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Artwork for The Music Show

The Music Show

ABC Australia
Jazz
Folk Music
Music
Bob Dylan
Classical Music
Australian Music
Protest Music
Keith Jarrett
Bach
Christine Anu
Australia
Irish Music
Blues Music
Arnold Schoenberg
Ella Fitzgerald
Improvisation
Mahler
Becoming Ella Fitzgerald
1984-85 Miners' Strike
The Beatles

All kinds of music and all kinds of musicians in conversation with Andrew Ford.

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes948Founded20 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Music InterviewsMusic

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Artwork for The Music Show

Latest Episodes

Ziggy Ramo, Leah Senior, and Kate Fagan join Andy to talk about the art of turning poetry into song.

Recorded live at the 2026 Sydney Writers' Festival, in partnership with Red Room Poetry.

Songs performed live:

* Ziggy Ramo: Little Things (after... more

ELISION Ensemble began as a Melbourne new music ensemble, but have gone on to become international in both focus and reputation, building enduring collaborations with some of the world's best modern composers. Elision turns 40 this year and the artis... more

Guringai writer and creator Kaylene Langford is behind the mic for NAIDOC Week, with a celebration of Koori Radio for its 25th anniversary. "It's an ecosystem for song people" says Stiff Gins' Nardi Simpson, one of the acts championed by Sydney's Ind... more

It’s almost impossible to choose a Beatles song for Cover Story (we’ve been putting it off for three series). The band’s productivity in 1964 alone would give us ten good options. It was the year of their first - and second! - US tours, their one Aus... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
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Recent Guests

Vanessa Hughes
ABC Classic drives Vanessa Hughes
ABC Classic
Episode: Cover Story: Can’t Buy Me Love
Christopher Lynch
Head of the Theodore M. Finney Music Library, University of Pittsburgh; author of Formulating Foster
University of Pittsburgh
Episode: Stephen Foster: The bicentenary of the father of American music
Al Newstead
Double J contributor, music journalist
Double J
Episode: Cover Story: Never Tear Us Apart
Kristina Olsen
Canadian-born, based in Australia; choral composer and performer
Independent artist
Episode: Embracing the choir: Alina Pash returns to Ukraine and Kristina Olsen takes up choral composition
Alina Pash
Ukrainian artist, singer, and composer; based in Los Angeles; recorded Hymns of Resilience in Kyiv
Independent artist
Episode: Embracing the choir: Alina Pash returns to Ukraine and Kristina Olsen takes up choral composition
Dan Walker
Composer, conductor and singer
Luminescence Chamber Singers
Episode: Cover Story: Wonderwall
Amanda Brown
Composer, singer, former go-between for Oasis
Luminescence Chamber Singers
Episode: Cover Story: Wonderwall
Isobel D'Cruz Barnes
Musician and ethnomusicologist
Hantu / In Shadows project
Episode: A solo debut from Trials and Isobel D'Cruz Barnes is working In Shadows
Daniel Rankine
Musician,
AB. Original Trials / Trials
Episode: A solo debut from Trials and Isobel D'Cruz Barnes is working In Shadows

Host

Andrew Ford
Host of The Music Show, ABC Radio National

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 155 ratings
  • From mixtapes to mtv.

    Pretty disappointing boomer perspective of the 80s from a journo who finds it hard to give women agency - madonna barely gets a mention, Kylie name-checked dismissively at the coda, Tina turner, Janet Jackson and Whitney Houston not even mentioned. Why is this stale / pale perspective not called out?

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Ozdrongo
    Australia7 months ago
  • Very conservative in genres.

    Bring back Lucky Oceans. If your not a fan of classical or very very tame genres this show is not for you. I can’t believe they cut lucky oceans and this is their sole offering. Very poor ABC.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    WilhelmWilson
    Australia2 years ago
  • National treasure

    No weekend would be complete without an episode of RN’s The Music Show. Andrew Ford and the team converse with musicians, composers and creatives the world over - informative, entertaining and always special!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    gavmed
    Australia6 years ago
  • New ideas and discoveries every week

    Even after formally studying music, I’m amazed every week with the diversity of musical ideas and worlds that I never knew existed. The guests are eclectic and always interesting. Andrew Ford does a great job in keeping it accessible and informal with humour.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Wendy5Dock
    Australia7 years ago
  • RN fan

    Yep segments are silly and they dominate every ABC podcast. Just delete them all

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    737B
    Australia7 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

- Production quality and live segments are consistently strong, though some listeners wish for even more variety in genres.
- The host's breadth of knowledge and enthusiasm stands out, making complex topics accessible and engaging.
- Interviews are deep and insightful, with a good mix of guests from different musical traditions.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Hilary Geddes' Redleaf and Kae Tempest's Self Titled
Q: What does Redleaf reveal about your relationship to place and memory?
Geddes talks about Redleaf Beach as a creative touchstone, using field recordings and a sense of place to ground the music, while the band's textures and timbres reflect her improvisational approach.
Hilary Geddes' Redleaf and Kae Tempest's Self Titled
Q: How did personal life and identity influence Self Titled?
Tempest discusses transitioning, the impact on voice and performance, and how the collaboration environment supported exploring new vocal and narrative possibilities while staying true to his artistic vision.
Hilary Geddes' Redleaf and Kae Tempest's Self Titled
Q: What was your approach to shaping the album with Fraser T. Smith?
Tempest explains a process of rapid rough demos built over several days, pausing to avoid premature listening, which allowed the ideas to be explored fully before finalizing the direction and inviting collaborators.
Xiu Xiu take on Eraserhead and Pinchgut Opera's first murder
Q: What is unique about their vocal approach and recording philosophy in Shushu's work?
Jamie explains that voice choices are guided by what best serves the song's feeling, often decided by a collaborator, and that the process is less about theory and more about conveying authentic emotion.
Xiu Xiu take on Eraserhead and Pinchgut Opera's first murder
Q: How does Shushu approach covering songs like Jolene or Fast Car within their own sound?
They choose songs based on personal significance and potential for musical translation, ensuring they can learn from the piece and communicate something meaningful through their own arrangements.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Music Show

What is The Music Show about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This program features in-depth conversations with a wide range of musicians, composers, conductors, critics, and scholars who explore creative process, historical context, and cross-genre collaborations. Episodes often blend biographical storytelling with technical insight, performance practice, and production concepts, spanning folk, classical, jazz, world, theatre, and contemporary art music. A notable strength is assembling both legendary figures and rising talents, yielding rich discussions about artistry, mentorship, and the evolving landscape of music and culture. It's particularly noteworthy for its accessible yet erudite style, live performance moments, and a penchant for tying music to broader artistic and historical narratives, ma... more

Where can I find podcast stats for The Music Show?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Music Show. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Music Show and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Music Show get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Music Show, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for The Music Show?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Music Show, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does The Music Show have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Music Show has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Music Show?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Music Show:

1. Late Night Live — Full program podcast
2. Big Ideas
3. The Book Show
4. Health Report
5. Global Roaming with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald

How many episodes of The Music Show are there?

The Music Show launched 20 years ago and published 948 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Music Show?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Music Show?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Music Show from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The Music Show?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Music Show. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on The Music Show?

Recent guests on The Music Show include:

1. Vanessa Hughes
2. Christopher Lynch
3. Al Newstead
4. Kristina Olsen
5. Alina Pash
6. Dan Walker
7. Amanda Brown
8. Isobel D'Cruz Barnes

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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