toughness and staying power in music
• How Indie Artist Compass maps the path to real income from music
• The dangers of relying too much on AI-generated music

BEST MOMENTS
00:00:10. “That’s Mark Roberge, rock drummer and co-founder of FanFlowy.”
00:00:19. “They’re losing because the workload is so crushing.”
00:01:44. “It’s not just make your music and then go play live. It doesn’t work like that.”
00:03:01. “Every other industry has this and the music industry did not.”
00:05:14. “The hardest one to grow is the follower count on Spotify and the subscriber count on YouTube.”
00:06:02. “They went from a ghost town to hundreds of messages in their DMs.”
00:10:56. “The migration thing is a big deal. Do you have a way to do that?”
00:13:20. “I want all the marketing to happen as well.”
00:21:08. “I just gave you the foundation. Get the foundation laid, get it set up.”
00:30:23. “If you really want this bad, you have to be all in and you have to take the hits.”
Also, a video version of this podcast is now available on YouTube as well.
Ad link: Explore The Mixing Engineer’s Handbook (6th Edition), the go-to guide for modern mixing: https://a.co/d/eEEpPrL
Thank you for tuning in to Bobby Owsinski’s Inner Circle, the podcast that takes you deep inside the music industry. Each week, Bobby shares insights, news, analysis, and conversations with the movers and shakers shaping today’s music world.

📌 Explore Bobby’s best-selling books:
https://bobbyowsinski.com/best-selling-books/

📘 The Mixing Engineer’s Handbook (6th Edition), the go-to guide for nailing that polished, pro mix sound:
https://a.co/d/eEEpPrL

🎧 Free “Magic Frequencies” mini-course, learn the EQ secrets behind pro mixes: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/magic-freqs-registration

🎙️Nail that pro vocal sound: clear, upfront, and mix-ready.
Learn how in Bobby’s Vocal Mixing Mini-Course: https://tinyurl.com/bdhud2bv

🎧 Discover more mixing and production courses:
https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/

📲 Follow Bobby for more tips, insights, and updates:
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobbyOwsinskiBiz/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyo/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bobbyowsinski/
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bobbyowsinski.bsky.social

🎙️ New episodes release every Tuesday at 9AM Pacific on YouTube and your favorite podcast app.

Music. Business. Creativity. Straight from the Inner Circle.

Produced by APodcastGeek
https://apodcastgeek.com/

What happens when a lifelong audio engineer suddenly can’t work in a studio anymore?

In this episode of Bobby Owsinski's Inner Circle, Bobby sits down with Luke Delalio, engineer, educator, cognitive artist, photographer, and creative force at Korneff Audio. Luke shares the deeply personal story of how tinnitus changed everything, forcing him to step away from music production just as his career was thriving.

But what began as a devastating setback became the catalyst for an entirely new creative life. From theater to photography, plugin design to painting, Luke’s journey shows how curiosity, experimentation, and a refusal to follow the rules can lead to surprising breakthroughs.

If you’ve ever had to reinvent yourself, or are curious about the mindset behind some of the most innovative audio tools today, this is a must-listen.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
• How tinnitus forced Luke to abruptly leave the music industry
• Why boredom can be a powerful driver of creativity
• How Luke helped shape Korneff Audio's unique plugin philosophy
• The engineering story behind Chocolate Milk and the Siemens W295 EQ
• How real studio problems inspired new plugin workflows
• Why Luke believes experimentation is central to audio innovation
• The hidden history of the Sound Techniques console
• How photography and theater helped rebuild Luke’s creative identity
• Why he’s skeptical about AI’s impact on the future of creativity
• The one piece of life advice Luke regrets not following sooner

BEST MOMENTS:
00:03:18. “It just never stopped. It's been my one true love.”
00:04:56. “Dan showed up at my mom's funeral and said, I'm setting up Cornford Audio. You want to come along?”
00:06:01. “That is pretty much mapped to Dan's thinking big because he was always a tinkerer.”
00:09:09. “That's like the real fun of being in a recording studio, was all the experimenting.”
00:17:09. “Tinnitus is audible anxiety.”
00:22:09. “I'm writing about that, and I'm trying to figure out what console was it mixed on... Sound Techniques.”
00:33:16. “The things that really get under my skin are the moments when I've been unkind.”
Ad link: Explore The Mixing Engineer’s Handbook (6th Edition), the go-to guide for modern mixing: https://a.co/d/eEEpPrL
Thank you for tuning in to Bobby Owsinski’s Inner Circle, the podcast that takes you deep inside the music industry. Each week, Bobby shares insights, news, analysis, and conversations with the movers and shakers shaping today’s music world.

