This is the Music Maestro Podcast. A show that gets beneath the skin of the music business by speaking to the people that live and breathe this industry. In every show we deep dive into hot topics to explore what's happening right now and what the future holds. Plus we talk about career paths, music tastes and more.
The Personal Brand Every Music Exec Needs | Zara Stewart - Music Executive & Platform Marketing
Zara Stewart is a music marketing executive whose career has spanned artist campaigns, international marketing, live events and streaming partnerships. Working across some of the biggest names in music, she now specialises in platform marketing, helping legacy artists maximise opportunities with Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube and more. Alongside her career, Zara has built a LinkedIn audience of over 20,000 followers by sharing practical advice on breaking into the music industry, personal branding and artist development.🎙️ In this episode, we explore Zara's journey from starting a passion project podcast to landing an internship at Sony Music and building a successful career in the music industry. We discuss what it really takes to break into the business, how personal branding can open unexpected doors, why artists need to think beyond viral moments, and the strategies behind building sustainable careers in today's music landscape.📌 Highlights:◼️ How Zara broke into the music industry without industry connections◼️ Why passion alone isn't enough to build a successful career◼️ How LinkedIn became a powerful career-building tool◼️ The biggest mistakes artists and music professionals make online◼️ Why artists should focus on building communities, not just chasing viral moments◼️ Practical advice for anyone looking to build a career in music⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction01:48 - Discovering A Career In Music04:08 - Landing An Internship At Sony Music05:27 - Why Passion Alone Isn't Enough06:13 - Breaking Into The Industry Without Connections09:00 - Building A Personal Brand On LinkedIn12:53 - Growing 20,000+ Followers In Six Months13:16 - How LinkedIn Created New Career Opportunities14:15 - Posting Four Times A Week In Just One Hour16:12 - The Biggest LinkedIn Mistakes Music Professionals Make19:13 - What Platform Marketing Actually Is19:33 - Why Some Artists Build Long-Term Careers21:15 - What Artists With No Audience Should Do First24:01 - Why Live Streaming Is A Huge Opportunity25:23 - Are Artists Under Too Much Pressure To Create Content?27:14 - Building A Visible & Valuable Career29:18 - The Advice Zara Would Give Her Younger Self30:45 - How To Break Into The Music Industry Today32:14 - Is University Still Worth It?35:53 - Why Amy Winehouse Is The Blueprint For Artists📲 Follow Zara StewartInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/zara.nirvana/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zara-stewart-a2a890150/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Zara.stewart📲 Follow Dan Fisk:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dan.fisk_/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danleonfisk/---🎵 Music Maestro helps artists and brands grow with music content fans love 🫶🌍 Visit our website:https://www.musicmaestro.co.uk📬 Join our newsletter:http://eepurl.com/gKhqHX📽️ Watch our showreel:https://musicmaestro.box.com/s/vnzcu8...#musicbusiness #musicmarketing #artistdevelopment #musicindustrytips #personalbranding #linkedin
19 Jun 2026
Why 'My Destiny' Went Viral 20 Years Later | DJ & Producer Mike Delinquent
Mike Delinquent is a DJ, producer, songwriter, and one of the key architects of the UK bassline movement. As one half of Delinquent, he helped shape the sound of UK garage and bassline through a string of influential records, remixes, and collaborations with artists including Usher, Ciara, Wiley, Danity Kane, and Fifth Harmony. Nearly 20 years after its original release, his biggest record, *My Destiny*, has found a remarkable second life, amassing billions of views across social media and connecting with an entirely new generation of listeners.🎙️ In this episode, we explore Mike's journey from working in a phone shop while chasing a dream in music to becoming one of the defining producers of the bassline era. We discuss the rise of UK garage, the birth of bassline, the story behind *My Destiny*, navigating multiple waves of music industry change, and what it feels like to watch a song explode around the world two decades after its release.