Episode 9 is now available on all platforms besides the Swedish app, with a bonus episode from the live taping now available for patrons only, sign up at patreon.com/criticallistening to hear all bonus eps and catch up on Season 1 of Critical Listening before the finale at the end of the month!

For Episode 8 we have composer, educator, curator, and activist Amirtha Kidambi stopping by. We discuss the inseparability of politics from pedagogy as teaching artists, the importance of solidarity amongst working artists of all backgrounds and styles, and the need for us to Do-It-Together.

Episode 7: October 2025 Headlines is now available wherever you get your podcasts besides the Swedish app! If you want to get more critical media at the intersection of music, tech, and culture industry hell, consider supporting the show by signing up for the Patreon at patreon.com/criticallistening

Episode 6: WHY SOUND MATTERS w/ Damon Krukowski @dadadrummer.bsky.social is now available on all platforms besides the Swedish one. We are done calling GenAI music slop, from here on out we’re calling it BIOHAZARDOUS SONIC WASTE PRODUCT. ☣️ 🔊 ☣️ 🔊 ☣️ 🔊 ☣️ 🔊

EPISODE 5: AUG 2025 HEADLINES Max & Liz return for another installment of their series diving into some intriguing headlines from across the music, tech and business hellscape. Never fear, we’ve got a bloomscroll in there too. Check it out and support the show at patreon.com/criticallistening

Episode 4: QUITTING STREAMING w/ Andy Cush is now live for patrons and available on all platforms besides the Swedish app next week!

Andy is a writer, musician, and co-founder of the worker owned music publication @hearingthingsco.bsky.social

Support the show at Patreon.com/criticallistening

Episode 3: July 2025 Headlines is now available on all podcast platforms besides the Swedish app. If you’d like early access to future episodes where we discuss everything related to music tech culture hell, please consider subscribing for $5 a month a patreon.com/criticallistening.

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. Listen to the episode in full at patreon.com/criticallistening

Episode 2 is now available wherever you get your podcasts (besides the Swedish app). Many thanks to Joey La Neve Defranceso and Spencer Peppet for providing such a great overview of the @umaw.bsky.social organization for our listeners. Catch you on the flip side!

Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/criticallistening to support the show directly so that we can continue to have these crucial conversations regarding music, technology, and their effects on society at large.

EPISODE 1: We’re chatting with Greg Saunier of @deerhoof.bsky.social about Noble and Godlike in Ruin, the group’s new record for @joyfulnoiserecs.bsky.social , resisting the AI slop machine & much more!

Listen: apple.co/4irnN76

Support us & hear a bonus segment: patreon.com/criticallistening

Critical Listening is now available wherever you get your podcasts, besides the Swedish app. Sign up for early access and community perks and directly support us as we build out the show at

Patreon.com/criticallistening

Here’s another clip:

Critical Listening Episode 0 is available now on whatever app you listen to podcasts on (except the Swedish one).

Subscribe now at podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/c...

🚨Introducing Critical Listening, a new podcast from Liz Pelly and Max Alper🚨

Head over to patreon.com/criticallistening to hear episode zero, a short introduction to the show.