Progressions: Success in the Music Industry

Travis digs into what he's doing differently in his new studio and why.CONNECT:📬 Newsletter: https://www.travisference.com/subscribe📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/progressionspod🎵TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@progressionspod🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/progressionspod🌐 Website: https://www.travisference.com/🙏 Leave a Review or Rating 🙏Apple: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/appleSpotify: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/spotify

Dan Kalisher is a Los Angeles based pedal steel, guitar player and producer. As a 15+ year veteran of the studio and touring scene Dan has played for Noah Cyrus, Sabrina Carpentar, Grace Potter, American Idol, and A Complete Unknown Soundtrack. In this episode, you'll learn about: How to be the one that gets the gig Building trust with people in the industry Why networking is a dirty word The 6 Aspects of Instrumental Mastery Finding your niche *** CONNECT WITH DAN: 🌐 Website: https://dankalisher.com/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dankalisher/ CONNECT: 📬 Newsletter: https://www.travisference.com/subscribe 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/progressionspod 🎵TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@progressionspod 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/progressionspod 🌐 Website: https://www.travisference.com/ 🙏 Leave a Review or Rating 🙏 Apple: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/apple Spotify: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/spotify

Travis discusses how the loss of his studio reframed everything he thinks matters to having a successful career in music.

Michael J. Morgan is a career coach for mix engineers who has guided numerous Grammy-winning and nominated professionals, including Jon Castelli, Eric Dubowski, and Rauiri O'Flaherty. In this episode, you'll learn about: Why talented engineers stay stuck (hint: it's not about talent) The internal narratives sabotaging your career without you knowing The role of a coach for a mixer and producer The unsexy systems that separate pros from everyone else Why calendars matter more than connections How to climb out when you've hit rock bottom *** CONNECT WITH MICHAEL: 🌐 Website: https://mjm.earth/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelj.morgan CONNECT: 📬 Newsletter: https://www.travisference.com/subscribe 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/progressionspod 🎵TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@progressionspod 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/progressionspod 🌐 Website: https://www.travisference.com/ 🙏 Leave a Review or Rating 🙏 Apple: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/apple Spotify: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/spotify

Ari Herstand is a Los Angeles–based musician, author of the best‑selling "How to Make It in the New Music Business", and host of the Webby‑award winning podcast "The New Music Business," where he empowers artists to build successful DIY careers in the modern music industry. Recognized by Forbes as “the poster child of DIY music,” he also founded the artist‑advocacy education platform Ari’s Take.In this episode, you'll learn about:- The history of streaming platforms- How streaming has changed music consumption- "Owned" vs "Borrowed" audiences- How to lay the ground work for a long successful career as an artist- The potential implications of AI generated music*** CONNECT WITH ARI:🌐 Website: https://aristake.com/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aristake_/🎵TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aris.take📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ArisTakeCONNECT:📬 Newsletter: https://www.travisference.com/subscribe📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/progressionspod🎵TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@progressionspod🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/progressionspod🌐 Website: https://www.travisference.com/🙏 Leave a Review or Rating 🙏Apple: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/appleSpotify: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/spotify

Support the LA Music Community https://musicares.org/ https://www.wearemovingtheneedle.org/lawildfireresources https://www.redcross.org/

Howard Benson is a Grammy winning rock producer who has made records with My Chemical Romance, Three Days Grace, Daughtry, All American Rejects, POD, and Hoobastank. In this episode, you'll learn about: Why having hits is a "numbers game" How producer royalties have changed over the past three decades How DAWs are hurting artists Disguising pop music as rock music The Howard Benson vocal chain How to find harmony parts, even if you don't sing Cowriting in Rock AI's role in modern songwriting and production Connect with Howard Benson: 🌐 Website: https://judgeandjuryrecords.com/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howardbenson/ ⬇️ FREE 2025 PLANNING WORKSHOP ⬇️ https://www.travisference.com/2025plan 📺 WATCH THE SHOW ON YOUTUBE 📺 https://www.youtube.com/@progressionspod Connect with Me: 📬 Newsletter: https://www.travisference.com/subscribe 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/progressionspod 🎵TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@progressionspod 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/progressionspod 🌐 Website: https://www.travisference.com/ 🙏 Leave a Review or Rating 🙏 Apple: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/apple Spotify: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/spotify 📢 Our Sponsors 📢 Listen to Secret Sonics! Sign Up for Complete Producer Network! Credits: Guest: Howard Benson Host: Travis Ference Editor: Stephen Boyd Theme Music: inter.ference

