Producer Points

🎧 The Big AI Episode w/ Louie Diller, PJ Frantz & Stephen Conley

🎙️ This is the free episode — the full conversation is available exclusively for Producer Pal subscribers on Patreon: patreon.com/producerpoints
🛒 Production templates & more: SoundBetter | Patreon Templates

The AI episode. The roundtable Justin has been putting off long enough because he was afraid it would run for four hours. In this Producer Points Roundtable, Justin sits down with Louie Diller, PJ Frantz, and Stephen Conley to talk about where they actually stand on AI in music, what tools they're actually using, and what a fair AI music ecosystem even looks like.

• Louie Diller (@louieliveslaughsloves) — artist, songwriter, and producer behind HOLYCHILD. SONA advisory board member.
• PJ Frantz (@pj.frantz) — producer and songwriter whose LA Times piece "Spotify Needs to Start Labeling AI-Generated Music Before It's Too Late" sparked exactly the conversation it was supposed to.
• Stephen Conley (@stephenmconley) — gold-certified producer and songwriter. Credits include GAYLE, Dove Cameron, and Sofia Carson.

🎛️ We cover:

• Generative AI vs. AI-assisted tools — is that a meaningful distinction?
• The streaming flood: Suno generates 7 million songs per day
• PJ's LA Times piece and the transparency problem — should listeners have the right to know?
• The legal landscape: Sony vs. Suno, the Supreme Court ruling, and who's actually getting paid
• Voice cloning, identity, and what Taylor Swift and the Backstreet Boys are doing about it
• AI in the DAW: the tools that actually help vs. the ones that flatten the result
• Current events: Boris FX acquires iZotope, M.I.A. vs. Kid Cudi, and an indie musician suing Spotify

🔗 Follow & Listen:
Louie Diller: @louieliveslaughsloves
PJ Frantz: @pj.frantz
Stephen Conley: @stephenmconley
Justin Gammella: @justin_gammella
Producer Points: @producer_points
TikTok: @producer.points
🎧 Producer Points Playlist
🛒 SoundBetter | Patreon Templates

Ehren Ebbage on Lizzy McAlpine, Corook & Making Records That Feel as Good as They Sound

🛒 Production templates & more: SoundBetter | Patreon Templates

In this episode of Producer Points, Justin sits down with Ehren Ebbage — the producer behind some of the most emotionally precise records in indie pop right now. Credits include Lizzy McAlpine, Corook, Myles Smith, Maddie Zahm, sombr, Jacob Collier, FINNEAS, and more. Every record he touches has a balance that's hard to put into words — clarity, real engineering precision, and genuine emotion, all working together without stepping on each other.

🎶 Song deep dives:

• "blankets" by Corook — how the song came together, bass sound, synths, the descending counter melody, vocal processing, and what stayed untouched
• "ceilings" by Lizzy McAlpine — simplicity as power, acoustic guitar choices, strings, vocal capture, and why the master feels so pushed in all the right ways

🎛️ We explore:

• Growing up in bands, assisting Joe Ciccarelli, and finding his voice through sync work
• Building long-term creative relationships with Lizzy McAlpine and Corook
• Balancing engineering precision with emotional instinct
• Vocal chain, mic choices, and why dry and raw usually wins
• Keys-first workflow and knowing when to stop adding
• Plug or Unplug: Goodhertz Vulf Compressor, Unfiltered Audio SILO, oeksound Spiff, Aberrant DSP SketchCassette II, Baby Audio TAIP, Moog Sub 37, CLA Vocals, SM7B

🔗 Follow & Listen:
Ehren Ebbage: @ehrenebbage
Justin Gammella: @justin_gammella
Producer Points: @producer_points
TikTok: @producer.points
🎧 Producer Points Playlist
🛒 SoundBetter | Patreon Templates

🎧 The Demoitis Episode w/ Scott Robinson, Lucas Arens & Pedro Calloni -- The Sickness We All Have

🎙️ This is the free episode — the full conversation is available exclusively for Producer Pal subscribers on Patreon: patreon.com/producerpoints
🛒 Production templates & more: SoundBetter | Patreon Templates

Demoitis. The dreaded word we all have a love-hate -- okay, mostly hate -- relationship with. Especially when we're not the ones with the sickness. In this roundtable, Justin sits down with three producers and mixers who've all been on both sides of it -- as the ones catching it and the ones trying to cure it in others.

