In this episode of The Lorenzo’s Music Podcast, I meet Owen Williams, a developer to the MIXXX Open Source DJ project. Owen tells me about how he went from being a DJ enthusiast to actively contributing to the software he uses to perform. We also talk about the origins of MIXXX and how it has evolved since it began in 2002.

Owen explains how they maintain the open-source DJ platform, including the importance of community contributions and the continuous improvements being made to the software. We discuss digital DJing, the transition from traditional turntables to digital controllers, and the unique features MIXXX offers, such as support for various audio plugins and streaming services.

Key Takeaways

1. The Project The Mixxx project has been active since 2002, with Owen joining in 2009.
2. Digital DJing It was initially expensive and inaccessible for many aspiring DJs.
3. Audio support Mixxx supports a wide range of DJ controllers and is known for its compatibility.
4. Community contributions It plays a vital role in maintaining and improving Mixxx.
5. Features The software includes features like beat detection and looping capabilities and effects.
6. Cross-platform The software is cross-platform, compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux.
7. Streaming built in Mixxx is widely used in streaming radio stations for its metadata handling.

Links Mentioned

• Bandcamp bandcamp.com
• Creative Commons https://creativecommons.org
• Ubuntu Linux https://ubuntu.com
• Icecast https://icecast.org
• Audacity https://www.audacityteam.org
• Ardour https://ardour.org
• Mixcloud https://www.mixcloud.com

Connect with Mixxx

• Mixxx Website https://mixxx.org

This episode was recorded on May 3, 2026. Special thanks to Owen Williams of Mixxx for sharing his insights and experiences with me.

Listen to the full episode on your favorite podcast platform or watch the video above.

We do a walk-through of our setup before our band’s stream goes live. We are in the studio getting ready to do one of our live streams and turned on the cameras so we could show exactly how we get the sound routed and the band sounding properly on our Ubuntu Studio system.

In this video:

• Connecting the sound card to Ardour
• Checking levels
• Sending the main Ardour output to OBS
• Doing a soundcheck recording

In this episode of Lorenzo’s Music Podcast, I meet Carles Barrobes, a software engineer from Barcelona, who is part of a collective building a platform for musicians called Fairplayer, a project aimed at helping artists outside of mainstream streaming platforms with a more direct connection with their listeners.

Carles tells me about how Fairplayer is designed to promote decentralized music, the challenges of building a cooperative model, and how Fairplayer serves as a bridge between musicians and their own platforms.

We discuss how Fairplayer works, including its verification process for artists and integrating with other platforms like Mirlo, Faircamp and more to enhance discoverability and funding for musicians.

Key Takeaways

1. Fairplayer aims to help musicians leave mainstream platforms.
2. Co-op The project is built on a cooperative model for musicians.
3. Decentralized music Fairplayer connects various decentralized music services.
4. Community The importance of community and mutual aid in music.
5. Music distribution The integration of music distribution services can simplify the artist’s workload.
6. Music platforms Fairplayer aims to be a federated network of music platforms.

Links Mentioned

• Bandcamp bandcamp.com
• Faircamp faircamp.org
• Mirlo mirlo.space
• Gancio gancio.org
• Unstream unstream.stream

Connect with Fairplayer

• Fairplayer Player https://fairplayer.band
• Fairplayer Website https://fairplayer.org
• Fairplayer Mastodon https://social.anartist.org/@fairplayer
• Carles Barrobes Mastodon @txels@mastodont.cat

This episode was recorded on April 28, 2026. Special thanks to Carles Barrobes of Fairplayer for sharing his insights and experiences with me.

Listen to the full episode on your favorite podcast platform or watch the video above.

In this episode of Lorenzo’s Music Podcast, I meet Johannes Ernst, who is involved with the Unconference FediForum. Johannes is deeply involved in the Fediverse. We delve into the concept of unconferences and how they foster open discussions about technology and I want to learn how something like this could be created for music. Johannes talks to me about his history in classical music and his involvement with community management, and how he founded the FediForum, a platform for people passionate about decentralized social media to connect and collaborate.

We explore the unique structure of unconferences, emphasizing their interactive nature, where participants create the agenda based on their interests. Johannes explains the challenges and opportunities of organizing these events online, especially in a global community. We discuss ways of creating a supportive environment like this for musicians to connect, and share ideas in a non-traditional setting.

Key Takeaways

1. Unconfrences A relaxed and open conversation style for conferences.
2. community management Johannes has a background in engineering and community management.
3. FediForum was created to connect people interested in the Fediverse.
4. The unconference model has been around for 40 years.
5. Participants are encouraged to decide on creating the subjects that interest them.

Links Mentioned

• Bandcamp bandcamp.com
• FediForum fediforum.org
• Bandwagon bandwagon.fm
• Internet Identity Workshop internetidentityworkshop.com
• New_ Public https://newpublic.org/

Connect with Johannes Ernst

• Mastodon https://j12t.social/@j12t
• Website https://j12t.org

This episode was recorded on April 12, 2026. Special thanks to Johannes Ernst for sharing his insights and experiences with me.

Listen to the full episode on your favorite podcast platform or watch the video above.

In this episode of Lorenzo’s Music Podcast, I meet Brandon Lucas Green, creator of the new site for musicians called Unstream. Brandon tells me about being a musician and also a product builder, specifically his latest project, Unstream. This app helps music lovers discover where to support their favorite artists beyond mainstream streaming services, aiming to help independent musicians financially by sharing their non-streaming platform info.

