The Earworm Podcast

Patrick Cloud & Bryan Clark
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Arts
  • Updated Weekly

Earworm is the podcast that gets stuck in your head for all the right reasons. Hosted by Bryan Clark — artist, producer, engineer, music doctorate, and sonic architect to artists around the world — and Patrick Cloud, a New Orleans native whose career spans global music industry sales, directing sales for festival and event video production, podcast direction and production, and ownership of a creative management company, Earworm is where music industry knowledge meets genuine passion for the craft. Every episode, Bryan and Patrick dig into the trends shaping the modern music industry, celebrate the albums that matter, geek out over gear and guitars, and sit down with the producers, engineers, and artists who are actually doing the work. Bryan brings the academic chops and worldwide studio perspective. Patrick brings the New Orleans soul, the industry hustle, and the kind of energy that only comes from a city that treats music like oxygen. Whether you're a working musician trying to find your sound, a music lover who wants to understand what goes on behind the glass, or just someone who wants two guys who actually know what they're talking about to make you laugh and teach you something — Earworm is your show. Informative. Irreverent. Occasionally ridiculous. Always music. Merch: https://earworm.dashery.com https://www.instagram.com/theearwormpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588628882466 https://www.youtube.com/@the-earworm-podcast https://theearwormpodcast.buzzsprout.com www.bryanclarkmusic.com www.modernmusicmasters.com www.cloudcreativemgmt.com www.briarwaveaudio.com

  1. Oct 6 ·  Bonus

    The Earworm Podcast - Episode ZERO

    After 24 straight weeks of chasing rabbit holes, arguing over gear, digging through music history, dissecting the business, and asking entirely too many questions about how records actually get made, Season One of The Earworm Podcast is officially in the books. We started Earworm because we love this stuff. The records, the studios, the technology, the people behind the music—and especially the weird little stories that explain how we got from there to here. What began as two music nerds sitting down to talk has grown into something we're incredibly proud of: a weekly documentary-style podcast about the people, ideas, accidents, inventions, and occasional bad decisions that built the world of music. So, we're doing something we haven't done in 24 weeks: taking a month off. Bryan and Patrick are stepping away for October to recharge, chase a few new rabbit holes, and build an even bigger Season Two. The Earworm Podcast returns in November with Season Two. New stories. New guests. New deep dives. New arguments. And probably several pieces of obsolete recording technology that Bryan will insist were better. To everyone who listened, watched, shared an episode, sent us a note, corrected us, argued with us, or went down the wormhole with us this season—thank you. Seriously. Twenty-four weeks down. Season One complete. We'll see you in November. The worm will return. Asterope giveaway!!  https://www.asterope.com/earworm/ Support the show Support the page and join the Wormhole!!  Donate to https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598511/support to help us do more!! Cool gear giveaways to begin soon! https://www.instagram.com/theearwormpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588628882466 https://www.youtube.com/@the-earworm-podcast https://theearwormpodcast.buzzsprout.com www.bryanclarkmusic.com www.modernmusicmasters.com www.cloudcreativemgmt.com

  2. Sep 29

    The Earworm Podcast - Episode 24 The Pop Superstar Industrial Complex [Season 1 Finale]

    For the Season 1 finale of The Earworm Podcast, Bryan Clark and Patrick Cloud pull back the curtain on one of the most complicated machines in entertainment: the business of being a pop star. Behind every artist you see onstage is an enormous ecosystem of managers, A&R executives, producers, engineers, songwriters, publishers, attorneys, publicists, business managers, booking agents, promoters, tour managers, technicians, merch companies, and countless others working to turn music into a sustainable career. Bryan and Patrick follow the journey from finding and developing songs through recording, mastering, marketing, streaming, radio, touring, and merchandising—examining where the money comes from, where it goes, and why assembling the right team can be every bit as important as making the right record. But the bigger the machine gets, the more complicated the relationships become. The guys dig into record deals, publishing, recoupment, touring expenses, ticket fees, conflicts of interest, and the enormous logistical operation required to keep a major artist on the road. They also look back at Brian Epstein and The Beatles, whose extraordinary success came despite some famously questionable business decisions, including merchandising deals that left staggering amounts of money on the table. It’s a fitting end to Earworm’s first season: after spending 24 episodes exploring how music is written, recorded, performed, distributed, and consumed, the finale asks one last question—who are all the people behind the curtain making the whole thing possible? Support the show Support the page and join the Wormhole!!  Donate to https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598511/support to help us do more!! Cool gear giveaways to begin soon! https://www.instagram.com/theearwormpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588628882466 https://www.youtube.com/@the-earworm-podcast https://theearwormpodcast.buzzsprout.com www.bryanclarkmusic.com www.modernmusicmasters.com www.cloudcreativemgmt.com

