Audio Products Podcast

Our guest is Maciej Bąk — a Senior IT Project & Program Manager with 16+ years of experience, currently at Neural DSP and previously on the Avid Pro Tools team.Maciek has delivered hundreds of audio projects. He is also a very active musician and mix engineer, which gives him a rare perspective on both industry and user sides of audio.In this episode, we talk about:
✅ Why audio delivery is different from SaaS✅ Projects vs Programs — and why audio companies need both✅ How poor delivery can kill a great audio product✅ Managing DSP, hardware, firmware and UX dependencies✅ Agile vs Waterfall in audio development✅ What competencies are missing in audio PMs✅ How AI will change program management in audio✅ What project management do startups need If you are a Founder scaling your company, Head of Product or Product Manager and Program Manager or Scrum Master - this episode is a practical deep dive into what it really means to deliver audio products, not just think about them
➡️ Maciek’s music channel
https://www.youtube.com/@bak_songs
 
➡️ Support our podcast and get premium content
https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast
➡️ Join our Discord
https://discord.com/invite/jd6Fgv5XTR
➡️ Sign up to our newsletter for audio job openings, articles and upcoming events
https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr

We met Jordan Rudess - legendary keyboardist of Dream Theater, voted the greatest keyboard player of all time, and a deeply involved music technologist.
In this episode, we talk about:✅ how he started building products,✅ the tools and innovations he’s excited about,✅ the future of music education ✅ his perspective on AI in music making
 
➡️ Wizdom Music (apps built by Jordan)
https://www.wizdommusic.com/
➡️ Support our podcast and get premium content
https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast
 
➡️ Join our Discord
https://discord.com/invite/jd6Fgv5XTR
 
➡️ Sign up to our newsletter for audio job openings, articles and upcoming events
https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr
 
➡️ Expressive E
https://www.expressivee.com/
 
➡️ Lava Music
https://www.lavamusic.com/
 
➡️ Moises.ai
https://moises.ai/
 
➡️ Rick Beato's interview with Jordan
https://youtu.be/2JA4DqWmHBY?si=rCLomLgAOcI-k40z

Our guest is Diana Monroy-García, founder of MC Media who is an expert in digital asset management and media production. Her expertise encompasses audiovisual collections research and management, copyright clearance, sync licensing, and comprehensive library and metadata management. Her focus is on improving rights information management within the digital ecosystem, particularly through the development of innovative technology.In this episode, we talk with Diana about:✅ why metadata is the foundation of music distribution and licensing✅ the most common (and costly) metadata mistakes artists and producers make✅ how poor data management leads to lost royalties✅ how standards like ISRC, ISWC, ISNI, UPC and DDEX shape the music ecosystem✅ what product teams need to understand before building tools for the music industry
 
➡️ Support our podcast and get premium content
https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast
 
➡️ Join our Discord
https://discord.com/invite/jd6Fgv5XTR
 
➡️ Sign up to our newsletter for audio job openings, articles and upcoming events
https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr
 
➡️ NoiseWork DynAssist
https://noiseworksaudio.com/?ref=wojciech
 
Recommended by Diana:
 
➡️ MCs newsletter access where we'll drop the early access to our Embedding Up tool:
https://mcmediadk.gumroad.com/
 
➡️ A compilation of useful general resources about music: the market, rights, and others:
https://www.ifpi.org/resources/
 
➡️ If you're an artist who wants to get an ISRC code for your music without going through a distributor or your country's rights organisation:
https://isrc.ifpi.org/get-isrc/assign-isrc-online
 
➡️ The best practices compilation from DDEX standards:
https://kb.ddex.net/implementing-each-standard/best-practices-for-all-ddex-standards/
 
➡️ A good citizen took the DDEX standards and turned them into a fully readable/workable library for development (strongly recommend going to the examples section):
https://ddex-suite.org/docs/intro
 
#audioproductspodcast #musictech #metadata #musicindustry #datastandards #ISRC #DDEX #productmanagement #audioPM

Most people know Andrew as a three-time Grammy-winning mix engineer who has worked with artists like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, Adele, Jay-Z and many others.  
 
But fewer know he’s also spent years designing audio products - both in collaboration with companies like Waves Audio and independently using the SoundFlow platform.
 
In this episode, we talk with Andrew about:
 
 the real challenges and pain points of working as a top-tier mix engineer, how to build meaningful products in a saturated audio tools market, how workflow, automation and UX shape creativity in the mix room, which products and tools Andrew actually uses and recommends today, how he builds his products
 
 Bonus: Bounce Factory Lite is now included in Avid Pro Tools 2025.12 at no extra cost https://www.avid.com/resour.../whats-new-in-pro-tools-202512
 
➡️ Bounce Factory Tutorialhttps://youtu.be/sCJnqaMVyK0?si=1cqng03yehYNZFDI&t=1
 
➡️ Support our podcast and get premium content
https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast
➡️ Join our Discord
https://discord.com/invite/jd6Fgv5XTR
➡️ Sign up to our newsletter for audio job openings, articles and upcoming events
https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr
➡️ NoiseWork DynAssist
https://noiseworksaudio.com/?ref=wojciech
 
