Kickstarting 2026: New Year, New Tools

In the first episode of 2026, Rich and Justin discuss their achievements in 2025, including reaching over 2,150 downloads in 50 countries. They introduce the concept of an 'accountabilibuddy' to help each other stay on track with their respective projects: Rich's single and Justin's Logic Pro course. They also highlight the project management tool Wrike for organizing tasks, and Boombox, a collaboration tool for musicians to provide specific feedback on audio tracks. The episode focuses on embracing new tools and strategies to achieve creative goals in the new year.

00:00 Welcome to Face Your Ears 2026!
00:37 2025 Recap: Highlights and Achievements
01:24 Global Reach: Our International Audience
02:23 Top Episodes and Listener Favorites
03:54 New Year, New Tools: Kickstarting 2026
05:33 Accountability Buddies: Staying on Track
10:42 Wrike: Organizing Projects Efficiently
16:15 Boombox: Enhancing Musical Collaboration
21:53 Wrapping Up: Tools for Success in 2026

Links from the episode:

Wrike: www.wrike.com

Boombox: www.boombox.io

For Production Services, Coaching and Lessons, visit:

www.rjbmusicproduction.com

For help prepping your songs/voice for the studio:

www.bozicvoicestudio.com

----

https://www.youtube.com/@FaceYourEarsPodcast/shorts

https://www.faceyourears.com

https://www.instagram.com/faceyourearspodcast/

https://www.facebook.com/people/Face-Your-Ears-Podcast/

In this episode of the Face Your Ears podcast, hosts Justin Hochella and Rich Bozic reflect on their highlights and challenges in 2025, discuss new tools and plugins they've discovered, and share their plans for 2026. They touch on various topics including AI in music, tips for improving workflow, and their favorite podcast episodes of the year. The episode also includes insights into using Descript for editing and the importance of having accountability partners in creative projects. Tune in for a thoughtful recap and an exciting look ahead.

00:00 Welcome to Face Your Ears Podcast
00:23 Studio Updates and YouTube Growth
01:53 Reflecting on 2025 Highlights
04:44 Studio Improvements for 2026
08:20 Looking Forward to 2026
11:58 Lightning Round: Quick Hits
13:29 Band Discoveries of 2025
13:38 New Plugin Discovery: Space Blender
15:03 Stem Separator for Drums: Re Stem
16:09 Logic Pro Tips and Tricks
18:51 The Importance of Having a Plan
20:21 Color Coding in Logic Pro
21:35 AI in Music: Concerns and Developments
24:58 Favorite Podcast Episodes of the Year
27:14 Challenges and Behind the Scenes of Podcasting
30:39 Conclusion and Looking Forward to 2026

Spaceblender: https://www.soundtoys.com/product/spaceblender/

ReStem: https://rebeatapp.com/

SShhluuuuuuck: https://sshhluuuuuuck.bandcamp.com/

Unleash The Archers: https://www.unleashthearchers.com/

For Production Services, Coaching and Lessons, visit:

www.rjbmusicproduction.com

For help prepping your songs/voice for the studio:

www.bozicvoicestudio.com

----

https://www.youtube.com/@FaceYourEarsPodcast/shorts

https://www.faceyourears.com

https://www.instagram.com/faceyourearspodcast/

https://www.facebook.com/people/Face-Your-Ears-Podcast/

Organizing a Live Music Event: Insights from CLEVETOBERFEST

In this episode of the Face Your Ears podcast, hosts Rich Bozic and Justin Hochella share their experience organizing and executing a live music event, CLEVETOBERFEST. They discuss essential aspects such as planning, obtaining permits, securing locations, organizing equipment, setting up audio routing schematics, and managing live sound. They also touch on the importance of rehearsals, using DI boxes, and getting the most out of audio mixers. An emphasis is placed on the value of meticulous preparation and the sense of community inherent in live performances. Additionally, they announce their feature on Mark Matthews' Inside the Mix podcast [listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-36-marc-matthews/id1633675100?i=1000714296293 ] and encourage listeners to explore their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@FaceYourEarsPodcast/shorts

00:00 Welcome to Face Your Ears Podcast
00:54 YouTube Presence and Exciting News
01:25 Special Feature on Inside the Mix Podcast
02:19 Diving into Live Sound
03:09 Planning and Setting Up a Live Event
04:21 Technical Details and Equipment Setup
08:10 Challenges and Solutions During the Event
23:28 Final Thoughts and Recap

