Rock music is an extremely popular genre that developed from ‘rock ‘n’ roll’ in the 1950s. Later, it took on a style of its own. Despite being discouraged by many owing to its loud and rebellious nature, rock music enjoys a massive fan following. It also has a rich history. This is one particular genre that allows you to express your emotions freely. 

So, if you wish to know more about this type of music, you must certainly listen to podcasts. Of course, they must not be the random ones but those dedicated to rock music. We’ve picked a few podcasts that would help you learn more about this genre. So, why wait? Let’s go through the list right away.

1. Sound Opinions

A Chicago-based radio talk show and podcast, Sound Opinions was started in 1993. It has now been turned into a podcast, hosted by Greg Kot and Jim DeRogatis. The producers of this podcast are Andrew Gill and Alex Claiborne. Sound Opinions speaks about rock music, its history, famous artists in the genre, and their hit albums. 

Every week interviews with well-known rock artists are hosted on the podcast. You can also expect some good conversations about the music industry in general. Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot are renowned rock critics of the United States. They take you through the rock music timeline and keep you engaged in their discussions about the recent additions.

2. The Classic Rock Podcast

Anyone can easily guess that this podcast is about classic rock. Hosted by Tim Caple, it provides valuable information about the important icons of rock music every month. The podcast also has discussions on the recent happenings in the world of music. It has a segment titled ‘Album of the Month’. A classic rock album is picked and discussed in detail in this segment. 

It talks about everything from its history to the inspiration behind it and the process of its creation. You’re also told about the new features in various music magazines. The podcast also takes a look at the Rock Album Charts.

3. The Rock and Roll Geek Show

This podcast was created by Michael Butler based in California, United States. Michael has his own band, but The Rock and Roll Geek Show became the reason behind his fame. He plays the bass guitar and performs vocals for his band, American Heartbreak. 

Besides these ventures, Michael is also a host of other podcasts. Cooking with Butler, Hairbanger’s Ball, Roll Geek Indie Cast, and Bangin’ with Butler. The Rock and Roll Geek Show is seen as rock music’s original school. It gives you some fabulous information on rock ‘n’ roll music.

4. The Loudini Rock and Roll Circus

The Loudini Rock and Roll Circus is all about guitar-driven rock music. It covers the genre from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. You’re taken on a journey through these eras while listening to the podcast. It would allow you to experience the origin of authentic rock music. 

You can also listen to the current happenings in this genre of music and its future. This podcast also talks about the most inspiring rock artists and their uplifting stories.

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In 2018, Atlantic Records launched its own team dedicated to podcasts. A deal with Wondery was announced by Universal Music sometime back for podcast production. Launching a podcast has become a standard part for musicians. It helps them in their promotions. This trend began with the success of several podcasts from musicians like Jessie Ware, George Ezra, and Pixies.

Involvement of labels and artists

This rush of musicians and record labels into podcasting makes a lot of sense today. It seems that podcasting and music are closely intertwined in recent times. A study conducted by Pex lately found that a considerable percentage of podcasting space is dedicated to music. Record labels have access to artists as well as music archives that can turn their podcasts into massive successes. 

Craig Kallman, the chairman and CEO of Atlantic Records, had announced the label’s foray into podcasting sometime back. He, along with COO Julie Greenwald gave a joint statement that the label has a constant stream of artists. It was, therefore, essential to create an environment for nurturing them. They could tell their stories and talk about their music through podcasts. 

This makes a lot of sense for the business as well. They can partner with the best in the industry for podcast content. Among the industry leaders in this space are Apple and Spotify. They give major labels a big platform with their streaming services. It puts musicians at an advantage. 

When they get started in the podcasting space, they already have the benefit of a massive fan base. All their fans would be desperate to interact with them. This helps a lot in using the existing fan base to increase their popularity. Among the biggest challenges for podcasters is finding an audience. So, music artists don’t have to invest their time and energy in massive promotions. 

The rest of the job is done by the record label’s support and huge market resources. In this way, a record label and an artist leverage their resources and create a buzz. The creator of the Washed Up Emo Podcast, Tom Mullen, believes firmly in podcasting. 

According to him, artists and labels must make their own podcasts today. He says that labels must look at the medium and understand that they can tell some good stories. He further adds that even two shows about an artist on a podcast can make a big difference.

The right timings and partners

Promotions can involve a significant amount of work. Many new podcasts sign up with Acast, a Sweden-based company that supports podcasts. When they sign up, the company consults with these podcasts. They’re told about the best practices for launching and increasing their audience from day one. Some aspects of marketing and PR are also handled by Acast. 

One thing that podcasts must remember is that they must not rush things. It doesn’t take long for a podcast show to go live from its development stage. So, podcasters think that they can promote it in the same manner. They need to understand that just like any piece of good content, a successful launch campaign takes time. Planning must be done in the most efficient manner. 

There are several options to be considered for promotions. You can reach out to other podcasts to get some cross-promotion done. Paid campaigns are another good option if you’ve got the necessary finances. Social media can also be effective for promotional campaigns. These are some of the things that have to be thought about before launching your podcast. 

Frequency is an important aspect of a podcast. Listeners always like a regular release slot. However, the record labels and artists might not want to be overburdened with commitments. If a podcast is irregularly updated or abandoned abruptly, those associated with it would look bad.

A lot more than just being ‘the new radio’

Many of the artists certainly won’t launch their own podcast for the purpose of promotions. Regardless of whether they launch their podcast or not, the promotional power of this format cannot be downplayed. There are major music commentary podcasts such as Switched On Pop and Song Exploder that have reached millions. 

With this massive reach, such podcasts have become a vital part of the promotional trail. The importance of these shows is not merely in their listenership. It is the connection between the hosts and the listeners that do wonders. Podcasts are quite an intimate form of listening. A music recommendation on an immensely popular podcast would be taken seriously by almost all its listeners. 

It is also important to note that nobody listens regularly to a podcast by chance. This format is something that people have decided to listen to. So, the levels of engagement are quite high in podcasts. When people listen to podcasts, they pay a lot of attention. A podcast can be compared to a chat show. What makes it really work is the conversation covered in it. 

You can be a brilliant musician, but it is not necessary to restrict yourself just to reviews. You can talk about different aspects of life besides just music in a podcast. There are many ways of pitching an artist to a podcast, but reaching out to a podcaster directly is the best approach. With this, many possibilities open up. Getting featured on a special episode can be one of them. 

Additional support can come from a paid ad campaign across similar podcasts. Some podcasts are among the biggest music commentary podcasts on a global level. They may receive between 50 and 100 requests every day for a special feature. In order to get selected for a special feature, there needs to be a good story. Only then can the listeners be influenced by the artist or the record label.

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