🎉 Bounce Factory Lite is now included in Pro Tools 2025.12 at no extra cost
👉 https://www.bouncefactory.net/
 
Bounce Factory Tutorialhttps://youtu.be/sCJnqaMVyK0?si=1cqng03yehYNZFDI&t=1
 
 
Recommended by Andrew
 
➡️ Genki instruments ring
https://genkiinstruments.com/wave
 
➡️ How to listen by Fab Dupont
https://www.puremix.com/mentors/fab-dupont
 
➡️ One-on-one, live, interactive mixing lessons/mentoring sessions with John Paterno
https://www.mix-therapy.com/
 
➡️  Scheps Omni Channel 2 (with Waves Audio)
https://www.waves.com/plugins/scheps-omni-channel
 

This time we look back at 2025 — through the voices of the people who shaped it.
From indie plugin developers and AI startups, to UX leads, hardware PMs and R&D heads at companies like Roland, Universal Audio, Safari Audio and d&b audiotechnik — 2025 gave us 15 deep conversations about what it really takes to build audio tools that matter.In this solo episode, Wojciech reflects on:• What builders, designers and founders taught us about careers, workflows and innovation• Recurring themes across companies of all sizes – from Beatport to Pro Sound Effects• The hidden skills and rituals that make audio products succeed (or fail)• Trends in AI, sound design, UX and product culture that emerged from the year• What we’re launching next and how you can be part of itIf you're working in or around audio — or building tools for those who do — this wrap-up is for you.Thanks for being with us this year! 🙏
➡️ Join our course AI-Augmented PM
https://aipm.rokanan.com/
 
Other links
➡️ Join our Discord
https://discord.com/invite/jd6Fgv5XTR
 
➡️ Sign up to our newsletter for audio job openings, articles and upcoming events
https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr
 
➡️ Support our podcast and get premium content
https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast
 
➡️ Check out our Meetups in Berlin for audio product leaders
https://audioproductjam2.eventbrite.com
 
About Wavelab Incubator
➡️ https://www.wavelab.io/en/startups-2/
 
Teresa Torres: Continuous Discovery Habits 
➡️ https://www.amazon.com/Continuous-Discovery-Habits-Discover-Products/dp/1736633309 

We met again with Dr Tomasz Żernicki. This time we talked about how AI is reshaping product management workflows and what it really means for PM jobs. Is AI going to take over, or will it finally let PMs focus on strategy instead of chasing tickets and status updates?
➡️ Join our course AI-Augmented PM
https://aipm.rokanan.com/
 
➡️ Join our Discord
https://discord.com/invite/jd6Fgv5XTR
 
➡️ Sign up to our newsletter for audio job openings, articles and upcoming event dates
https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr
 
➡️ Support our podcast and get premium content
https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast

We met Andrew Cresswell, Head of Product Sales at ICEpower A/S.➡️ Join our Discord:https://discord.com/invite/jd6Fgv5XTR➡️ Sign up to our newsletter for audio job openings, articles and upcoming event dates:https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr ➡️ Support our podcast and get premium content:https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast➡️ How to get from start-up to scale-uphttps://organizationalphysics.com/2015/10/15/rethinking-product-management-how-to-get-from-start-up-to-scale-up/ ➡️ Audio Product Portfolio Management course https://rokanan.com/2025/12/17/audio-product-portfolio-management-2/ #audioPM #musictech #proaudio #scaleup #productportfolio

We met with Wolfgang Schulz, Head of Product Management Electronics & Software, d&b audiotechnik.
➡️ Join our Discord
https://discord.com/invite/jd6Fgv5XTR
➡️ Sign up to our newsletter for audio job openings, articles and upcoming event dates
https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr
➡️ Support our podcast and get premium content
https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast
#audioPM #musictech #proaudio #speakers

We have met in Berlin with Gösta Wellmer to discuss product design culture, hardware product management and more!
 
Gösta is a design and product leader with 15+ years of executive experience driving innovation in the music technology industry. He is a former Director of Design at Native Instruments and a former CEO Elektron
 
➡️ Join our Discord
https://discord.com/invite/jd6Fgv5XTR
➡️ sign up to our newsletter for audio job openings, articles and upcoming event dates -https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr
➡️ Support our podcast and get premium content
https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast
➡️ Connect with Gösta
https://www.linkedin.com/in/goesta-wellmer/
➡️ Check out our Meetups in Berlin for audio product leaders
https://audioproductjam2.eventbrite.com
 

We met Brad Swanson, the Head of Product at Pro Sound Effects to talk about the sound design market and products
 
➡️ sign up to our newsletter for audio job openings, articles and upcoming event dates
https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr
➡️ Support our podcast and get premium content
https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast
➡️ Join our Discord
https://lnkd.in/dCCFsgyr.
 
Podcast edited with DynAssist.