Mat Leffler-Schulman is a mastering engineer who's worked with artists such as Jon Batiste, Blondie, Mary J Blige, Beach House, and many more. In this episode, you'll learn about: The Value of Working with a Human Mastering Engineer The Ethics of Using Stem Splitting to Alter a Mix in Mastering The Various Roles AI Could Play for Music Production Pros How to Address "Width" in a Master The Business Side of a Mastering Studio An Analog One Stop Shop Mastering Unit How to Setup a Project for Success with Communication Staking Multiple Limiters for Louder, Cleaner Masters Learning to Work with Synesthesia Enjoyed this Episode? Dig deeper on mastering with my interview with Sam Fischmann Connect with 🌐 Website: https://matlefflerschulman.com 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matlefflerschulman/ ⬇️ FREE 2025 PLANNING WORKSHOP ⬇️ https://www.travisference.com/2025plan 📺 WATCH THE SHOW ON YOUTUBE 📺 https://www.youtube.com/@progressionspod Connect with Me: 📬 Newsletter: https://www.travisference.com/subscribe 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/progressionspod 🎵TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@progressionspod 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/progressionspod 🌐 Website: https://www.travisference.com/ 🙏 Leave a Review or Rating 🙏 Apple: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/apple Spotify: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/spotify 📢 Our Sponsors 📢 Listen to Secret Sonics! Sign Up for Complete Producer Network! Credits: Guest: Host: Travis Ference Editor: Stephen Boyd Theme Music: inter.ference

Travis shares how mixing and recording knowledge is shared today versus when he started and explains why the abundance of information can be both empowering and limiting. 📺 WATCH THE SHOW ON YOUTUBE 📺 https://www.youtube.com/@progressionspod Connect with Me: 📬 Newsletter: https://www.travisference.com/subscribe 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/progressionspod 🎵TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@progressionspod 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/progressionspod 🌐 Website: https://www.travisference.com/ 🙏 Leave a Review or Rating 🙏 Apple: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/apple Spotify: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/spotify 📢 Our Sponsors 📢 Listen to Secret Sonics! Sign Up for Complete Producer Network! Credits: Guest: N/A Host: Travis Ference Editor: Travis Ference Theme Music: inter.ference

Andrew Scheps is a Grammy winning engineer and mixer who has worked with Adele, Jay-Z, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, and many more. We chat about the future of audio recording, the implications of AI, the mindsets you need to succeed, and the skills every engineer must have. In this episode, you'll learn about: How AI Will Integrate into Mixing and Recording What Engineering and Mixing Will Look Like in 5 Years Atmos Lovers vs Atmos Haters Navigating the Ebbs and Flows of a Career in Audio Parallel Compression Tips Learning the Fundamentals So You Can Break the Rules Limiting Beliefs that Hold Your Career Back Enjoyed this one? Check out my interview with Tony Hoffer Connect with Andrew 🌐 Website: https://www.bouncefactory.net/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascheps 📺 WATCH THE SHOW ON YOUTUBE 📺 https://www.youtube.com/@progressionspod Connect with Me: 📬 Newsletter: https://www.travisference.com/subscribe 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/progressionspod 🎵TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@progressionspod 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/progressionspod 🌐 Website: https://www.travisference.com/ 🙏 Leave a Review or Rating 🙏 Apple: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/apple Spotify: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/spotify 📢 Our Sponsors 📢 Listen to Secret Sonics! Sign Up for Complete Producer Network! Credits: Guest: Andrew Scheps Host: Travis Ference Editor: Stephen Boyd Theme Music: inter.ference

Following the announcement of Spike AI, Travis discusses his thoughts on the inevitability of the us of AI in mixing and how it might affect the careers of future generations of engineers and mixers. 📺 WATCH THE SHOW ON YOUTUBE 📺 https://www.youtube.com/@progressionspod Connect with Me: 📬 Newsletter: https://www.travisference.com/subscribe 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/progressionspod 🎵TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@progressionspod 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/progressionspod 🌐 Website: https://www.travisference.com/ 🙏 Leave a Review or Rating 🙏 Apple: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/apple Spotify: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/spotify 📢 Our Sponsors 📢 Listen to Secret Sonics! Sign Up for Complete Producer Network! Credits: Guest: N/A Host: Travis Ference Editor: Travis Ference Theme Music: inter.ference