We discuss Brandon’s musical background, from classical piano training to alternative rock and experimental genres. Brandon also tells me about his experiences in the tech industry and the importance of transparency in building community-driven projects like this.

Key Takeaways

1. Musician Support Unstream helps users find ways to support their favorite artists.
2. Inspiration The app was born from Brandon’s desire to build his own music library.
3. Streaming problems Unstream aims to bridge the gap between artists and their supporters.
4. MusicBrainz MusicBrainz provides a valuable resource for music metadata.
5. Works at Buffer Buffer practices radical transparency, sharing internal information publicly.
6. Community engagement has led to unexpected collaborations.

Links Mentioned

• Bandcamp bandcamp.com
• Qobuz qobuz.com
• MusicBrainz musicbrainz.org
• ListenBrainz listenbrainz.org
• Buffer buffer.com
• Faircamp simonrepp.com/faircamp/
• Mirlo mirlo.space
• Picard picard.musicbrainz.org

Connect with Brandon Lucas Green

• Unstream https://unstream.stream/
• Mastodon @kidlightbulbs
• Bluesky @bgreen.lol
• Instagram @kidlightbulbs
• LinkedIn brandonlgreen

This episode was recorded on March 31, 2026. Special thanks to Brandon Lucas Green for sharing his insights and experiences with me.

Listen to the full episode on your favorite podcast platform or watch the video above.

We didn’t have a complex rig when we first started our band stream using Linux. In this tutorial, we show how we got started with what we already had. After we learned more and the stream got stable, then scaled up our gear. We began with mixer output into a 2-channel soundcard straight into OBS before adding more advanced routing.

What this tutorial covers

• A practical Ubuntu Studio workflow for band streaming
• A beginner path that starts with a 2-channel OBS setup
• How we evolved into Ardour + Patchance over time without changing core tools

In this episode of Lorenzo’s Music Podcast, I meet Cory Casciato, also known as Ether Diver. Cory talks about starting out as a music journalist to becoming a musician and also a creator of sample packs and presets for synthesizers. We discuss sound design and the tools he uses to make music for both digital and physical synthesizers.

We talk about music interests, from his early influences and what inspires him creatively today, along with his recent music project “Mechanics of Mysticism”. We also talk about his community music review project, “Other People’s Music,” where he reviews independent artists’ tracks, to hear new music and connect with the people who make it.

Key Takeaways

1. Music journalist Ether Diver is a semi-retired music journalist and musician.
2. Synthesizers He creates sounds and presets for synthesizers and sample packs.
3. Music production He transitioned from journalism to focus on music production with noise soundscapes.
4. Other People’s Music is his community for music reviews.

Links Mentioned

• Arturia arturia.com
• Kofi ko-fi.com
• Jonathan Colton jonathancolton.com
• Westword westword.com
• AV Club avclub.com

Connect with Ether Diver

• Website http://www.etherdiver.com
• Mastodon @etherdiver
• Bandcamp etherdiver.bandcamp.com

This episode was recorded on March 22, 2026. Special thanks to Cory Casciato aka Ether Diver for sharing his insights and experiences with me.

Listen to the full episode on your favorite podcast platform or watch the video above.

I just published a full walk-through of our pre-stream checklist we use before our band’s Live & Unfiltered Show every week.

What this tutorial covers

• The step-by-stem checklist we run before every show
• DAW (Ardour) audio routing to OBS
• scene order for switching cameras
• Hotkeys for cameras and scenes

An overview of our band stream set up

This shows the example of how band’s can run a multi-camera live setup using open-source tools. It gives a detailed look at what our set up is like, by showing how we get it ready from beginning to end.

In this episode of Lorenzo’s Music Podcast, I meet Jay, who runs the music calendar website mkeshows.com, a community calendar dedicated to showcasing live music events in Milwaukee. Jay talks about becoming involved in the DIY music scene and connecting local artists and audiences through this centralized platform. We discuss the challenges of show promotions and the innovative use of Gancio, the open-source federated calendar software that powers his site.

Jay tells me about his history in the music scene over the years, including his work with various bands like Milorganaut and his involvement in the now-defunct Borg Ward venue. He also shares insights into his new project, Fall Tragedy, and his upcoming tour in Japan. We mention the importance of grassroots efforts in promoting local music and the potential for mkeshows.com to become a great resource for both artists and fans.

Key Takeaways

1. Gancio Calendar Platform: A community calendar for shows.
2. MKE Shows: built for the need for a centralized calendar arose from the chaotic show scene.
3. Open-source: Ganchio was chosen for its open-source and decentralized nature.
4. Music Community: He emphasizes the importance of community in promoting local shows.
5. DIY Music: The DIY ethos is strong in the Milwaukee music scene.

Links Mentioned

• Gancio https://gancio.org/
• MKE Shows https://mkeshows.com
• Milorganaut https://milorganaut.bandcamp.com
• Fall Tragedy https://falltragedy.bandcamp.com

Connect with MKE Shows

• Website https://mkeshows.com
• Mastodon @mkeshows
• Bluesky bsky.app/profile/mkeshows.com
• Instagram @mkeshows

This episode was recorded on March 1, 2026. Special thanks to Jay from MKE Shows for sharing his insights and experiences with me.

Listen to the full episode on your favorite podcast platform or watch the video above.

I just published a step-by-step walkthrough showing how we structure OBS scenes and automatic camera switching for our live band stream that we do each week.

What this tutorial covers

• Building a 3-camera layout for full-band band shot
• Naming sources to reuse them
• Layout and overlays
• Automatic scene switching
• Setting hotkeys for scene changes