📌 Highlights:◼️ From phone shop employee to UK dance music pioneer◼️ How Delinquent helped shape the bassline movement◼️ The story behind the making of *My Destiny*◼️ Why a 20-year-old record suddenly connected with billions of people◼️ The emotional connection between *My Destiny* and the neurodivergent community◼️ Why Mike believes great music can find its audience at any time⏱️ Timestamps:00:11:33 - Mike Delinquent's Journey Begins00:12:15 - Working In A Phone Shop While Chasing Music00:14:24 - Discovering UK Garage & London Rave Culture00:15:50 - When Delinquent Was Born00:17:43 - Right Place, Wrong Time?00:20:13 - The Sheffield Call That Changed Everything00:21:48 - How UK Garage Became Bassline00:23:12 - The Story Behind My Destiny00:24:39 - Knowing The Song Was Special00:25:26 - Going Solo As Mike Delinquent00:27:01 - The UK Garage Resurgence00:28:43 - A 20-Year-Old Song Goes Viral00:30:02 - The Neurodivergent Community Discovers My Destiny00:33:01 - Why The Moment Felt Spiritual00:34:15 - 3.5 Billion Views Later00:35:07 - Why My Destiny Connected With A New Generation00:36:29 - What Comes Next For The Song00:37:12 - Don't Ever Give Up00:38:23 - Why UK Garage Never Dies📲 Follow Mike DelinquentInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikedelinquent📲 Follow Dan Fisk:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danleonfisk---🎵 Music Maestro helps artists and brands grow with music content fans love 🫶🌍 Visit our website:https://www.musicmaestro.co.uk📬 Join our newsletter:http://eepurl.com/gKhqHX📽️ Watch our showreel:https://musicmaestro.box.com/s/vnzcu89ik251sic5uaojto7b1kql0zq3#musicindustry #musicbusiness #ukgarage #bassline #musicmarketing #podcast
13 Feb 2026
The Music Industry Is Turning It's Back On This | Grammy Award Winner Fraser T Smith
Fraser T Smith is a Grammy-winning producer, songwriter, and musician whose work spans pop, grime, and UK rap, shaping era-defining records for artists including Adele, Stormzy, Dave, Raye, and Craig David. With over 2,500 songs written and billions of streams worldwide, Fraser has played a key role in redefining what it means to be a producer in the modern music industry. 🎙️ In this episode, we explore his journey from guitarist to global hitmaker, the true role of a producer, the making of Adele’s Set Fire to the Rain, the blurred line between songwriting and production, and why success today is about balance, health, and building a sustainable creative life.📌 Highlights:◼️ Redefining success beyond awards, charts, and industry validation◼️ Inside the making of Adele’s Set Fire to the Rain◼️ What needs to change to keep live music accessible and sustainable◼️ How human feel and creativity protect producers in an automated era⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 - Meet Fraser T Smith: From Pop to Grime00:45 - Redefining What It Means to Be a Producer01:36 - Why Awards Don’t Define Success03:17 - What Success Really Means at 5405:29 - A Successful Life Is Just a Collection of Great Days06:18 - Meeting Craig David 09:31 - The Moment That Set Fraser on the Producer Path09:44 - Songwriter vs Producer: What’s the Difference?11:00 - The Producer’s Real Job: Serving the Artist14:27- How the Producer Role Has Changed Over 25 Years17:37 - Producing Bands vs Solo Artists19:01 - Inside Adele’s “Set Fire to the Rain”22:17 - Letting Go: You Can’t Control a Hit Song23:38 - Writing 2,500 Songs and only releasing 30024:46 - From Guitarist to Grime and UK Rap35:45 - Why Helping the Artist Always Comes First39:42 - The Harsh Reality of Touring & Live Music Today56:06 - Fraser’s Favourite Artist of All Time57:15 Fraser T Smith’s Top Five Songs Ever📲 Follow Fraser T SmithInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/frasertsmith/📲 Follow Dan Fisk:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danleonfiskTikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@danleonfisk__________________________________________________________________🎵 Music Maestro helps artists and brands grow with music content fans love 🫶🌍 Visit our website:https://www.musicmaestro.co.uk📬 Join our newsletter:http://eepurl.com/gKhqHX📽️ Watch our showreel:https://musicmaestro.box.com/s/vnzcu89ik251sic5uaojto7b1kql0zq3#musicindustry #musicbusiness #musicmarketing #music #podcast
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
18,696
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Spotify
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 39 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
25
Social presence
0
YouTube
72
Engagement
60
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