South by Southwest is changing. The festival has been shortened to 7 days. There is no dedicated music weekend. The convention center is being renovated and won’t be finished for 3 years. So what will music at SXSW 2026 look like? Brian Hobbs, VP of Music at SXSW, sits down to talk about the future of the festival.

Pause/Play is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. 

You can support our work by donating at supportthispodcast.org.

The full transcript of this episode of Pause/Play is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps.

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Terry Lickona, Executive Producer of the Austin City Limits TV show, joins hosts Elizabeth McQueen and Miles Bloxson to talk about how cuts to federal funding for public media are impacting the show.

Learn more about Congress’s decision to rescind over 1 billion dollars it had previously allocated for public media.

You can donate to Austin City Limits by going to austinpbs.org/donate.

You can support Pause/Play by heading to supportthispodcast.org

The full transcript of this episode of Pause/Play is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps.

The post BONUS: Terry Lickona from Austin City Limits on what cuts to federal funding for public media mean for TV’s longest running music program. appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

AI is a hot topic right now, but how will it impact music? We discuss everything from fake bands getting millions of listens to a legendary producer vouching for the use of AI to lawsuits by major music groups against AI music generation programs.

In the latest episode, we dive into how Austin musicians are using the tool or staying away. Hear from Chinasa Broxton and Carlos Dashawn Daniels Moore of Tribe Mafia, Walker Lukens, Lauren Bruno, Jonny Johnson, Zeale and Erin Walter share their thoughts on the future of AI and music.

Tell us what you think about AI and Music

Pause/Play is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. 

You can support our work by donating at supportthispodcast.org.

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We examine what streaming looks like now and what it could look like in the future. Walker Lukens explains how Song Confessional has found success with streaming. And Lauren Bruno talks about a possible alternative to streaming that she wants to build called Prosper XO.

Learn more about the Living Wage for Musicians Act.

Check out Prosper XO’s surveys

Let us know what you think about the future of streaming.

Pause/Play is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

You can help make this podcast happen by donating at supportthispodcast.org.

The full transcript of this episode of Pause/Play is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps.

The post Streaming Sucks: The good, the bad and the future of music platforms appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Social media has completely changed how musicians share their work and connect with fans — but not everyone is here for the endless scroll. Some artists are over it and have even ditched it altogether.

In this episode, we dive into the love-hate relationship musicians have with social media. Hear from Chinasa Broxton, Carlos Dashawn Daniels Moore of Tribe Mafia, Walker Lukens, Sara L. Houser, and Robert Ellis as they dish on how they do — or don’t — use these platforms to build their careers and stay true to their art.

The full transcript of this episode of Pause/Play is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps.

The post Social Media & Music: Love It, Hate It, or Use It? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

Pay for musicians in Austin has stayed the same for decades, and streaming often doesn’t bring in my money. So if you can’t make money playing music and you can’t make money selling music, what can you do?

You’ll hear how Sara L. Houser, Chinasa Broxton and Carlos Dashawn Daniels Moore from Tribe Mafia, and Carrie Rodriguez figured out how to make a living in music by expanding their ideas of what they can do with music.

Find out more about Laboratorio Arts.

The full transcript of this episode of Pause/Play is available on the KUT & KUTX Studio website. The transcript is also available as subtitles or captions on some podcast apps.

The post Doing all the things: The new blueprint for making a living in music appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

The world is shifting faster than ever, and for many, the future feels more uncertain than clear. In season six of Pause/Play, we are taking a look at the future of Austin’s music scene. We’ll talk about how artists are making a living by exploring multiple creative avenues. We talk to artists who are reimagining fan connections beyond social media and who are dreaming up alternatives to the major streaming services. We’ll dive into how musicians are embracing (or rejecting) AI, what’s ahead for the Live Music Fund, and—of course – what the next generation of Austin musicians is up to.

Pause/Play is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. 

You can support our work by donating at supportthispodcast.org.

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We’re looking at what happens to small towns like Lockhart when a bunch of Austin musicians seeking affordable places to live move there.

You’ll hear from musician Emily Gimble, musician and co-owner of Fiddler’s Green Jenn Miori Hodges, co-founders Courthouse Nights and Rach and Rhodes presents Rachel Lingvai and Will Rhodes, musician Pierson Saxon and founders of Duett’s in Martindale, Texas Ryan and Katie Grametbaur.

The post Don’t Austin My Lockhart: How Austin musicians seeking affordability are impacting surrounding towns appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

SXSW started in 1987 as a regional music festival in Austin. You’ll hear how it started and how it changed over the years from the perspectives of some of the musicians who’ve played it. You’ll also learn about what changed because of musician protests, what SXSW was like in Sydney, Australia, and what the festival might look like in the future.

Check out this flier from the first SXSW

The post How SXSW went from an Austin festival to an international experience appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

There should be a new episode of Pause/Play this week. But, we got hit by a mix of travel, COVID, and unforeseen circumstances. So there’s no episode right now. But there will be in two weeks!

In the next episode, you’ll hear about the history of SXSW, and how it’s changed over the years.

And in the episode after that, you’ll hear about what happens when people leave Austin and start music scenes in towns around Austin.

We want to hear from you — do you live in a town close to Austin with a new thriving music scene or have you been to a show where you least expected to see live music? We’d love it if you would send us a voice memo about your experience!

You can leave a message at kutkutx.studio/contactpauseplay, email us at [email protected] or you can leave us a message on Instagram — our handle is @pauseplaypod

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