About Steal This Song | Creative Songwriting & Production Podcast
How do creative people actually get things made?
Friedemann Findeisen talks to musicians, writers, artists, designers, filmmakers, game designers, entrepreneurs and other creative weirdos about the ideas, processes, obsessions and accidents behind the things they make.
How does a song become a song? A book become a book? An idea become a game, a business, a film, or something nobody has ever made before?
No guru wisdom. No five-step formulas. Just curious conversations about creativity, craft, problem-solving, and the messy process of turning an idea into something real.
How do you turn a university project into a successful board game series? In this episode, Friedemann takes us behind the scenes of Cantaloop, his point-and-click adventure game series inspired by the golden age of classic adventure games.
He shares the creative inspirations behind the project, how its design evolved from a university experiment into a published board game, and the philosophy that guided its development. We also explore the importance of creativity in game design, the art of building non-linear puzzles, and how to recreate the magic of those classic adventure games in a completely different medium.
A look behind the scenes at the making of Cantaloop, and a deep dive into what makes creative game design so rewarding.
21 Oct 2026
The Music Video That Almost Broke Me
I thought this music video was going to be easy. We had the perfect location, a great team, and a clear vision. What could possibly go wrong?
As it turns out, quite a lot.
After the chaos of shooting Joanna's last music video, I thought I'd learned my lesson. This time, we'd planned everything. We had a beautiful location owned by friends, a story we believed in, and a song about being present and appreciating the people around you.
And then the shoot happened.
This is the story of making the music video for “Seesaw” — the unexpected problems, the moments when I questioned everything, and the emotional toll of trying to bring a creative vision to life when nothing seems to go according to plan.
It's also a reminder of why we make things in the first place. Sometimes the process is messy, frustrating, and completely different from what you imagined. But that doesn't mean the result can't be meaningful.
🎬 Watch the finished music video for “Seesaw”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy7aVLFsyQ8 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy7aVLFsyQ8)
🎧 Listen to Joanna's finished album, Play in Case of Emergency:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kvrtZmi6xD9XMAfWLjXV_0TvN-wxM8Tf0&si=iajLtIp75dHhh3LX (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kvrtZmi6xD9XMAfWLjXV_0TvN-wxM8Tf0&si=iajLtIp75dHhh3LX)
If you're an independent artist trying to make something you're proud of, I hope this story reminds you that you're not alone in the struggle. Sometimes making art is hard. Sometimes work is a disaster. And sometimes, somehow, you still get the thing you wanted all along.
#MusicVideo #IndependentArtist #BehindTheScenes
7 Oct 2026
How I (Casually) Wrote A Hit Song
I wrote a 35-million-stream hit song in one afternoon.
It was a song called “Rakete” for the German band Mätropolis. I’d never written in the genre before, I’m not a writing-camp guy, and honestly… it’s not the kind of music I usually listen to.
So how did it happen?
In this video, I break down how the song came together, from the original “Wir starten die Rakete” hook to the countdown, Kölsch lyrics, melody, production and the marketing that helped turn it into a breakout hit.
But the bigger question is: what does it mean to make music when most of it will never become successful?
Because I’ve spent most of my life writing songs that almost nobody hears — including some of the songs I’m most proud of.
This is a video about songwriting, success, failure, motivation, and why we keep making things even when nobody is watching.
And maybe they are watching after all. You are.
What’s one thing you could challenge yourself to prove wrong today? Let me know in the comments.
Link to Joanna K's new album: https://open.spotify.com/album/7Ke952s15ico33M4wzepVk?si=9Un9lBT8SXKmJNBSuiH2fQ (https://open.spotify.com/album/7Ke952s15ico33M4wzepVk?si=9Un9lBT8SXKmJNBSuiH2fQ)
Link to Mätropolis' Rakete:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34JOAPatI3I (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34JOAPatI3I)
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
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