Audio Products Podcast

This time we look back at 2025 — through the voices of the people who shaped it. From indie plugin developers and AI startups, to UX leads, hardware PMs and R&D heads at companies like Roland, Universal Audio, Safari Audio and d&b audiotechnik — 2025 gave us 15 deep conversations about what it really takes to build audio tools that matter. In this solo episode, Wojciech reflects on: • What builders, designers and founders taught us about careers, workflows and innovation • Recurring themes across companies of all sizes – from Beatport to Pro Sound Effects • The hidden skills and rituals that make audio products succeed (or fail) • Trends in AI, sound design, UX and product culture that emerged from the year • What we’re launching next and how you can be part of it If you're working in or around audio — or building tools for those who do — this wrap-up is for you. Thanks for being with us this year! 🙏 ➡️ Join our course AI-Augmented PM https://aipm.rokanan.com/   Other links ➡️ Join our Discord https://discord.com/invite/jd6Fgv5XTR   ➡️ Sign up to our newsletter for audio job openings, articles and upcoming events https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr   ➡️ Support our podcast and get premium content https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast   ➡️ Check out our Meetups in Berlin for audio product leaders https://audioproductjam2.eventbrite.com   About Wavelab Incubator ➡️ https://www.wavelab.io/en/startups-2/   Teresa Torres: Continuous Discovery Habits  ➡️ https://www.amazon.com/Continuous-Discovery-Habits-Discover-Products/dp/1736633309 

We met again with Dr Tomasz Żernicki. This time we talked about how AI is reshaping product management workflows and what it really means for PM jobs. Is AI going to take over, or will it finally let PMs focus on strategy instead of chasing tickets and status updates? ➡️ Join our course AI-Augmented PM https://aipm.rokanan.com/   ➡️ Join our Discord https://discord.com/invite/jd6Fgv5XTR   ➡️ Sign up to our newsletter for audio job openings, articles and upcoming event dates https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr   ➡️ Support our podcast and get premium content https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast

We met Andrew Cresswell, Head of Product Sales at ICEpower A/S. ➡️ Join our Discord: https://discord.com/invite/jd6Fgv5XTR ➡️ Sign up to our newsletter for audio job openings, articles and upcoming event dates: https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr ➡️ Support our podcast and get premium content: https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast ➡️ How to get from start-up to scale-up https://organizationalphysics.com/2015/10/15/rethinking-product-management-how-to-get-from-start-up-to-scale-up/ ➡️ Audio Product Portfolio Management course https://rokanan.com/2025/12/17/audio-product-portfolio-management-2/ #audioPM #musictech #proaudio #scaleup #productportfolio

We met with Wolfgang Schulz, Head of Product Management Electronics & Software, d&b audiotechnik. ➡️ Join our Discord https://discord.com/invite/jd6Fgv5XTR ➡️ Sign up to our newsletter for audio job openings, articles and upcoming event dates https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr ➡️ Support our podcast and get premium content https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast #audioPM #musictech #proaudio #speakers

We have met in Berlin with Gösta Wellmer to discuss product design culture, hardware product management and more!   Gösta is a design and product leader with 15+ years of executive experience driving innovation in the music technology industry. He is a former Director of Design at Native Instruments and a former CEO Elektron   ➡️ Join our Discord https://discord.com/invite/jd6Fgv5XTR ➡️ sign up to our newsletter for audio job openings, articles and upcoming event dates -https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr ➡️ Support our podcast and get premium content https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast ➡️ Connect with Gösta https://www.linkedin.com/in/goesta-wellmer/ ➡️ Check out our Meetups in Berlin for audio product leaders https://audioproductjam2.eventbrite.com  

We met Brad Swanson, the Head of Product at Pro Sound Effects to talk about the sound design market and products   ➡️ sign up to our newsletter for audio job openings, articles and upcoming event dates https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr ➡️ Support our podcast and get premium content https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast ➡️ Join our Discord https://lnkd.in/dCCFsgyr.   Podcast edited with DynAssist. 

