Inside Nashville's Music Community

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🎶 This episode features “One Night” by MAD Records Collective member Rich Hennessy. You can listen to the full track and explore more of Rich’s music by clicking here.

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In this episode, I sat down with Reid Sorel, head producer at MAD Records and an up-and-coming Nashville-based production extraordinaire, for a conversation about what it really looks like to build a sustainable career in music today.

We talk through Reid’s path into production, from early sync work and independent artist projects to wearing multiple hats in Nashville’s fast-moving music scene. Instead of chasing shortcuts, Reid shares why following up, providing value, and building genuine relationships have been the foundation of his growth.

We also discuss the future of music in the age of AI, why over-saturation may bring music back toward experience and imperfection, and how live energy, community, and human connection are likely to become more important than ever.

We close out by highlighting Nashville artists like Cole Ritter and Abigayle Oakley and breaking down what makes an artist worth investing in long-term.

This is a grounded conversation about patience, strategic planning, and building your career brick by brick.

Enjoy!

Topic Overview

0:00–1:13 Intro and featured artist Rich Hennessy1:13–4:28 Reid Sorel’s background and wearing multiple hats as a producer4:28–8:30 Sync placements, early income, and following up8:30–12:05 Building relationships by providing value12:05–16:19 Community-first thinking and long-term growth16:19–23:39 Nashville, competition, and standing out beyond talent23:39–31:31 AI, accessibility, and the future of music31:31–40:58 Music as experience, not commodity40:58–48:29 Imperfection, live energy, and breaking “perfect” production rules48:29–55:28 Artist spotlights: Cole Ritter and Abigayle Oakley55:28–End Brick-by-brick careers and closing reflections

(Podcast intro music created by Luke Despain, Thomas Muer, and Rob Schustack.)

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