• Scott Robinson (@greatscottcreates) -- Grammy-nominated mixer, producer, and songwriter. Credits include Demi Lovato, Bebe Rexha, Fall Out Boy, and Avril Lavigne.
• Lucas Arens (@lucasarens) -- Nashville-based producer, songwriter, mixer, and multi-instrumentalist. Credits include Devon Again, Charli Adams, Brye, and emlyn -- plus sync placements on Disney, Apple, and more.
• Pedro Calloni (@pedrocalloni) -- Mixer whose credits include Chris Stapleton, Amy Allen, Nick Jonas, Joy Oladokun, Sasha Alex Sloan, LANY, and GAYLE.

🎛️ We cover:

• What demoitis actually is -- and why it hits producers and mixers just as hard as artists
• War stories: sessions where demoitis almost derailed everything
• How to tell when YOU'RE the one with the sickness
• Navigating the conversation with an artist who's convinced the demo is better
• When the demo actually IS better -- and how to know the difference
• How to prevent it on the front end and break it once it's set in
• Indie Plugin Spotlight: HYPE by Teletone Audio and VOYAGER by VYNL Audio
• Current Events: Oliver Tree, Olivia Rodrigo's third album, and Grammy rule changes for 2027

🔗 Follow & Listen:
Scott Robinson: @greatscottcreates
Lucas Arens: @lucasarens
Pedro Calloni: @pedrocalloni
Justin Gammella: @justin_gammella
Producer Points: @producer_points
TikTok: @producer.points
🎧 Producer Points Playlist
🛒 SoundBetter | Patreon Templates

🎧 Andrew Tufano on Producing Sabrina Sterling, Rosie Darling & Why Being a Player Makes You a Better Producer

🎙️ This is the free episode — the full conversation is available exclusively for Producer Pal subscribers on Patreon: patreon.com/producerpoints
🛒 Production templates & more: SoundBetter | Patreon Templates

In this episode of Producer Points, Justin sits down with Andrew Tufano — a producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist whose musicianship and intention elevate every room he walks into. From Sabrina Sterling and Rosie Darling to Katelyn Tarver, John K, and more, Andrew brings a player-first approach to production that you can hear in every record he touches. He's one of those rare producers who can do it all — and somehow makes it feel effortless.

🎶 Song deep dives:

• "take a shot" by Sabrina Sterling — the initial sound, breakbeat choices, that pre-chorus melody, vocal chain, harmonies, and what he's most proud of in the production
• "catching a snowflake" by Rosie Darling — the challenge of writing a Christmas song, picking jingle bells, real vs. fake strings, layering, and balancing indie sensibility with holiday genre (full deep dive on Patreon)

🎛️ We explore:

• Growing up musical, learning guitar and piano, and how touring shaped his instincts as a producer
• The slow transition from session player to full producer — and why that path made him better
• Why being a skilled player gives you an edge in the studio that no plugin can replace
• How he builds trust with artists and adapts to different creative personalities
• Capturing emotion over perfection — his philosophy on performance and recording
• Plug or Unplug: Valhalla Delay, Goodhertz Wow Control, Kazrog KClip, UADx Studer A800, Distressor, CLA Vocals, Bricasti M7

🔗 Follow & Listen:
Andrew Tufano: @andrewtufano
Justin Gammella: @justin_gammella
Producer Points: @producer_points
TikTok: @producer.points
🎧 Producer Points Playlist
🛒 SoundBetter | Patreon Templates

Here it is:

🎧 Auto-Tune… WTF?! — The Bugs, the Workarounds, and the Alternatives

🎙️ This is the free episode — the full conversation is available exclusively for Producer Pal subscribers on Patreon: patreon.com/producerpoints🛒 Production templates & more: SoundBetter | Patreon Templates

Somewhere between Auto-Tune 8 and now, something broke. The clicks, the pops, the inconsistent tracking, the constant repackaging — producers are frustrated, and they're starting to look elsewhere. In this roundtable, Justin sits down with three producers who use pitch correction every day to talk about what's actually going wrong, what they're doing about it, and what they want from plugin companies like Antares.

• Andrew J. Gomez (@andrewj_gomez) — Nashville-based producer, mixer, and songwriter. Credits include Knox, John Harvie, and LOYALS.
• Lowen / Emily Kopp (@earthtolowen) — independent artist, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Syncs on HBO, Disney, and Hulu.
• Stephen Conley (@stephenmconley) — gold-certified producer, songwriter, and mixer. Credits include GAYLE and more.

🎛️ We cover:

• The real bugs: latency errors, clicks and pops, inconsistent tracking, and the iLok transition
• Workarounds that actually help — retune speed automation, algorithm switching, committing and printing
• Alternatives: Melodyne, MetaTune, Waves Tune, UAD Topline Vocal Tune, Cubase's built-in algorithm, and more
• Transparent vs. character tuning — does the tool even matter if the performance isn't there?
• Current events: Taylor Swift's "I Knew It, I Knew You" for Toy Story 5, and the AFM lawsuit against UMG and WMG over AI training data

🔗 Follow & Listen:Andrew J. Gomez: @andrewj_gomezLowen: @earthtolowenStephen Conley: @stephenmconleyJustin Gammella: @justin_gammellaProducer Points: @producer_pointsTikTok: @producer.points🎧 Producer Points Playlist🛒 SoundBetter | Patreon Templates

This is the free episode — the full conversation is available exclusively for Producer Pal subscribers on Patreon: patreon.com/producerpoints🛒 Production templates & more: SoundBetter | Patreon Templates

In this episode of Producer Points, Justin sits down with Alexis Kesselman, aka Idarose — an artist, producer, and songwriter based in New York whose credits span pop, film, and K-pop. She co-wrote "Glimpse of Us" by Joji, a record that went number one globally. She wrote and produced "Death of Me" for Naomi Scott's character in Smile 2. And right now, her production on Bella Kay's "IloveitIloveitIloveit" is everywhere. Every time it comes up in a playlist, you feel it immediately — that intimacy, that restraint, that room sound. This is how she's doing it.

🎶 Song deep dives:

• "Death of Me" by Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) — writing for a character in a film, building the production, vocal chain, sidechain choices, and what she's most proud of in the record
• "IloveitIloveitIloveit" by Bella Kay — origin of the song, the recording technique behind that in-the-room intimacy, vocal layering, and why there are no drums (full deep dive on Patreon)

🎛️ We explore:

• Growing up in South Florida, studying film scoring at the University of Miami, and finding her way into pop songwriting
• Co-writing "Glimpse of Us" in 2019, then taking LSAT practice tests during the pandemic before the song came out and changed everything
• Signing to Warner/Chappell, moving to New York, and doing a year of musical theater writing at Berklee's NYC program
• Why New York works for her as a producer in a way it wouldn't if she were only a songwriter
• Her approach to vocal production, arrangement, and building sonic space
• Plug or Unplug: Output Portal, Weiss DS1-MK3, Keyscape, UADx Studer A800, Tube-Tech CL 1B, CLA Vocals, UAD 1176 Rev A

🔗 Follow & Listen:Idarose: @idarosemusicJustin Gammella: @justin_gammellaProducer Points: @producer_pointsTikTok: @producer.points🎧 Producer Points Playlist

This is the free episode — the full conversation is available exclusively for Producer Pal subscribers on Patreon: patreon.com/producerpoints

In this episode of Producer Points, Justin sits down with Collin Pastore and Jake Finch — a Nashville-based producer-writer duo quietly behind some of the best-sounding indie and alternative records of the last few years. From boygenius and Lucy Dacus to Ashe, Julien Baker, and Suki Waterhouse, their productions share a rawness and honesty that feels live, human, and never overcooked. Two studios, one shared vision, and a philosophy built around capturing real performances.

🎶 Song deep dives:

• "Lost Time" by Lucy Dacus — vocal layering, dry mic choices, drum recording and processing, and the production decisions behind one of the most honest-sounding records in recent memory
• "I Wanna Love You (But I Don't)" by Ashe — main guitar, synths, real drums vs. samples, and the writing and production techniques that shape the track (full deep dive on Patreon)

🎛️ We explore:

• How Collin and Jake linked up at Berklee, landed in Nashville, and tricked Sony into letting them co-produce their first EP
• Their philosophy on raw-sounding records — minimal processing, unprecious mic choices, and letting performances breathe
• How they built two complementary studios and why bouncing between a live room and a dead mix room works in their favor
• Drum samples, compression, and why audio school got it wrong
• Mix bus approach, go-to plugins, and their vintage 414 vocal chain
• Plug or Unplug: UADx Sound City Studios, LA-2A, Waves R-Vox, Space Echo RE-201, AEA R88, UAD 1176 Rev A, and CLA Vocals