📌 Explore Bobby’s best-selling books:
https://bobbyowsinski.com/best-selling-books/

📘 The Mixing Engineer’s Handbook (6th Edition), the go-to guide for nailing that polished, pro mix sound:
https://a.co/d/eEEpPrL

🎧 Free “Magic Frequencies” mini-course, learn the EQ secrets behind pro mixes: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/magic-freqs-registration

🎙️Nail that pro vocal sound: clear, upfront, and mix-ready.
Learn how in Bobby’s Vocal Mixing Mini-Course: https://tinyurl.com/bdhud2bv

🎧 Discover more mixing and production courses:
https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/

📲 Follow Bobby for more tips, insights, and updates:
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobbyOwsinskiBiz/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyo/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bobbyowsinski/
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bobbyowsinski.bsky.social

🎙️ New episodes release every Tuesday at 9AM Pacific on YouTube and your favorite podcast app.

Music. Business. Creativity. Straight from the Inner Circle.

Produced by APodcastGeek
https://apodcastgeek.com/

Can one sync placement change your entire music career?

On this episode of Bobby Owsinski's Inner Circle, I’m joined by Chris SD - producer, engineer, songwriter, and founder of Sync Songwriter. Chris has helped artists get $30,000 placements, land Billboard features, and book world tours through sync licensing. In this deep-dive conversation, he breaks down how sync really works today, why connections matter more than ever, and how indie artists can win big in film and TV without major label backing.

If you’ve ever dreamed of getting your music into movies, shows, or commercials, this episode is your ultimate roadmap.
You can find out more about Chris SD's Art Of The Song Pitch program here - https://www.syncsongwriterprograms.com/a/2148209546/o6RJ27FZ

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
• What a music supervisor actually does
• Why sync licensing is the last place for massive music exposure
• Why indie music is often preferred over major label tracks
• Why you need to write authentically, not “for sync”
• How AI is affecting sync, and what it can’t do
• What supervisors look for in an ideal track
• Why relationships are more valuable than random pitches
• The difference between stems, masters, and what’s really required
• How The Art of the Song Pitch program works
• Why now is the time to act, not just learn

BEST MOMENTS:
00:01:32. “A music supervisor is someone who is hired by movie studios, TV studios, ad agencies to go and find music.”
00:02:57. “Indie music, that's exactly where indie music comes in.”
00:04:37. “Every single story I've heard, even the ones that look like people just went viral, there was someone involved who was connected in the industry.”
00:06:18. “Music supervisors are the new A&R.”
00:10:07. “Nora Ryder won five Oscars... the genres were jazz and Russian hip hop.”
00:14:06. “You can't legally place an AI song in TV and film right now.”
00:20:32. “You're certified. You're ready for me to introduce you to music supervisors.”
00:31:08. “It wasn't for the money. The money is amazing... but the reason I got into it was the exposure.”
Ad link: Explore The Mixing Engineer’s Handbook (6th Edition), the go-to guide for modern mixing: https://a.co/d/eEEpPrL
Thank you for tuning in to Bobby Owsinski’s Inner Circle, the podcast that takes you deep inside the music industry. Each week, Bobby shares insights, news, analysis, and conversations with the movers and shakers shaping today’s music world.

📌 Explore Bobby’s best-selling books:
https://bobbyowsinski.com/best-selling-books/

📘 The Mixing Engineer’s Handbook (6th Edition), the go-to guide for nailing that polished, pro mix sound:
https://a.co/d/eEEpPrL

🎧 Free “Magic Frequencies” mini-course, learn the EQ secrets behind pro mixes: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/magic-freqs-registration

🎙️Nail that pro vocal sound: clear, upfront, and mix-ready.
Learn how in Bobby’s Vocal Mixing Mini-Course: https://tinyurl.com/bdhud2bv

🎧 Discover more mixing and production courses:
https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/

📲 Follow Bobby for more tips, insights, and updates:
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobbyOwsinskiBiz/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyo/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bobbyowsinski/
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bobbyowsinski.bsky.social

🎙️ New episodes release every Tuesday at 9AM Pacific on YouTube and your favorite podcast app.

Music. Business. Creativity. Straight from the Inner Circle.

Produced by APodcastGeek
https://apodcastgeek.com/

What does a life in music look like when you follow curiosity instead of chasing titles? In this episode of Bobby Owsinski’s Inner Circle, 7-time Grammy-winning producer, engineer, and songwriter Brent Maher shares a remarkable journey across genres, generations, and creative mediums. From recording legends like Elvis and Duke Ellington to discovering The Judds and inventing a new format - a musical novel - Brent’s stories reveal how passion and patience can outlast trends and change the industry from the inside.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
• Success is doing what you love, not chasing recognition
• Brent’s path from engineer to producer to songwriter was guided by curiosity
• How a surprise moment led to Tina Turner recording one of his songs
• The unique way he discovered and developed The Judds
• Recording Duke Ellington and how it fulfilled a lifelong dream
• Why he never actually met Elvis despite engineering his last #1 hit
• How Brent produced an entire Elvis track from Jungle Room rehearsal tapes
• Creating the world’s first musical audiobook, Night of the Orphan Train
• The untold story behind America’s Orphan Train movement
• A touching story of how a stranger helped him buy his first Gretsch guitar

