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Artwork for The Music Show

The Music Show

ABC Australia
Jazz
Folk Music
Music
Bob Dylan
Classical Music
Australian Music
Keith Jarrett
Protest Music
Irish Music
Blues Music
Arnold Schoenberg
Ella Fitzgerald
Improvisation
Australia
1984-85 Miners' Strike
Becoming Ella Fitzgerald
Sound
Australian Violin History
Pierre Boulez
The Red Shoes

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

PublishesDailyEpisodes948Founded20 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Music InterviewsMusic

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Artwork for The Music Show

Latest Episodes

Stephen Sondheim was the high priest of the modern musical, and almost five years on from his death, Daniel Okrent’s new biography Stephen Sondheim: Art Isn't Easy reveals probably more than the intensely private Sondheim would have liked. From the a... more

Beethoven’s 6th Symphony, his Pastoral, is one of the best known pieces in the repertoire. Whether your first encounter was a full orchestral performance, a crackling vinyl, or the soundtrack to prancing unicorns in Fantasia, it probably struck you. ... more

To celebrate AusMusic Month, The Music Show brings you The Dot Strong Sessions. Named for the ABC's formidable tea lady (and the outdoor terrace that bears her name at ABC Ultimo in Sydney), we'll bring you sessions from great Australian artists thro... more

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners are advised this program contains the names and voices of people who have died. Fanny Lumsden’s new album is a rollicking country record with her voice - both as a singer and songwriter - right at the c... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
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Recent Guests

Tamara-Anna Cislowska
Pianist and ABC Classic presenter
ABC Classic
Episode: Creative collaborations: Elena Kats-Chernin & Tamara-Anna Cislowska and Colin Stetson & Brìghde Chaimbeul
Colin Stetson
Experimental saxophonist and composer
Episode: Creative collaborations: Elena Kats-Chernin & Tamara-Anna Cislowska and Colin Stetson & Brìghde Chaimbeul
Elena Kats-Chernin
Composer and pianist
Episode: Creative collaborations: Elena Kats-Chernin & Tamara-Anna Cislowska and Colin Stetson & Brìghde Chaimbeul
Loudon Wainwright III
Songwriter, storyteller, comedian and actor
Episode: Loudon Wainwright III and k.d. lang
k.d. lang
Canadian singer-songwriter
Episode: Loudon Wainwright III and k.d. lang
Robbie Chater
Member of The Avalanches
The Avalanches
Episode: The Avalanches and Patti Smith
Andy Szekeres
Member of The Avalanches
The Avalanches
Episode: The Avalanches and Patti Smith
Patti Smith
Singer, songwriter, poet and performer
Episode: The Avalanches and Patti Smith
Toni Di Blasi
Member of The Avalanches
The Avalanches
Episode: The Avalanches and Patti Smith

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
    Australiaa year 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
    Australia3 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.

Some critique certain episodes as overly classical or niche, but overall positive sentiment toward quality and curation.
Listeners praise the host's depth and breadth, calling the show informative and enlightening.
Many appreciate the accessible yet rigorous discussions and wide range of guests.

Chart Rankings

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

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Loudon Wainwright III and k.d. lang
Q: What does somebody who is 80 as you are now sing about?
Wainwright says he generally writes about what is happening to him, giving the example of Wake Up, Fall, which describes a fall he took while walking in the woods.
Loudon Wainwright III and k.d. lang
Q: Do you have a theory about using comedy to bring out poignancy?
Wainwright says he writes about both funny and serious events in his life, including relationships, children and the death of his parents, and brings lighter and heavier songs together in performance.
Creative collaborations: Elena Kats-Chernin & Tamara-Anna Cislowska and Colin Stetson & Brìghde Chaimbeul
Q: Do you mic them up? I mean, do you actually take them into account, these sounds, as you are recording?
Stetson uses multiple microphones placed around the saxophone, including on its keys and his throat, to capture the instrument's mechanisms, breath, and singing rather than recording only the sound from its bell.
Creative collaborations: Elena Kats-Chernin & Tamara-Anna Cislowska and Colin Stetson & Brìghde Chaimbeul
Q: What are the letters, these Ancient Letters, Elena?
Kats-Chernin describes a fourth-century letter by a woman stranded with her daughter far from Samarkand, asking for help. Her own connection to Uzbekistan, where she was born and where her mother worked, inspired the piece.
Cezary Skubiszewski: a life's soundtrack
Q: How do you deal with it when somebody wants to play a sort of pop hit, which is kind of almost a shortcut?
He prefers films without pop songs, but says songs can suit a film's time and setting, as Australian classics did in Red Dog. He blended electric guitars with orchestral elements, while finding songs added only to closing credits can feel disconnected from the film.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
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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 show features deep-dive conversations with composers, performers, scholars, and critics, focused on music across a wide spectrum—from historical performance practices and classical repertoire to contemporary composition, covers, and cross-genre collaborations. Episodes blend rigorous cultural analysis with practical insights into creativity, performance, and interpretation, often weaving in historical anecdotes, songwriting processes, and conversations about audience engagement and the role of music in society. A standout quality is the host's broad musical literacy, which enables accessible yet richly informed discourse, along with a habit of pairing intimate artist portraits with larger cultural questions. Potential listeners can exp... 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 four 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 Minefield
4. Late Night Live - Separate stories podcast
5. Saturday Extra - Full program podcast

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.

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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. Tamara-Anna Cislowska
2. Colin Stetson
3. Elena Kats-Chernin
4. Loudon Wainwright III
5. k.d. lang
6. Robbie Chater
7. Andy Szekeres
8. Patti Smith

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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