Critical Listening

Episode 12: February 2026 Headlines

Welcome back to another episode of Critical Listening. For this month’s Headlines, we’re joined by Hearing Things co-founder and longtime music critic Jill Mapes to discuss her recent piece “The Wasserman Exodus is A Different Kind of Reckoning” about the artists protesting music exec Casey Wasserman’s appearance in the Epstein files. Before that we’re also talking about Spotify’s recent 2025 Q4 earnings call, where it presented a financial update to shareholders, and what it says about the company’s most recent positions on generative AI and the visions of its new leadership. Or, as we’re calling it: “Liz reads the transcript of the Spotify earnings call so you don’t have to.”
Thanks for listening! Remember to support the show by subscribing to the Patreon If you are enjoying these Headlines episodes please tell a friend about the show or leave a review on your podcast app. This episode will be made available on all public platforms besides you-know-where next week.
Music for this episode includes two pieces by the late great Éliane Radigue: "Occam Delta XV" and "Jetsun Mila".

Episode 11: Live from Groningen

WE’RE BACK. Today we start the year with a dispatch from what some may call the front lines: a bunch of AI-related panels at a European music biz trade conference. It’s also our first episode recorded in person!
We are starting our new season with two episodes recorded in the city of Groningen in the Netherlands, where we were invited to participate on some panels and to host a live taping of the show at the annual conference and festival ESNS. That live taping—an interview with Dutch investigative culture reporter Henk Willem Smits—will drop later in the month. But before then, we have another conversation we recorded while we were in Groningen, reflecting on some panels we saw as well as ones we participated in. 
Did Max survive his first music industry conference? Did Liz learn anything being on a panel alongside someone from a certain French DSP that has been labeling AI tracks? Why did we choose to attend something called “Automate or Die Trying” when we could have done literally anything else? And why are there never any musicians at these things? All this and more on Episode 11 of Critical Listening.
Support the show for access to bonus episodes and our Discord at patreon.com/criticallistening.

Episode 10: Season Finale w/ Anthony Fantano (The Needle Drop)

As 2025 comes to a close, so does the first season of Critical Listening. And with us to send off the year, we have none other than the internet's busiest music nerd himself: Anthony Fantano of The Needle Drop. We discuss how public perception of streaming culture discourse has shifted this past year, his efforts to offer a critical perspective on the music industry in his videos, the state of on-screen music journalism in 2025, and more.
We also dive into Anthony's background as a music journalist, the influence of public radio on his work, what media integrity means for video-first critics, and his general thoughts on music media after over 15 years of running a successful online platform. We had a lot of fun chatting with Anthony and we hope you will enjoy this culmination of Season 1. Thanks to all who pledged their monthly support to make this first season of Critical Listening happen, we can't wait to show you what we have in store for 2026. If you haven't yet please subscribe to the Patreon atpatreon.com/criticallistening. See you all in the New Year!
The tracklist for this episode includes some of our shared fav releases from the past year. Support these artists by buying their music:
Keiyaa - Take It
Purelink - Rookie ft. Loraine James
Chat Pile / Hayden Pedigo - Never Say Die
Deerhoof - Immigrant Songs

Episode 9: November 2025 Headlines LIVE at Purchase College

We are back for our penultimate episode of Season 1 of Critical Listening! Recorded on November 13th at the coveted Stood at Purchase College, we're discussing the latest developments in the Spotify deal to create "artist first" generative AI tools in partnership with major labels and distributors. We also review the platform's continued growth as it rounds out its second full year of profitability and what that means for both artists and users alike.
We have just uploaded the second part of this episode for Patrons only where we take questions directly from the students of Purchase College themselves, sign up now at patreon.com/criticallistening to catch up on the full season and bonus episodes before our season finale at the end of the year!
Do you want the Critical Listening team to do a live taping at your college, music venue, conference, record store, or general hang in 2026? Shoot us an email at criticallisteningpod@gmail.com and let's chat!