BEST MOMENTS
00:02:43. “I couldn't really go to sleep... I wound up writing a song that evening.”
00:04:10. “Tina can't get that song out of her head. She wants to cut it.”
00:06:54. “Naomi Judd was a registered nurse... and Diana loved her.”
00:09:15. “We wound up with three songs that were quite different, but there was something that would weave them all together.”
00:13:16. “I engineered Duke Ellington’s... maybe his second or third last record before he passed away.”
00:20:10. “Every time he quit singing, you'd hear the other band. This was pre-automation.”
00:22:51. “It’s a musical novel... a fictional audiobook with songs woven in like a musical.”
00:35:35. “She said, I will co-sign this guitar as if I'm your mother. That woman changed my life.”
Ad link: Explore The Mixing Engineer’s Handbook (6th Edition), the go-to guide for modern mixing: https://a.co/d/eEEpPrL
Thank you for tuning in to Bobby Owsinski’s Inner Circle, the podcast that takes you deep inside the music industry. Each week, Bobby shares insights, news, analysis, and conversations with the movers and shakers shaping today’s music world.

📌 Explore Bobby’s best-selling books:
https://bobbyowsinski.com/best-selling-books/

📘 The Mixing Engineer’s Handbook (6th Edition), the go-to guide for nailing that polished, pro mix sound:
https://a.co/d/eEEpPrL

🎧 Free “Magic Frequencies” mini-course, learn the EQ secrets behind pro mixes: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/magic-freqs-registration

🎙️Nail that pro vocal sound: clear, upfront, and mix-ready.
Learn how in Bobby’s Vocal Mixing Mini-Course: https://tinyurl.com/bdhud2bv

🎧 Discover more mixing and production courses:
https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/

📲 Follow Bobby for more tips, insights, and updates:
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobbyOwsinskiBiz/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyo/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bobbyowsinski/
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bobbyowsinski.bsky.social

🎙️ New episodes release every Tuesday at 9AM Pacific on YouTube and your favorite podcast app.

Music. Business. Creativity. Straight from the Inner Circle.

Produced by APodcastGeek
https://apodcastgeek.com/

What does the future really hold for music in 2026?

In this solo episode of Bobby Owsinski's Inner Circle Podcast, Bobby delivers a rapid-fire rundown of where the industry is headed, and what musicians, producers, and music pros need to prepare for right now. From AI-generated music to streaming platform shifts, gear market slowdowns, and major label controversies, these predictions cut through the hype and hit the heart of what’s changing.

If you care about the music business, you can’t afford to miss this one.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
• Streaming prices are rising as subscriber growth plateaus
• YouTube is quickly becoming the #1 music streaming destination
• AI slop is clogging platforms and turning off listeners
• Major labels are cutting deals with AI music generators, often at artists’ expense
• Human musicianship is making a comeback
• Another round of venue closures is coming
• Big music gear consolidation and fewer product releases ahead
• Social media fatigue is real, artists are quietly pulling back
• A Grammy nomination for an AI music designer is highly likely
• NAMM and other major industry shows continue to shrink

BEST MOMENTS:
00:01:02. “There will be a revolt against AI, yes and no.”
00:02:07. “I predicted a new artificial reality experience... that didn’t happen at all.”
00:04:28. “In 2025, I predicted the TikTok ban in the US would hold.”
00:08:39. “Private equity investment in record labels, yes, this did come to pass.”
00:11:08. “Fintech for musicians takes off.”
00:15:23. “Let’s get to 2026 predictions.”
00:16:45. “I predict AI slop becomes intolerable.”
00:18:13. “Artists will leave major labels over Suno and Udio deals.”
00:29:10. “I predict an AI music designer will be nominated for a Grammy.”
Ad link: Explore The Mixing Engineer’s Handbook (6th Edition), the go-to guide for modern mixing: https://a.co/d/eEEpPrL
Thank you for tuning in to Bobby Owsinski’s Inner Circle, the podcast that takes you deep inside the music industry. Each week, Bobby shares insights, news, analysis, and conversations with the movers and shakers shaping today’s music world.

📌 Explore Bobby’s best-selling books:
https://bobbyowsinski.com/best-selling-books/

📘 The Mixing Engineer’s Handbook (6th Edition), the go-to guide for nailing that polished, pro mix sound:
https://a.co/d/eEEpPrL

🎧 Free “Magic Frequencies” mini-course, learn the EQ secrets behind pro mixes: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/magic-freqs-registration

🎙️Nail that pro vocal sound: clear, upfront, and mix-ready.
Learn how in Bobby’s Vocal Mixing Mini-Course: https://tinyurl.com/bdhud2bv

🎧 Discover more mixing and production courses:
https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/

📲 Follow Bobby for more tips, insights, and updates:
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobbyOwsinskiBiz/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyo/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bobbyowsinski/
• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bobbyowsinski.bsky.social

🎙️ New episodes release every Tuesday at 9AM Pacific on YouTube and your favorite podcast app.

Music. Business. Creativity. Straight from the Inner Circle.

Produced by APodcastGeek
https://apodcastgeek.com/