Brendan Dekora is an engineer and mixer with credits with artists such as Trent Reznor, Foo Fighters, Steven Wilson, and Muse. In this episode, you'll learn about: What You Need to Know as a Freelance Engineer to Align with your Clients Why “Vibe” is More Important than Skills How Authentic Content can be One of Your Best Tools Tips for Remote Mixing and Collaboration How to Navigate Moving into the Co-Production Role Drum Tuning and How to Get Great Drum Sounds How Being in a Major Music City Can Shape Your Career Connect with 🌐 Website: https://www.brendandekora.com/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brendandekora/ 📺 WATCH THE SHOW ON YOUTUBE 📺 https://www.youtube.com/@progressionspod Connect with Me: 📬 Newsletter: https://www.travisference.com/subscribe 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/progressionspod 🎵TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@progressionspod 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/progressionspod 🌐 Website: https://www.travisference.com/ 🙏 Leave a Review or Rating 🙏 Apple: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/apple Spotify: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/spotify 📢 Our Sponsors 📢 Listen to Secret Sonics! Sign Up for Complete Producer Network! Credits: Guest: Brendan Dekora Host: Travis Ference Editor: Stephen Boyd Theme Music: inter.ference

Sam Fischmann is a cofounder of the audio plugin company Musik Hack. As a software developer and musician he is passionate about demystifying the mastering process and making it accessible to everybody by creating tools that enable musicians to focus more on the creative and less on the technical. In this episode, you'll learn about: The Truth Behind Loudness Standards Where the -14LUFS Target Came From Developing and Trusting Your Own Taste How Machine Learning Can Help Us Build Better Audio Tools The Ethics of AI Audio Tools Growth through mistakes Separating Creative Instincts from Technical Instincts Owning the Role That You Are Best at, Even If It’s Not The One You Want Connect with Sam: 🌐 Website: https://www.musikhack.com 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musikhack_ 🎵TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@musikhackllc 📺 WATCH THE SHOW ON YOUTUBE 📺 https://www.youtube.com/@progressionspod Connect with Me: 📬 Newsletter: https://www.travisference.com/subscribe 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/progressionspod 🎵TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@progressionspod 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/progressionspod 🌐 Website: https://www.travisference.com/ 🙏 Leave a Review or Rating 🙏 Apple: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/apple Spotify: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/spotify 📢 Our Sponsors 📢 Listen to Secret Sonics! Sign Up for Complete Producer Network! Credits: Guest: Sam Fischmann Host: Travis Ference Editor: Stephen Boyd Theme Music: inter.ference

Travis discusses the myths that people believe about big credits and how you should actually think of them. 📺 WATCH THE SHOW ON YOUTUBE 📺 https://www.youtube.com/@progressionspod Connect with Me: 📬 Newsletter: https://www.travisference.com/subscribe 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/progressionspod 🎵TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@progressionspod 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/progressionspod 🌐 Website: https://www.travisference.com/ 🙏 Leave a Review or Rating 🙏 Apple: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/apple Spotify: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/spotify 📢 Our Sponsors 📢 Listen to Secret Sonics! Sign Up for Complete Producer Network! Credits: Guest: N/A Host: Travis Ference Editor: Travis Ference Theme Music: inter.ference

Nick Broste is Chicago based audio engineer and musician who specializes in recording bands in ensembles in both studio and live settings. The spirit of removing the obstacles of artistic expression for artists is the driving force for Nick’s approach to recording and always puts the music first. In this episode, you'll learn about: How the Role of the Engineer Changes When There is No Producer The Best Way to Record a Vocalist that is Playing Acoustic Guitar Microphone Polar Patterns and How They Shape the Sound of Bleed Tips for Recording Brass and Woodwinds The Importance of Talking About Budgets Bringing Value Outside Your Technical Skills When Songwriting Credit Should Be Given to Session Musicians Connect with Nick 🌐 Website: https://www.nickbroste.com/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nbroste/ 📺 WATCH THE SHOW ON YOUTUBE 📺 https://www.youtube.com/@progressionspod Connect with Me: 📬 Newsletter: https://www.travisference.com/subscribe 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/progressionspod 🎵TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@progressionspod 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/progressionspod 🌐 Website: https://www.travisference.com/ 🙏 Leave a Review or Rating 🙏 Apple: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/apple Spotify: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/spotify 📢 Our Sponsors 📢 Listen to Secret Sonics! Sign Up for Complete Producer Network! Credits: Guest: Nick Broste Host: Travis Ference Editor: Stephen Boyd Theme Music: inter.ference

Travis talks about the year he spent NOT buying plug-ins and how the recording studio culture fuels the audio tech industry into trying to sell engineers everything. 📺 WATCH THE SHOW ON YOUTUBE 📺 https://www.youtube.com/@progressionspod Connect with Me: 📬 Newsletter: https://www.travisference.com/subscribe 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/progressionspod 🎵TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@progressionspod 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/progressionspod 🌐 Website: https://www.travisference.com/ 🙏 Leave a Review or Rating 🙏 Apple: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/apple Spotify: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/spotify 📢 Our Sponsors 📢 Listen to Secret Sonics! Sign Up for Complete Producer Network! Credits: Guest: N/A Host: Travis Ference Editor: Travis Ference Theme Music: inter.ference

Marc Matthews is a music producer, mastering engineer and the host of the Inside the Mix Podcast. In this episode, you'll learn about: How Social Media and Content Can Be Networking The Value of Having a Strong Core Group of “Music Friends” Making What You Are Passionate About Is the Cost of Higher Education Worth it for Music? How Releasing Something Helps You Relate to Artists The Importance of Being a Life Long Learner Whether AI Mastering Tools Encourage Engineers to Ignore Their Own Sonic Tastes Connect with Marc Matthews 🌐 Website: https://www.synthmusicmastering.com/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insidethemixpodcast/ 📺 WATCH THE SHOW ON YOUTUBE 📺 https://www.youtube.com/@progressionspod Connect with Me: 📬 Newsletter: https://www.travisference.com/subscribe 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/progressionspod 🎵TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@progressionspod 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/progressionspod 🌐 Website: https://www.travisference.com/ 🙏 Leave a Review or Rating 🙏 Apple: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/apple Spotify: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/spotify 📢 Our Sponsors 📢 Listen to Secret Sonics! Sign Up for Complete Producer Network! Credits: Guest: Marc Matthews Host: Travis Ference Editor: Stephen Boyd Theme Music: inter.ference

Travis discusses why he quit every staff engineering gig he had and how to know that you're ready to go freelance as a recording engineer, mixer, or producer. 📺 WATCH THE SHOW ON YOUTUBE 📺 https://www.youtube.com/@progressionspod Connect with Me: 📬 Newsletter: https://www.travisference.com/subscribe 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/progressionspod 🎵TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@progressionspod 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/progressionspod 🌐 Website: https://www.travisference.com/ 🙏 Leave a Review or Rating 🙏 Apple: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/apple Spotify: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/spotify 📢 Our Sponsors 📢 Listen to Secret Sonics! Sign Up for Complete Producer Network! Credits: Guest: N/A Host: Travis Ference Editor: Travis Ference Theme Music: inter.ference

📺 WATCH THE SHOW ON YOUTUBE 📺 https://www.youtube.com/@progressionspod Connect with Me: 📬 Newsletter: https://www.travisference.com/subscribe 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/progressionspod 🎵TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@progressionspod 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/progressionspod 🌐 Website: https://www.travisference.com/ 🙏 Leave a Review or Rating 🙏 Apple: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/apple Spotify: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/spotify

In this episode, you'll learn about: Is Our Musical Taste Nature or Nurture Practicing Minimalism in Process How to Discover Your Sonic Preferences Is Our Musical Tastes Nature or Nurture How to Discover Your Sonic Preferences Why A-B Tests are a Sales Psy-Op How We Are Too Concerned with the Process of Making Records vs The Outcome How to Find Your Sound in the World of Internet Opinions What’s Worth Worrying About Connect with Harper James: 🌐 Website: https://www.harperjamesmusic.com/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harperjamesx 🎵TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@harperjamesx 🔗 Links: https://linktr.ee/harperjames 📺 WATCH THE SHOW ON YOUTUBE 📺 https://www.youtube.com/@progressionspod Connect with Me: 📬 Newsletter: https://www.travisference.com/subscribe 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/progressionspod 🎵TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@progressionspod 🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/progressionspod 🌐 Website: https://www.travisference.com/ 🙏 Leave a Review or Rating 🙏 Apple: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/apple Spotify: https://www.progressionspodcast.com/spotify 📢 Our Sponsors 📢 Listen to Secret Sonics! Sign Up for Complete Producer Network! Credits: Guest: Harper James Host: Travis Ference Editor: Stephen Boyd Theme Music: inter.ference