    The Earworm Podcast - Episode 24 The Pop Superstar Industrial Complex [Season 1 Finale]

  3. Sep 22

    The Earworm Podcast - Episode 23 MIDI or Not, Here I Come. MIDI MEEDEE MYDY

    In Episode 23 of The Earworm Podcast, Patrick Cloud and Bryan Clark plug into one of the most important technologies in modern music: MIDI. Short for Musical Instrument Digital Interface, MIDI arrived in 1983 with an almost absurdly ambitious idea: get competing synthesizers, drum machines, computers, and other electronic instruments to actually talk to each other. More than four decades later, that same universal language is still everywhere. Patrick and Bryan break down what MIDI actually sends, from notes, velocity, and duration to control changes and global commands, and explain how those simple messages opened the door to sequencing, layering instruments, controlling effects, manipulating synth parameters, and eventually running entire studios and live rigs. But MIDI isn't frozen in 1983. The guys dig into how modern musicians use MIDI to control software instruments, map physical knobs and faders to virtually anything, automate effects, and even communicate with increasingly sophisticated guitar pedals and analog gear. Then they look at MIDI 2.0 and what increased resolution, greater bandwidth, profiles, enhanced expression, and deeper two-way communication could mean for the next generation of music making. It's a celebration of the rare piece of technology that got so much right the first time that we're still using it decades later even if most musicians have spent those decades pretending they completely understand what MIDI is doing. Support the show Support the page and join the Wormhole!!  Donate to https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598511/support to help us do more!! Cool gear giveaways to begin soon! https://www.instagram.com/theearwormpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588628882466 https://www.youtube.com/@the-earworm-podcast https://theearwormpodcast.buzzsprout.com www.bryanclarkmusic.com www.modernmusicmasters.com www.cloudcreativemgmt.com

    The Earworm Podcast - Episode 23 MIDI or Not, Here I Come. MIDI MEEDEE MYDY

  4. Sep 15

    The Earworm Podcast - Episode 22 But We Have Recording Studio at HOME [DAWs]

    Episode 22 of The Earworm Podcast takes Patrick Cloud and Bryan Clark back to a time when recording at home meant cassette multitracks, MIDI cables, bouncing tracks, and making some very questionable decisions in the name of “production.” The guys trace the evolution of home recording from the analog world of the 1980s through the sometimes-awkward arrival of digital audio, CDs, early Pro Tools systems, and eventually the USB audio interface. Along the way, they look at how products from Digidesign and Universal Audio helped turn what once required a professional studio and a small fortune into something that can now happen on a laptop in a spare bedroom. Patrick and Bryan also dig into their own early recording experiences and the eternal question of why, after decades of digital progress, everybody is still trying to make things sound like tape. Then the episode gets practical. If you want to start recording music at home today, what do you actually need, and where should you spend your money? The guys break down the path from GarageBand and a basic interface to better computers, headphones, microphones, DAWs, and eventually the dangerous financial rabbit hole known as “outboard gear.” They also make the case that professional studios still matter. You can make an incredible record at home, but sometimes that last 20 percent comes from a great room, great gear, and people who know how to use it. From four tracks of cassette hiss to nearly unlimited tracks on a laptop, recording has never been more accessible. History was made. Probably in somebody’s bedroom. Support the show Support the page and join the Wormhole!!  Donate to https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598511/support to help us do more!! Cool gear giveaways to begin soon! https://www.instagram.com/theearwormpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588628882466 https://www.youtube.com/@the-earworm-podcast https://theearwormpodcast.buzzsprout.com www.bryanclarkmusic.com www.modernmusicmasters.com www.cloudcreativemgmt.com

    The Earworm Podcast - Episode 22 But We Have Recording Studio at HOME [DAWs]

  5. Sep 8

    The Earworm Podcast - Episode 21 Super Bowl Halftime Shows [Purple Reign]

    Patrick Cloud and Bryan Clark suit up for the biggest gig in music: the Super Bowl halftime show. Episode 21 of The Earworm Podcast rewinds all the way to 1967, when halftime entertainment meant marching bands, baton twirlers, Old West reenactments, and apparently putting a child inside a machine and hoping for the best. From Disney spectacles and jetpacks to the gloriously confusing “Kaleidosuperscope,” Patrick and Bryan trace the strange, ambitious, and occasionally disastrous evolution of the show before Michael Jackson’s landmark 1993 performance changed the game forever and turned halftime into one of the most coveted stages in entertainment. From there, the guys work their way through the modern era: Diana Ross, U2’s emotional post-9/11 tribute, Prince casually conquering a rainstorm, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, The Weeknd, Dr. Dre, Rihanna, Bad Bunny, and plenty of shows that probably sounded better in the production meeting. Along the way, they dig into the staggering logistics, technology, pyrotechnics, LED walls, questionable creative decisions, and impossible expectations behind producing twelve-ish minutes of television for one of the largest audiences on Earth. They also debate their favorite halftime performances, wander into the eternal argument over country music, demand a Taylor Swift country album, and somehow finish with a well-deserved love letter to Dolly Parton. Because this is Earworm, and staying on topic was never really the point. Support the show Support the page and join the Wormhole!!  Donate to https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598511/support to help us do more!! Cool gear giveaways to begin soon! https://www.instagram.com/theearwormpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588628882466 https://www.youtube.com/@the-earworm-podcast https://theearwormpodcast.buzzsprout.com www.bryanclarkmusic.com www.modernmusicmasters.com www.cloudcreativemgmt.com

    The Earworm Podcast - Episode 21 Super Bowl Halftime Shows [Purple Reign]

  6. Sep 1

    The Earworm Podcast - Episode 20 The Liars of Ur - INSTRUMENT STRINGS!

    In Episode 20 (holy crap), “The Liars of Ur,” The Earworm Podcast gets strung out on the surprisingly weird history of instrument strings. We start thousands of years ago with ancient lyres, plant fibers, animal sinew, and gut strings that could apparently be thrown out of tune by a strongly worded weather forecast. From there, we follow the string’s evolution through commercialization in the 1600s, C.F. Martin’s volume-boosting innovations, the arrival of steel and nylon, and eventually the high-carbon cores and modern coatings that keep today’s players from having to sacrifice livestock before a gig. Then we get down to the stuff guitar players actually argue about: roundwound versus flatwound, bright versus dark, coated versus uncoated, light versus heavy gauges, and why the G string seems to have been specifically engineered to destroy your confidence in intonation. We dig into how core shape, wrap material, gauge, tuning, scale length, and even your choice of guitar affect tone and feel, with some hands-on comparisons along the way. From the Lyre of Ur to .010–.046, humanity has spent 5,000 years finding increasingly sophisticated ways to stretch wire over wood and complain that it won’t stay in tune. Support the show Support the page and join the Wormhole!!  Donate to https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598511/support to help us do more!! Cool gear giveaways to begin soon! https://www.instagram.com/theearwormpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588628882466 https://www.youtube.com/@the-earworm-podcast https://theearwormpodcast.buzzsprout.com www.bryanclarkmusic.com www.modernmusicmasters.com www.cloudcreativemgmt.com

    The Earworm Podcast - Episode 20 The Liars of Ur - INSTRUMENT STRINGS!

  7. Aug 25

    The Earworm Podcast - Episode 19 [The Day The Music Lied] REVISITING AI and STREAMING

    The Earworm Podcast returns to where it all began: artificial intelligence and music. Except this time, the technology has gotten better, the questions have gotten weirder, and Bryan and Patrick have plenty to say about it. With the usual Earworm humor and a healthy dose of self awareness, they revisit tools like Suno and admit that they are part of the problem too, considering they use generative AI for everything from logos to music. But when does a useful tool start replacing the person holding it? If you feed something uniquely yours into an AI model, whether it is your voice, melody, lyric, or musical idea, where does it go and can you ever really get it back? As AI gets frighteningly good at making music that sounds convincing, the guys tackle the bigger question: Can AI actually make anything new, or is it just really good at giving us a menu of things we already like? Then Spotify enters the conversation, so naturally things get even more cheerful. Bryan and Patrick dig into how streaming, algorithms, AI generated music, discovery programs, and the endless buffet of content have changed the way we value music and the people who make it. They explore copyright, voice and likeness, artist compensation, fraudulent streams, and what happens to working musicians when artificial music becomes essentially unlimited. It is a serious conversation that refuses to take itself too seriously, with plenty of jokes along the way. In the end, the solution might be surprisingly old fashioned. Go see a band. Buy the record. Buy the shirt. Support actual musicians. Because if human music matters, humans have to decide it matters. Support the show Support the page and join the Wormhole!!  Donate to https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598511/support to help us do more!! Cool gear giveaways to begin soon! https://www.instagram.com/theearwormpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588628882466 https://www.youtube.com/@the-earworm-podcast https://theearwormpodcast.buzzsprout.com www.bryanclarkmusic.com www.modernmusicmasters.com www.cloudcreativemgmt.com

