The best dance music podcasts to listen to in 2020
It’s never been easier to stay connected with dance and electronic music culture, thanks to the efforts of great podcast creators. To help people find the top dance music podcasts, we’ve done the listening and compiled a list of the best dance music themed podcasts to listen to now!
The dance music podcasts we’ve selected cover everything from interesting tales behind the decks, to amazing mixtapes and exclusive interviews with your favourite artists, producers, DJs and musicians. With streaming services taking centre stage, we’ve made sure our selected list of podcasts are available on platforms including Spotify, Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts.
Ninja Tune Podcast
Ninja Tune are an example of an influential label that also hosts a spectacular podcast. Ninja Tune has been a purveyor of tasteful beat making for just under 30 years, but they’ve also been dishing out quality podcasts for well over a decade too. The podcast episodes consist of curated music and interviews with their label’s roster, and also serves as a news outlet for the label and a platform to showcase unreleased tracks and general music their roster have been feeling. In keeping with the Ninja Tune’s diverse output, the artists on the podcast range from classics label artists such as Mr. Scruff, Funki Porcini and Bonobo to more recent signees like Slugabed, Dorian Concept and Lapalux. So whether you’re a fan of the old or new Ninja Tune, it’s all in one place here.
With the predominantly relaxed tone and generously packed episodes, this one will be especially good for the long drives and pre-bedtime listening.
Stoney Roads Podcast
This podcast takes you behind the decks, exploring Australia’s vibrant dance music stories. The show so far has featured interviews from the internationally acclaimed The Presets and the illusive message behind their music, infamous party crew Bang Gang and a special story from Midnight Juggernauts’ drummer Daniel Stricker about Sydney’s Hidden Party Scene. Keeping it consistent and in digestible 15 to 20 minute instalments, this podcast will continue to delve deep into the untold stories of
If you’re a club dweller young or old, you’ll be sure to find yourself binging these riveting set of stories and anecdotes from producers and promoters alike.
Hospital Records
Steadily running since 2006, Hospital Record’s self-titled podcast is one for the drum & bass crowd. Initially hosted and ran by co-founder Tony Colman, better known as London Elektricity, Hospital Podcast was originally used by Colman as a showcase for what the roster had been putting out, as well as news and events from the label. Sooner or later he began handing over the decks to label mates such as Danny Byrd, Camo & Krooked, Logistics and High Contrast. Keeping it to the point and all about the music, you can always rely on this podcast to be jam packed with the radiant, high energy 170BPM bliss typical of Hospital Records. The Hospital Records podcast is a hive of content, frequently updating with new episodes every week or two, so you’ll never have to worry about running out of liquid funk action for a good while.
As a D&B lover who used to listen this podcast back in the old days of iTunes, I can guarantee that this podcast will go down well with anyone who likes their melodies bright, rhythms frantic, basslines devastating and tempos ramped up to overdrive. Stoney Roads release one podcast per month.
RA Exchange
While you may know Resident Advisor as a source for dance events, the London-based site also host their very own podcast, RA Exchange. Currently active and frequently updated multiple times per month, the exciting podcast is home to interviews, talk shows and DJ sets with globally renowned producers. Aside from mixes and extensive chatting with various figures in dance music, other topics that have been covered within RA Exchange have been music production, software, music branding and throwing club nights. With a vast array of guests ranging from Steve Reich to Squarepusher to Grimes, theres something here for anybody with even just a slight interest in electronic music. RA Exchange offers up to date news and commentary on whats current in the dance music realm and offers insights from producers across genres and countries.
Averaging an hour per episode, these podcasts has music and food for thought, presented all in a curated radio-style manner, so if you’re an electronic music enthusiast of any description, this podcast will be perfect for you.