In this episode we met Tzipi Schindler, who is grateful to have found a home in the music software industry for the past seven years as a product manager at Native Instruments, starting with Native Access and from there on to the release pipeline. She considers herself a hope-driven product manager and we will hear more about why that is. We have discussed culture, diversity and how to build teams where people feel they belong. Tzipi will also be a speaker at our upcoming Berlin meetup, Audio Product Jam so if you would like to listen more about her experience, you must pop in! More info here https://lnkd.in/dCbxkX58   Resources from the episode   Books: Brown, B. (2010) The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are. Hazelden. Ozenc, K. And Glenn Fajardo (2021) Rituals for Virtual Meetings: Creative Ways to Engage People and Strengthen Relationships. Wiley. Shafak, E. (2020) How to Stay Sane in an Age of Division. Profile Books. Rosenberg, M.B. (2015) Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life. PuddleDancer Press. Articles: Circles of Influence Retrospective Format: https://www.dianalarsen.com/blog/2010/07/26/circles-and-soup/ 5 Whys Sprint Retrospective Format: https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/agile-coach-toolkit-1-5-whys Music: Streisand, Barbra. “Avinu Malkeinu”. Higher Ground. Columbia Records. YouTube. 1997. More links ➡️ sign up to our newsletter for audio job openings, articles and upcoming event dates https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr   ➡️ Support our podcast and get premium content https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast   ➡️ Read Audio Products Blog https://rokanan.com/blog/   Podcast edited with DynAssist. 

In this episode, we sit down with Silvia Taschner, Head of Wavelab Incubator — a startup program supporting European founders in the Music, Arts, and Media industries. With deep expertise in music and cultural Management, Silvia brings years of experience in running accelerator programs and leading product development within cultural institutions. She offers a unique perspective at the intersection of creativity, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Together, we explore the current landscape of the creative startup ecosystem — the opportunities and challenges. We also dive into how initiatives like Wavelab empower early-stage ventures to grow. About Wavelab ➡️ https://www.wavelab.io/en/startups-2/ Join the Wavelab program! ➡️ https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfPcLlhc9Q1E1jdJsPXpAvqEJMKDGPlZlDoXnMdLauTiCRLQg/viewform Silvia's Linkedin (for the info about the upcoming startup applications https://www.linkedin.com/in/silvia-taschner/    More links ➡️ sign up to our newsletter for audio job openings, articles and upcoming event dates https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr   ➡️ Support our podcast and get premium content https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast  ➡️ Read Audio Products Blog (article from Jens from Wavelab) https://rokanan.com/blog/  https://https://rokanan.com/2025/06/04/how-wavelab-helped-just-4-noise-land-their-first-industry-deal/ ➡️ Join our Discord community https://lnkd.in/dCCFsgyr.   Podcast edited with DynAssist. 

We met with Moritz Surwehme, the co-founder of NoiseWorks, the company behind vocal editing plugins like DynAssist that have already gained recognition in the industry and have been called by some the best product of the Supebooth 2025 He shares the story behind the founding of NoiseWork and the building of their flagship products. Moritz started off developing audio plugins for his bachelor's thesis at SAE Bochum, where he met Ilan - his business partner. After falling in love with C++, JUCE, Figma and DSP, he is turning all the ideas in his head into plugins, step by step.   ➡️ Try DynAssist (affiliate link, you buy and support the podcast): https://noiseworksaudio.com/?ref=wojciech ➡️ Watch DynAssist tutorial https://youtu.be/UgRQkp2NSSU?si=1cPz1wb_XGhe-Pav   ➡️ Support our podcast and get premium content https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast

We met with Joshua Hodge, the Founder of The Audio Programmer (TAP), a global community for music and audio software enthusiasts. Since launching in 2017, TAP has since empowered thousands through video tutorials, books, podcasts, and events worldwide. Beyond fostering community, Josh expanded TAP into a recruitment firm and creative development agency, opening doors for others into new opportunities and successful audio products. We discussed the story behind founding the company and what Josh’s entrepreneurial secret source is but also the opportunities and threats related to the emerging technologies like AI. ➡️ sign up to our newsletter for audio job openings, articles and upcoming event dates -https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr Support our podcast ➡️ Support our podcast and get premium content https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast  The Audio Programmer's resources ➡️ Upcoming meetup in London https://www.eventbrite.com/e/audio-programmer-interface-london-2025-api-tickets-1415093987209?aff=oddtdtcreator ➡️ Audio Programming Tutorials https://www.theaudioprogrammer.com/tutorials ➡️ The Audio Programmer Discord Server https://www.theaudioprogrammer.com/discord   Podcast edited with DynAssist

We met with Paul McCabe who is the Senior Vice President of Research and Innovation at Roland Future Design Lab - a global R&D team of engineers and researchers focused on exploring and harnessing emerging trends, fostering innovation, and helping to shape the global creative landscape for the next 50 years. ➡️ sign up to our newsletter for audio job openings, articles and upcoming event dates -https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr ➡️ Support our podcast and get premium content https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast  ➡️ Join our Discord https://lnkd.in/dCCFsgyr   Podcast edited with DynAssist

We met Nick Dika product designer who has spent most of his career making software for music creators and audio professionals. He’s currently Senior UX/UI Designer at Universal Audio, and in the past he has contributed to the user experience and visual design of dozens of industry-leading products from UA, iZotope, Soundtoys, Pro Sound Effects and more. Newsletter ➡️ sign up to our newsletter for audio job openings, articles and upcoming event dates - https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr Subscribe to our YouTube Channel  ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/@AudioProductsPodcast  Audio PM Discord server ➡️ https://discord.com/invite/jd6Fgv5XTR Become our Supporter and get premium content ➡️ https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast    Podcast edited with DynAssist

We met Rodrigo Ibieta who is the Director of Hardware Product Management for Universal Audio Rodrigo Ibieta has spent his entire career within the musical instruments and audio sectors. He is currently the Director of Product Management for Universal Audio’s hardware line, which includes Apollo and Volt audio interfaces, UAFX pedals, microphones, and more. He has previously worked for Apple, Beats, Fender, and Guitar Center in Product Management and Sales roles. He has been writing and recording songs for 20 years as a multi-instrumentalist player. We discussed why a product career is a great option for musicians, mixing engineers and engineering students and what it is like to be a product guy in a famous company like UA. ➡️ sign up to our newsletter for audio job openings, articles and upcoming event dates - https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr ➡️ Join our Discord https://lnkd.in/dCCFsgyr Subscribe to our YouTube Channel  ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/@AudioProductsPodcast  Become our Supporter and get premium content ➡️ https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast    Podcast edited with DynAssist

We met Laren Agius, a Director of Product at Beatport. Laren develops products for DJs and the Electronic Dance Music Community.  He is also a DJ himself with over 15 years of experience and a sound designer when not behind the decks.  During the live show Laren presented the case study of how Beatport implemented a consistent approach to product discovery (analysis of customer needs). We will hear from Laren first hand how to implement such an approach and what benefits you can expect: how much time you need, what teams are needed, and what challenges you may face.   More reading about Discovery and Dual Track https://www.amazon.com/Continuous-Discovery-Habits-Discover-Products/dp/1736633309 https://medium.com/@daviddenham07/dual-track-agile-the-secret-sauce-to-outcome-based-development-601f6003ea73  Newsletter ➡️ sign up to our newsletter for audio job openings, articles and upcoming event dates - https://tinyurl.com/ywjxwszr Subscribe to our YouTube Channel  ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/@AudioProductsPodcast  Audio PM Discord server ➡️ https://discord.com/invite/jd6Fgv5XTR Become our Supporter and get premium content ➡️ https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast    Podcast edited with DynAssist

