Audio Products Podcast

#31 Marketing Ethical AI in Music: From Hype to Trust with Varda Caspi

Our guest is Varda Caspi — VP Marketing at Aiode. Aiode is an Abbey Road -backed company building ethical AI tools for music creation 👉Learn about Aiode here: https://aiode.com/ [https://aiode.com/] In this episode, we talk about: ✅ What ethical AI actually means in music tech Varda breaks down what "ethical AI" should mean in practice: transparent training methods, clear consent from musicians, and business models where artists are not just data sources but participants in the value chain. We also discuss how royalties can work when models are trained on real performances and generate stems based on that material — and why compensation frameworks will be critical if AI music tools want long-term trust from creators. ✅ Marketing AI when the product is the controversy Aiode sits at the intersection of creative tools and generative AI — a space that artists, labels, and publishers are still actively debating. Varda explains how to build credible positioning and trust in a market that hasn't settled on the rules yet. ✅ The Product × Marketing handshake When founders build first and hand off to marketing at launch, they're already late. Varda shares how she structures early-stage collaboration between product and marketing at Aiode and what drives growth in an AI company. If you are a founder, product marketer, growth lead or PM building music tech or AI audio products, this episode will offer plenty of inspiration. ➡️ Join our Discord https://discord.com/invite/jd6Fgv5XTR [https://discord.com/invite/jd6Fgv5XTR]   ➡️ Sign up to our newsletter for audio job openings, articles and upcoming events https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr [https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr]

#30 Marketing playbook behind top audio brands with Amanda Whiting Gerstle

Our guest is Amanda Whiting Gerstle [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandagerstle/] — a strategic marketing leader in music tech and pro audio, who worked with iconic brands like Universal Audio, Splice, and Roland Corporation. In this episode, we talk about: ✅ How startups should build marketing from scratch We go deep into what early-stage audio companies should focus on first, how to avoid common mistakes, and when it makes sense to bring in external expertise ✅ Marketing funnels, channels and what actually drives sales We explore how funnels really work in audio, what channels matter in 2026, and why most companies struggle to convert attention into revenue ✅ How to build and scale marketing in audio companies From product marketing to branding — Amanda shares how marketing should work with Product and Sales, and where it should sit in the organisation We also discuss AI, market saturation, and what it really takes to stand out today. If you’re building an audio startup, Amanda can also help you through her work as a Fractional CMO at Synthesize Marketing → https://www.synthesize.marketing/ ➡️ Sign up to our newsletter for audio job openings, articles and upcoming events https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr [https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr]   ➡️ Join our Discord https://discord.com/invite/jd6Fgv5XTR [https://discord.com/invite/jd6Fgv5XTR]

#29 Make Hardware Great Again with Ross Totino

Our guest is Ross Totino — Product Developer, Sound Designer, and expert in audio hardware and DSP systems who worked on many iconic products we love. In this episode, we talk about: ✅ How to build a career in hardware product development Ross shares how he moved from technician roles into sound design and product development in Electro-Harmonix and Line 6 and how those helped me to further work with iconic brands Eventide Audio.  ✅ How analog gear is modelled in the digital world We explore DSP modeling, perception vs. accuracy, and how developers recreate character — not just circuits. ✅ Why Silicon Valley VC capitalist mentality severely impacted the economy and the music industry Can we get away from the totally software-focused, short-term profit-seeking, fake it ’til you make it” approach? ✅ The state of the industry today “𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦… 𝘏𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘺’𝘴 𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳.” ➡️ Join our Discord https://discord.com/invite/jd6Fgv5XTR [https://discord.com/invite/jd6Fgv5XTR]   ➡️ Sign up to our newsletter for audio job openings, articles and upcoming events https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr [https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr]   Ross's band   ➡️ Fans of Collision Bandcamp: https://fansofcollision.bandcamp.com/ [https://fansofcollision.bandcamp.com/]   ➡️ Fans of Collision Sounds on Gumroad: https://rtotino.gumroad.com/ [https://rtotino.gumroad.com/]     Products Ross worked on:   ➡️ EHX Holy Grail: https://youtu.be/tCXxuyu_N8g?si=6hLGibQaBsvERIsK [https://youtu.be/tCXxuyu_N8g?si=6hLGibQaBsvERIsK]   ➡️ Line 6 ToneCore: https://youtu.be/SKWbT6gbFeM?si=QpB8A7UFd40zMYHm [https://youtu.be/SKWbT6gbFeM?si=QpB8A7UFd40zMYHm]   ➡️ Umlaut Audio: https://youtu.be/Vc8nwi5Attk?si=3atLHm7XFCzhBJ28 [https://youtu.be/Vc8nwi5Attk?si=3atLHm7XFCzhBJ28]   The other mentioned gear   ➡️ Media Overkill: https://mok.com/ [https://mok.com/]   ➡️ Twisted-Electrons: https://www.twistedelectrons.com/megafm [https://www.twistedelectrons.com/megafm]   ➡️ Kawai K5000s: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawai_K5000 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawai_K5000]   ➡️ Korg DSS-1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korg_DSS-1 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korg_DSS-1]

#28 What is Audio Product Academy?

This time Wojciech in the solo episode. We want to pause to: ✅ Reflect on what is actually missing in the audio business education space ✅ Discuss why generic content does not translate into real-world audio product skills ✅ Explain what Audio Product Academy is and why it exists (besides the podcast) ➡️ Check our course platform https://audioproductacademy.com/ [https://audioproductacademy.com/]   ➡️ Our audio PM meetups - Audio Product Jams https://audioproductacademy.com/ [https://audioproductacademy.com/]     ➡️ Support our podcast and get premium content https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast [https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast]   ➡️ Join our Discord https://discord.com/invite/jd6Fgv5XTR [https://discord.com/invite/jd6Fgv5XTR]   ➡️ Sign up to our newsletter for audio job openings, articles and upcoming events https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr [https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr]

#27 Introduction to game audio with Krzysiek Kowal

🎮 How do you actually start a career in game audio? We talked about it with Krzysiek Kowal — Audio & Motion Department Manager at Anshar Studios and former Sound Designer at CD PROJEKT RED. Game audio is one of the most fascinating intersections of sound design, technology and interactive storytelling — but entering the industry can feel hard, especially today. In this episode, we talk about: ✅ How Krzysiek started his career in game audio From early sound design work to working on professional game productions and eventually managing audio teams. ✅ Process of implementing SFX and music in games What are the steps, people and teams involved, what are the roles in the game audio team ✅ Tools and technology behind game audio Game engines, middleware like Audiokinetic's Wwise or FMOD, custom scripting tools, recording setups and the production pipelines used by professional studios. ✅ The current state of the game industry Major players, current challenges and what innovations are shaping the future of interactive audio. If you're a sound designer, audio student or an audio developer or someone curious about game audio careers, this episode gives a practical introduction to how the field actually works. 👉 Don’t forget to subscribe to Audio Products Podcast ➡️ Support our podcast and get premium content https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast [https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast]   ➡️ Join our Discord https://discord.com/invite/jd6Fgv5XTR [https://discord.com/invite/jd6Fgv5XTR]   ➡️ Sign up to our newsletter for audio job openings, articles and upcoming events https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr [https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr]