Pause/Play

How to become an Official SXSW Music Artist

Ever wondered what it takes to perform at SXSW? In the latest episode of Pause/Play, we sit down with SXSW’s VP of Music Festival, B. Hobbs, and Senior Music Programmer B

How to get your song on the radio

KUTX Music Director Rick McNulty talks about how he discovers new music, and his process for determining what songs make it into rotation. He also gives Austin artists in

Season 7 of Pause/Play starts October 27th!

This season, we’re trying to answer we want to answer some questions that we often hear from people in the Austin music ecosystem. How can local artists get their music o

BONUS — Austin Artists Share What It Means to Play ACL Fest 

What does it mean for Austin artists to take the stage at the city’s biggest music festival? This episode features conversations with SL Houser, Geto Gala, and Next of Ki

Can we look to the past to figure out the future of affordable housing for musicians?

We take a look at the Metropolis Apartments, a complex that has been providing affordable housing for musicians and creatives for over 20 years.

What’s going on with the Live Music Fund?

The Live Music Fund is about to launch applications for its third round of funding. Hear what's changed with the fund over the years, and what will be new with this next

BONUS — The city has millions of dollars to support the Austin music scene. But who gets the money? (rerun)

In preparation for our upcoming update episode about the Live Music Fund, we revisit this episode from 2022, which tells the story of how the framework for the first Live

The Future of Vinyl

Caren Kelleher, founder and CEO of Gold Rush Vinyl and co-owner of Waterloo Records, shares why she launched a vinyl pressing plant, how her company brings records to lif

The Future of Music at SXSW

Brian Hobbs, VP of Music at SXSW, sits down to talk about the future of the festival.

BONUS: Terry Lickona from Austin City Limits on what cuts to federal funding for public media mean for TV’s longest running music program.

Terry Lickona, Executive Producer of the Austin City Limits TV show, joins hosts Elizabeth McQueen and Miles Bloxson to talk about how cuts to federal funding for public

AI and the Future of Music

AI is a hot topic right now, but how will it impact music? We discuss everything from fake bands getting millions of listens to a legendary producer vouching for the use

Streaming Sucks: The good, the bad and the future of music platforms

We examine what streaming looks like now and what it could look like in the future. Walker Lukens explains how Song Confessional has found success with streaming. And Lau

Social Media & Music: Love It, Hate It, or Use It?

Social media has completely changed how musicians share their work and connect with fans — but not everyone is here for the endless scroll. Some artists are over it and h

Doing all the things: The new blueprint for making a living in music

Pay for musicians in Austin has stayed the same for decades, and streaming often doesn’t bring in my money. So if you can’t make money playing music and you can’t make mo

Season 6 of Pause Play starts June 17th!

The world is shifting faster than ever, and for many, the future feels more uncertain than clear. In season six of Pause/Play, we are taking a look at the future of Austi

Don’t Austin My Lockhart: How Austin musicians seeking affordability are impacting surrounding towns

We’re looking at what happens to small towns like Lockhart when a bunch of Austin musicians seeking affordable places to live move there. You’ll hear from musician Emily

How SXSW went from an Austin festival to an international experience

SXSW started in 1987 as a regional music festival in Austin. You'll hear how it started and how it changed over the years from the perspectives of some of the musicians w

Pause/Play is taking a quick break

There should be a new episode of Pause/Play this week. But, we got hit by a mix of travel, COVID, and unforeseen circumstances. So there’s no episode right now. But there

An Austin Artist’s Guide to Success: Part 2

The latest episode of Pause/Play is part two of an Austin Artist’s Guide to Success. You’ll hear from many people in the everchanging Austin music scene about their tips

An Austin Artist’s Guide to Success: Part 1

The latest episode of Pause/Play is an Austin Artist’s Guide to Success. You’ll hear from many people in the everchanging Austin music scene about their tips and tricks f