For Production Services, Coaching and Lessons, visit:

www.rjbmusicproduction.com

For help prepping your songs/voice for the studio:

www.bozicvoicestudio.com

----

https://www.youtube.com/@FaceYourEarsPodcast/shorts

https://www.faceyourears.com

https://www.instagram.com/faceyourearspodcast/

https://www.facebook.com/people/Face-Your-Ears-Podcast/

Exploring Free Music Production Tools: DAWs, Instruments, Effects, and Loops

In this episode of the Face Your Ears podcast, hosts Justin Ho and Rich Bozic discuss the abundance of free digital recording resources available for music production. They recount their recent musical projects, including performances and upcoming releases. The main topic explores various free digital audio workstations (DAWs), software instruments, audio effects, and loop resources. Justin and Rich highlight specific tools such as BandLab, Audacity, DexEd, Vital, Valhalla Super Massive, Circle drum loops, and websites like Freesound.org and Looperman.com. They offer practical advice for both beginners and experienced producers looking to expand their toolkit without breaking the bank. The episode underscores the idea that high-quality music production need not be prohibitively expensive, with a wealth of free tools and resources available for creative exploration.

00:00 Welcome to Face Your Ears Podcast
05:17 Recent Events and Performances
07:57 Podcast Milestones and Listener Appreciation
08:45 Today's Topic: Free Digital Recording Tools
09:49 Exploring Free DAWs
17:12 Free Virtual Instruments
22:06 Free Audio Effects
23:55 Free Loops and Samples
27:05 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

For links to the resources mentioned in the episode follow this link where you'll find them all collected together:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ohS7ajH8xHgkHiLVkRsrkrvN6vUUwkOxWedQZ3U8TJY/edit?usp=sharing

For Production Services, Coaching and Lessons, visit:

www.rjbmusicproduction.com

For help prepping your songs/voice for the studio:

www.bozicvoicestudio.com

----

https://www.youtube.com/@FaceYourEarsPodcast/shorts

https://www.faceyourears.com

https://www.instagram.com/faceyourearspodcast/

https://www.facebook.com/people/Face-Your-Ears-Podcast/

Song Scaffolding: Methods and Tools for Aspiring Musicians

In this episode of the Face Your Ears podcast, hosts Rich Bozic and Justin Hochella delve into the concept of song scaffolding, exploring structured approaches for songwriting. Topics include comparing strophic and through-composed songs, employing the SIMPLE method for song creation, analyzing existing songs for inspiration, and utilizing various tools in DAWs like Logic Pro to facilitate the songwriting process. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced musician, these insights offer valuable techniques for enhancing your creative workflow.

00:00 Introduction and Greetings
00:33 Upcoming Events and Projects
02:11 Podcast Milestones and Popular Episodes
03:32 Deep Dive into Song Scaffolding
07:04 The SIMPLE Method for Songwriting
17:29 Practical Tips for Using DAWs
22:05 Summary and Closing Remarks

Learn more about Kris Bradley's S.I.M.P.L.E Method:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xuCNnFpdBU

For Production assistance and coaching from Justin:

https://www.manmaderandom.com/

'Head Like A Hole' by Justin's 'Same Not Same' Industrial-Electronic music project:

https://music.apple.com/us/album/head-like-a-hole-single/1834582245

For Production Services, Coaching and Lessons, visit:

www.rjbmusicproduction.com

For help prepping your songs/voice for the studio:

www.bozicvoicestudio.com

----

https://www.youtube.com/@FaceYourEarsPodcast/shorts

https://www.faceyourears.com

https://www.instagram.com/faceyourearspodcast/

https://www.facebook.com/people/Face-Your-Ears-Podcast/

In this episode of the Face Your Ears podcast, hosts Rich Bozic and Justin Hochella discuss the essentials of releasing music to the world. The duo delve into the foundational steps for music distribution, highlighting platforms like DistroKid, TuneCore, and CD Baby, and the importance of having your audio files, artwork, and genre details in order. They also cover copyright essentials and explore various strategies and tools for promoting your music, including social media, playlist promotion services, and hiring social media managers. This episode provides a comprehensive guide for artists looking to release and promote their music effectively.