Episode 8: Amirtha Kidambi

For Episode 8 we have composer, educator, curator, and activist Amirtha Kidambi stopping by. We discuss Amirtha's various musical outputs, including her Elder Ones ensemble and her recent duo release with Matt Evans as Neti-Neti. We discuss the inseparability of politics from pedagogy as teaching artists, the importance of solidarity amongst working artists and the need for us to Do-It-Together rather than simply DIY. Amirtha has a new podcast out called Outernational that explores the relationship of music and revolution through poignant conversations with fellow artists around the world, subscribe and support her work via her Substack and Bandcamp.
Support critical and independent media at the intersections of music, tech, and culture industry hell by subscribing to our Patreon.

Episode 7: October 2025 Headlines

We’re back with another headlines ep, where Liz and Max each bring one story from across the music-tech biz press to summarize and contextualize. On this ep we are unpacking the imminent major label deals with gen-AI companies. At the time we recorded, those reportedly landmark deals were thought to be signed within weeks, and since recording we’ve already started to see more details emerge. We discussed some implications of Spotify being included on the list of companies major rightsholders are working out gen-AI deals with, and more details of that collaboration have already dropped, too. Lastly, we of course also spoke about what it means that Daniel Ek is stepping back from his role as CEO of Spotify. Thanks for tuning in, remember to support the show by joining our Patreon & head over to the Discord if you want to chat about anything mentioned on the show!

Episode 6: Why Sound Matters w/ Damon Krukowski

We're back from a month of touring and we missed you! We are thrilled to have musician and author Damon Krukowski on the show to discuss his upcoming book "Why Sound Matters", available everywhere on October 21st from Yale University Press. We discuss Galaxie 500, Damon & Naomi, the acoustic ecology writings of Bernie Krause, the Boston independent music scene in the 1980s compared to today, and how much of the material aspects of music relate directly to the labor issues in sound as a whole. Support the show and listen to exclusive bonus content from this episode at patreon.com/criticallistening.

Episode 5: August 2025 Headlines

Max & Liz return for another installment of their series diving into some intriguing headlines from across the music, tech and business hellscape. What does it mean for organizations representing independent record labels to be inking deals with gen-AI companies? How are AI-driven tech platforms impacting the realm of music education? Never fear, we’ve got a bloomscroll in there too. Check it out and support the Patreon to join the convo on Discord!
 

Episode 4: QUITTING STREAMING w/ Andy Cush of Hearing Things

We're back with another esteemed guest! With us today we have writer, musician, and co-founder of the worker owned music publication Hearing Things, Andy Cush. We discuss with Andy his articles on the various artists and labels who have not only decided to leave streaming, but are reimagining their relationship with digital music as a whole off these major platforms. We also dive into the detrimental effects streaming has made on the listening habits of both casual and diehard music lovers, and how one might decide to find different alternatives themselves.
Music for the episode is from Andy's solo project, Domestic Drafts, whose full length LP entitled Only The Singer was released earlier this year.

Episode 3: July 2025 Headlines

We’re back with the first installment of what we’re calling “Headlines,” diving into a few stories from across the music and tech biz press this month. For July, there were some headlines that just seemed impossible to ignore. You guessed it: Ek’s recent investment into AI weapons company Helsing, and that gen-AI classic rock band with millions of streams. We end by searching the internet far and wide for a glimmer of hope — a “bloomscroll” — so it’s not all gloom and doom. Our goal here is to offer critical context on these stories so hoping you all find it helpful! Max also curated some choice needle drops from friends, listener submissions and his own recently released record too.
On this episode you’re hearing “Last Night I Woke Up In The Dark” by Peretsky, “&pull” by Bas Relief, “A Pilcate Leaf” by Greening, and “Drawing Of Me” by U.e.
 
Support the show by signing up for the Patreon, where you'll get early access to episodes as well as our Discord. Thanks for listening!