    The Earworm Podcast - Episode 19 [The Day The Music Lied] REVISITING AI and STREAMING

  8. Aug 18

    The Earworm Podcast - Episode 18 You Had Me At Leitmotif - SCORES & SOUNDTRACKS

    In Episode 18 of The Earworm Podcast, Bryan Clark and Patrick Cloud head to the movies to untangle the difference between a score, a soundtrack, and a musical; and why each can completely change the way we experience a scene. From the live orchestras of the silent-film era to King Kong helping establish the modern original film score in 1933, the guys trace how music became one of cinema’s most powerful storytelling tools. Along the way, they break down themes and leitmotifs, from the two terrifying notes of Jaws and the Imperial March to the instantly recognizable worlds of Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, and The Godfather, and explore how filmmakers can use music sincerely, ironically, or hilariously in everything from A Clockwork Orange and American Psycho to Wayne’s World and School of Rock. The conversation also asks whether film composers are effectively the classical composers of our generation, with John Williams, Hans Zimmer, James Horner, and others creating orchestral music heard by audiences on a scale Mozart could only dream about. From the communal catharsis of Almost Famous and The Shawshank Redemption to the strange American institution known as the musical, Episode 18 explores how songs and scores tell us when to laugh, cry, worry, cheer or stay out of the water. The guys also dig into Disney’s changing relationship with the musical, AI’s potential impact on composing, and some staggering soundtrack sales, including Dirty Dancing, Saturday Night Fever, The Bodyguard, and James Horner’s Titanic. Turns out the pictures may be moving, but the music is usually what tells us how to feel about them. Support the show Support the page and join the Wormhole!!  Donate to https://www.buzzsprout.com/2598511/support to help us do more!! Cool gear giveaways to begin soon! https://www.instagram.com/theearwormpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588628882466 https://www.youtube.com/@the-earworm-podcast https://theearwormpodcast.buzzsprout.com www.bryanclarkmusic.com www.modernmusicmasters.com www.cloudcreativemgmt.com

    The Earworm Podcast - Episode 18 You Had Me At Leitmotif - SCORES & SOUNDTRACKS
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Earworm is the podcast that gets stuck in your head for all the right reasons. Hosted by Bryan Clark — artist, producer, engineer, music doctorate, and sonic architect to artists around the world — and Patrick Cloud, a New Orleans native whose career spans global music industry sales, directing sales for festival and event video production, podcast direction and production, and ownership of a creative management company, Earworm is where music industry knowledge meets genuine passion for the craft. Every episode, Bryan and Patrick dig into the trends shaping the modern music industry, celebrate the albums that matter, geek out over gear and guitars, and sit down with the producers, engineers, and artists who are actually doing the work. Bryan brings the academic chops and worldwide studio perspective. Patrick brings the New Orleans soul, the industry hustle, and the kind of energy that only comes from a city that treats music like oxygen. Whether you're a working musician trying to find your sound, a music lover who wants to understand what goes on behind the glass, or just someone who wants two guys who actually know what they're talking about to make you laugh and teach you something — Earworm is your show. Informative. Irreverent. Occasionally ridiculous. Always music. Merch: https://earworm.dashery.com https://www.instagram.com/theearwormpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61588628882466 https://www.youtube.com/@the-earworm-podcast https://theearwormpodcast.buzzsprout.com www.bryanclarkmusic.com www.modernmusicmasters.com www.cloudcreativemgmt.com www.briarwaveaudio.com

Information

  • Creator
    Patrick Cloud & Bryan Clark
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 2026 Cloud Creative Mgmt
  • Show Website
    The Earworm Podcast