Red Bull Music AAA
Another talk-centric podcast with a great insight into how nightlife is run, Red Bull Music’s AAA follows. The prolific music branch of Red Bull have steadily been shining a spotlight on electronic music talent for a better part of over 20 years, upon Red Bull Music Academy hosting a series of events, interviews and production schools featuring a myriad of industry figureheads. If you’re as much of a music geek as myself and have watched many of the RBMA lectures with producers from start to finish, you’ll be delighted that this podcast follows suit, with exclusive talks with the likes of Annie Mac and Fabric. Whilst the podcast has been relatively inactive since last year, you can at least be sure to enjoy the six jam packed episodes surrounding the inner workings of radio and club nights in the UK.
Following in a much more talk-based format than other podcasts, this podcast is essential listening for aspiring promoters, broadcasters and producers alike.
Tiga presents: Last Party on Earth
A long embracer of podcasts and playlists to curate his own selections ranging from techno to 80s synthpop and disco, Tiga is back once again to bring his record collection and dry-humoured banter back to the internet. If you’ve had your ear the floor as long as us, you may have had the pleasure of hearing his sets on BBC 6’s ‘My Name is Tiga’ on iTunes podcasts back in the day, with guests Zombie Nation and Thomas Von Party. His new show in podcast format, ‘Last Party on Earth’ follows much in it’s footsteps, with a slight desert island discs twist. Each guest DJ on the show is quizzed on their most prized records and asked what they would play in their first or last DJ set ever. The concept, matched with stellar music selections, an eccentric host and excellent guests including Four Tet, Boys Noize, Seth Troxler, Pete Tong, Carl Cox and more. Keeping the episodes generously lengthy and packed full of music and anecdotes, this one won’t go amiss on a long journey.
If you missed any of that, Tiga’s Last Party on Earth is essentially desert island discs for DJs. A must listen for any dedicated enthusiast of dance music and club culture.
Changes with Annie Mac
Prolific Irish DJ and tastemaker Annie Mac has been spinning records for as long as we can remember, so it’s no shock that she’s among the latest to embrace the new wave of podcasting. Each episode features a different guest and is centred around the broad theme of change, be it positive or negative. Perhaps the most varied of the aforementioned podcasts, Changes features guests encompassing politics, music, radio, and songwriting, each of whom are prompted to detail the biggest changes in their lives from childhood to adulthood. This podcast is personal, anecdotal and filled with a variety of perspectives from guests such as Robyn, Tiga, Jessie Ware, Zane Lowe and much more. Very frequently updated multiple times a month, Changes is a fascinating podcast covering a vast umbrella of topics and will likely bring much food for thought for those who like a good deep dive discussion.
Changes brings a completely new era to Annie Mac’s broadcasting career, highlighting a much more personal insight into both herself and her guests. Subsequently, your average BBC Radio 1 listener will likely be caught by surprise.
XOYO Podcast
On a more music-centric note, XOYO London also host their own podcast. A generous decade years after their inception in 2010, XOYO have also jumped in on the podcast craze, and with great results. Having hosted club residencies over the past decade from the likes of Simian Mobile Disco, Skream, Andy C, Erol Alkan and Bicep, XOYO has easily become one of the most thrown around names in the UK club realm. Peddling house, techno, disco and drum & bass, the club has become one of the most trusted names for quality dance music. Tastefully crafted with thoughtful discussion, each episode of the XOYO podcast goes deep into the minds of the UK’s most prolific producers, both resident DJs of their own and beyond. Freshly founded with only 3 episodes in, past episodes have featured D&B heavyweight Andy C, Rhythm Section’s Bradley Zero and Irish liquid D&B enigma Calibre.
Packed to the brim with music and in-depth dance music discussion, this ones for any dance music fanatic based anywhere in the globe.
The craze has now risen to the forefront of digital media, with numerous news giants and celebrities embracing the medium in recent years. No doubt with podcast streaming on the ever increasing rise due in part to the pandemic, we can be sure to see many more musicians and DJs embracing this media as we head further into this era of music broadcasting.
What are some quality dance music podcast you’ve been feeling? Feel free to add to tell us in the comments below!