🔗 Follow & Listen:Collin Pastore: @collinpastoreJake Finch: @jakelfishJustin Gammella: @justin_gammellaProducer Points: @producer_pointsTikTok: @producer.points🎧 Producer Points Playlist🛒 SoundBetter | Patreon Templates

Got it — here it is:

🎧 Gian Stone on Vocal Production, "Stuck with U," and Making Pop at the Highest Level

🎙️ This is the free episode — the full conversation is available exclusively for Producer Pal subscribers on Patreon: patreon.com/producerpoints

In this episode of Producer Points, Justin sits down with Gian Stone — a Grammy-nominated producer, songwriter, and vocal producer whose sharp ears and instinctive taste have helped shape some of the biggest pop records of the last decade. From topping the Billboard Hot 100 Producer Chart in 2020 to crafting hits for Maroon 5, Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, the Jonas Brothers, Dua Lipa, Selena Gomez, Meghan Trainor, Le Sserafim, and more, Gian has built a reputation as one of pop's most trusted and versatile creative voices.

🎶 Song deep dives:

• "Like It's Christmas" by Jonas Brothers — the origin of the track, making it more "Jonas Brothers-y," and how a piano demo became a guitar-driven holiday staple
• "Stuck with U" by Ariana Grande & Justin Bieber — how the song went from a session with Scooter to Ariana to Bieber in a week, and the production choices behind a #1 hit

🎛️ We explore:

• Gian's journey from drumming in NYC bands to sleeping on studio floors in LA to working at the highest level of pop
• How his partnership with producer Jason Evigan shaped his career
• His philosophy on vocal production — coaching artists, getting the best take, and knowing when less is more
• Balancing production, songwriting, and vocal production as equal crafts
• Gear and go-to tools: Neumann U87, SSL 4000 G+, Valhalla Vintage Verb, Omnisphere, and more
• Plug or Unplug: Apulsoft splitS, Goodhertz Lossy, CLA Vocals, and his plugin cheat code

🔗 Follow & Listen:Gian Stone: @gianstoneJustin Gammella: @justin_gammellaProducer Points: @producer_pointsTikTok: @producer.points🎧 Producer Points Playlist

🎙️ Season 3 of Producer Points starts May 20th — and this one's different.

Full episodes this season are exclusive to our Producer Pal community on Patreon. And we're not just talking episodes — Producer Pals get preset drops with real files and the philosophy behind them, AMA threads where you can ask Justin directly, extended cuts with the stuff that doesn't make the main edit, process breakdowns covering everything from vocal stacks to session organization, and early access to guest question submissions. It's the behind-the-curtain layer for people who are serious about making records.

We've been working hard behind the scenes, and we're bringing you a stacked lineup of guests, deep conversations, and something new: roundtables. Got a topic you want us to cover? Drop it in the comments.

Huge love to Nathan Rebello and Elijah Sheppard for helping make this happen. Make sure to check out their artist projects.

Season 3 drops May 20th. See you there.

🔗 Become a Producer Pal: Patreon📺 YouTube: @ProducerPoints📸 Instagram: @producer_points | @justin_gammella

🎧 Roundtable: The Future of Indie Plugin Design with Purafied & Nudist Audio

There’s a new wave of plugin makers changing the landscape of modern music production. From boutique developers to full-fledged software houses, indie creators are building tools that rival the biggest names in the game — and often do it with more innovation, personality, and passion.

In this roundtable, Justin sits down with two of the most exciting independent developers shaping that movement:

• Sam from Purafied Audio — known for forward-thinking mixing and mastering tools used by pros worldwide.

• Caleb from Nudist Audio — a rising developer pushing creative boundaries with analog-inspired plugins that bring warmth, imperfection, and vibe.

🎛️ We explore:

• How indie plugin companies are competing with giants like Waves and UAD

• The art and business of pricing plugins fairly

• Oversampling, sound quality, and performance trade-offs

• AI’s role in the next wave of music production tools

• What it takes to turn a coding idea into a creative tool musicians love

💡 Plus: behind-the-scenes stories of what it’s really like building a plugin company from scratch — from sound design to customer feedback to surviving as a small business.

🔗 Follow & Listen:
Purafied Audio: Website | @purafiedaudio
Nudist Audio: Website | @nudist_audio
Justin Gammella: @justin_gammella
Producer Points: @producer_points
TikTok: @producer.points
🎧 Producer Points Playlist: Spotify
🎙️ Full Episodes: Spotify | Apple Podcasts