We met Max Shafer, co-founder and CEO of Just 4 Noise, an AI startup that empowers music producers to generate a range of unique, one-shot samples from a simple line of text. Max is a Berlin-based musician and DJ who worked as an AI-oriented product manager in various sectors before starting a company. During the live show, Max shared his experience of starting an AI company in the music industry and dive into how his previous PM career helped with the entrepreneurial journey in this field. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel  ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/@AudioProductsPodcast  Audio PM Discord server ➡️ https://discord.com/invite/jd6Fgv5XTR Become our Supporter and get premium content ➡️ https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast    Podcast edited with DynAssist

In this episode we met Noam Levinberg, the founder and CEO of Safari Pedals, a new audio company renowned for its innovative plugins. With over 20 years of experience as a mixing and mastering engineer, Noam also served as Head of Audio at Artlist.io, where he played a pivotal role in starting and shaping their audio department. Noam shared his view on creating successful audio products: passion. He also dived into the delicate balance between passion and market research, addressing the question: Who are we creating products for? And what should we build? Subscribe to our YouTube Channel  ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/@AudioProductsPodcast  Audio PM Discord server ➡️ https://discord.com/invite/jd6Fgv5XTR Become our Supporter and get premium content ➡️ https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast    Podcast edited with DynAssist

We met Matthew Collings, the Head of Product and Board Member of Krotos an audio company based in Edinburgh that builds sound effects and plugins that provide fast and efficient sound design workflows. Matt worked in music, sound design, installation and audio programming professionally since 2011, performing and exhibiting all over Europe, releasing numerous records. We tried to answer the question if product-led-growth (PLG) can be applied in the audio and music industry. PLG is an approach to growth where user acquisition, expansion, conversion, and retention are all driven primarily by the product itself. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel  ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/@AudioProductsPodcast  Audio PM Discord server ➡️ https://discord.com/invite/jd6Fgv5XTR Become our Supporter and get premium content ➡️ https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast    Podcast edited with DynAssist

During this live show, we met Simon Cross, the Chief Product Officer of the music tech company Native Instruments. Simon leads product management, product design, sound design, strategic partnerships, and strategy teams across the group’s brands: Native Instruments, iZotope, Brainworx, and Plugin Alliance. We discussed how technology changes music is made and consumed, the opportunities and challenges related to those changes, and how companies like Native Instruments use those trends to help people overcome creative barriers in making music. We will also ask Simon about what it is like to be the CPO of one of the most interesting music companies of the last few decades. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel  ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/@AudioProductsPodcast  Audio PM Discord server ➡️ https://discord.com/invite/jd6Fgv5XTR Become our Supporter and get premium content ➡️ https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast    Podcast edited with DynAssist  

During this live event we met Francois Quereuil, former VP of Audio Product Management at Avid. Francois was responsible for Avid's product portfolio of renowned industry tools (Pro Tools digital audio workstation and Sibelius music notation) and integrated solutions (audio hardware, control surfaces, and live sound systems). We discussed the challenges of creating and executing a product strategy in a crowded market and what the work of a Product Executive from a leading audio company entails. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel  ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/@AudioProductsPodcast  Audio PM Discord server ➡️ https://discord.com/invite/jd6Fgv5XTR Become our Supporter and get premium content ➡️ https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast    Podcast edited with DynAssist

During this live podcast, we met with Simon Ashby, Co-founder and VP of Product of Audiokinetic, a famous company from Montréal, Canada that develops leading audio software for the video game industry. He explained how Audiokinetic manages its product portfolio - their famous game audio engine Wwise, their new multi-layer sample engine Strata and other tools and platforms Subscribe to our YouTube Channel  ➡️ https://www.youtube.com/@AudioProductsPodcast  Become our Supporter and get premium content ➡️ https://buymeacoffee.com/audiopodcast    Podcast edited with DynAssist