00:00 Introduction and Welcome
00:27 Vacation Recap: Sunny California and the NAM Museum
01:50 Updates and Upcoming Events
02:26 Artists releasing on RJB Music Production
03:35 Releasing Music: Getting Started
04:41 Choosing a Music Distributor
07:21 Preparing Your Music for Distribution
10:54 Understanding Copyright
14:12 Promoting Your Music
19:22 Conclusion and Recap

Get Ready to Release:

https://www.rjbmusicproduction.com/get-ready-to-release

Copyright services:

https://cosynd.com

Music Marketing Services:

https://www.show.co

For Production Services, Coaching and Lessons, visit:

www.rjbmusicproduction.com

For help prepping your songs/voice for the studio:

www.bozicvoicestudio.com

----

https://www.youtube.com/@FaceYourEarsPodcast/shorts

https://www.faceyourears.com

https://www.instagram.com/faceyourearspodcast/

https://www.facebook.com/people/Face-Your-Ears-Podcast/

Avoiding Production Pitfalls in DIY Music

In this episode of the Face Your Ears podcast, hosts Rich Bozic and Justin Hochella discuss various challenges and common pitfalls in music production. They provide insights on maintaining effective communication, avoiding overthinking, and resisting the temptation to tweak endlessly. The conversation highlights the necessity of clear protocols, timeframes, and methods of communication, particularly in collaborative projects. They also celebrate the growing global audience of the podcast and share excitement about an upcoming October Fest concert in collaboration with local musicians. The episode aims to equip emerging artists and producers with practical advice to streamline their workflow and foster better professional relationships.

00:00 Introduction and Upcoming Event
02:19 Global Audience and Podcast Growth
04:59 Production Pitfalls: Overthinking and Perfectionism
18:24 Communication in Music Production
27:00 Summary and Conclusion

For Production Services, Coaching and Lessons, visit:

www.rjbmusicproduction.com

For help prepping your songs/voice for the studio:

www.bozicvoicestudio.com

----

https://www.youtube.com/@FaceYourEarsPodcast/shorts

https://www.faceyourears.com

https://www.instagram.com/faceyourearspodcast/

https://www.facebook.com/people/Face-Your-Ears-Podcast/

In this episode of the Face Your Ears podcast, hosts Rich and Justin welcome Marc Matthews, a prolific producer and the host of the Inside the Mix podcast. They delve into Marc’s journey in the music industry, discussing his extensive experience in mixing, mastering, and teaching. Marc shares valuable tips on preparing tracks for mastering, the benefits and challenges of AI in music production, and how to overcome self-doubt in creative projects. The episode is packed with advice for emerging artists and producers looking to enhance their craft and find their unique sound.

00:00 Welcome to Face Your Ears Podcast
00:40 Creative Projects Update
01:20 Venturing into YouTube
02:47 Introducing Marc Matthews
02:59 Marc Matthews' Musical Journey
05:24 Common Mixing Mistakes
08:56 The Importance of Documentation
14:56 Mastering Your Own Tracks vs. Hiring a Pro
19:04 AI in Music Mastering
24:45 AI in Music: Recognizing Artificial Creativity
25:21 The Role of AI in Music Production
26:41 Co-Producer Plugin: A Game Changer
28:14 The Endless Tweaking Cycle in Music Production
28:42 Mindset Shifts for Finishing Tracks
30:32 Setting Deadlines and Iteration Processes
32:39 Overcoming Self-Doubt in Music Production
35:44 The Academic Route to Music Production
38:52 Lightning Round: Fun and Insights
44:19 Final Thoughts and Promotions

Links for Marc Matthews:

Newsletter: https://bit.ly/406krPU

Podcast: https://insidethemix.buzzsprout.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarcMatthewsProducer

IG: https://www.instagram.com/marcmatthewsproducer/

Website: https://www.synthmusicmastering.com/

Check out the Episodes of 'Inside the Mix' featuring Justin and Rich:

Justin: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/music-production-and-mixing-tips-podcast-for-diy/id1551795483?i=1000704410223

Rich: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/music-production-and-mixing-tips-podcast-for-diy/id1551795483?i=1000708233891

For Production Services, Coaching and Lessons, visit:

www.rjbmusicproduction.com

For help prepping your songs/voice for the studio:

www.bozicvoicestudio.com

----

https://www.youtube.com/@FaceYourEarsPodcast/shorts

https://www.faceyourears.com

https://www.instagram.com/faceyourearspodcast/

https://www.facebook.com/people/Face-Your-Ears-Podcast/