Playlisted Podcast

15 NUMBER ONE COUNTRY HITS. OVER 1,000 SONGS RECORDED. ONE LEGENDARY SONGWRITER.

What separates a good country song from a hit that people remember forever?

Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member and BMI Icon **Bob DiPiero** joins Austin Burke on Playlisted to share his experience and give rising artists the opportunity to perform in front of one of country music's most accomplished songwriters.

Bob is the legendary hitmaker behind songs including George Strait's "Blue Clear Sky," Tim McGraw's "Southern Voice," Reba McEntire's "Little Rock," and The Oak Ridge Boys' "American Made." With 15 #1 hits and a career spanning more than four decades, Bob has helped shape the sound of country music.

Now, he's helping inspire the next generation.

In this episode, five talented artists take the Playlisted stage to perform original music and receive real, unfiltered feedback from someone who knows what it takes to write a hit.

One artist. One song. One opportunity to make an impression.

🎤 **PERFORMERS INCLUDE:**
- Laura Caroline
- Jacob Schaffer
- Molly Ruth
- Tennessee Tears
- Mad Mary

**PLAYLISTED**
Where Tomorrow's Stars Meet the Industry's Biggest Names.

Pulling Back the Curtain on the Music Industry.

Hosted by Austin Burke, Playlisted brings together Nashville's rising talent and the legendary songwriters, artists, producers, and music executives who have shaped the industry.

Part live performance. Part podcast. Part music industry masterclass.

👇 **WHO WAS YOUR FAVORITE PERFORMER?**
Let us know in the comments which artist deserves a spot on your playlist!

🔔 SUBSCRIBE for new episodes, original live performances, real industry feedback, and a front-row seat to discovering tomorrow's stars.

Follow Playlisted:
Instagram: @playlistedpod
TikTok: @playlistedpodclips

📍 Recorded live in Nashville, Tennessee.

#Playlisted #BobDiPiero #CountryMusic #Nashville #Songwriting

What does it take to turn a great song into a #1 country hit?

Award-winning songwriter and producer Matt Geroux joins Austin Burke on Playlisted to pull back the curtain on Nashville's music industry.

With over 500 million streams across his catalog, Matt has helped shape the sound of modern country music, including producing Josh Ross's #1 hit "Single Again." His work has earned him a worldwide publishing deal with Position Music and The Core Entertainment.

Matt brings his experience in songwriting, producing, and artist development to the Playlisted stage as six emerging artists perform their original songs and receive honest industry feedback.

Featuring performances by: Jack Worrall, Cole Decker, Cody Wolfe, Zach Hinson, Chauncey Jones, and Tammy Sue.

PLAYLISTED — Where Tomorrow's Stars Meet the Industry's Biggest Names.

Hosted by country artist Austin Burke, Playlisted features live performances from rising artists and unfiltered conversations with the hitmakers and industry insiders shaping the music business.

Recorded live in Nashville, Tennessee.

Subscribe and join us as we discover the next generation of country music.

One of the most respected voices in country music, Storme Warren joins Austin Burke on Playlisted to share his decades of industry experience while giving honest feedback and encouragement to the next generation of rising artists.

From his legendary run hosting SiriusXM's The Highway to becoming the voice of Garth Brooks' The BIG 615, Storme has spent his career championing new talent and connecting artists with country music fans around the world.

A recipient of BMI's Ambassador Award and the Country Radio Broadcasters' Tom Rivers Humanitarian Award, Storme has become one of Nashville's most recognizable and respected broadcasters.

In this episode, five rising artists take the Playlisted stage for live performances and the opportunity to receive valuable feedback from someone who has spent decades helping shape the future of country music.

**Featuring live performances from:**
- Nikko
- Shea Marie
- Roz
- Julia Rose
- Russel Wix

This is what Playlisted is all about. Giving tomorrow's stars a platform to be heard, learn from the industry's biggest names, and take the next step in their careers.

**PLAYLISTED**
Where Tomorrow's Stars Meet the Industry's Biggest Names.

Pulling Back the Curtain on the Music Industry.

Hosted by Austin Burke, Playlisted brings together rising artists, hit songwriters, music executives, and industry leaders for live performances and unfiltered conversations about the music business.

🎤 Subscribe for weekly performances, artist discoveries, and conversations with the people shaping country music.

💬 Which artist stood out to you? Let us know in the comments!

#StormeWarren #Playlisted #CountryMusic #RisingCountryArtists #NashvilleMusic

Heath Warren is back on Playlisted, and this time he returns as a TWO-TIME #1 SONGWRITER and our Season 1 Guest of the Year.

Heath has quickly become one of Nashville’s most in-demand songwriters. He co-wrote Bailey Zimmerman’s massive multi-week No. 1 hit “Rock and a Hard Place,” which became an 8x Platinum smash and one of the biggest songs of Zimmerman’s career. Heath has now added another No. 1 to his résumé with “Chevy Silverado” by Bailey Zimmerman, which reached No. 1 at country radio and has already been certified Platinum.

Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Heath has been recognized as a BMI Buzz Writer to Watch and was nominated for MusicRow Magazine’s Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year. He is signed to Warner Chappell Music and has landed songs with artists including Bailey Zimmerman, Nate Smith, Chase Rice, Josh Ross, Tyler Braden, Waterloo Revival, Skeez and more. He has had nine-plus cuts with Bailey Zimmerman alone, including “Rock and a Hard Place,” “New to Country” and “Chevy Silverado.”

But before the second No. 1, before another huge year of songs and cuts, Heath was one of the people who helped define what Playlisted was becoming. After multiple appearances, the fans voted him our Season 1 Guest of the Year.

In this episode, Austin Burke sits down with Heath to talk about what changes after your first No. 1, what it feels like to do it again, writing songs for some of country music’s biggest artists, navigating Nashville relationships, knowing when a song is special, and the truths young songwriters need to hear about making it in the music business.

Performers Include:

Hope MacGregor

Trevor Wilson

Chad Michael Jervis

Clint Draper

Paul RoseWood

Scotty Willis

PLAYLISTED

Where Tomorrow’s Stars Meet the Industry’s Biggest Names.

Pulling Back the Curtain on the Music Industry

Featuring live performances from rising artists and unfiltered conversations with the artists, hitmakers and industry insiders shaping the music business.

Subscribe to Playlisted for new episodes every week.

#HeathWarren #Playlisted #BaileyZimmerman #Songwriter #CountryMusic #Nashville #RockAndAHardPlace #ChevySilverado #MusicIndustry #AustinBurke

This week on Playlisted, Austin Burke sits down with longtime music industry executive, producer, manager and entrepreneur Christy DiNapoli for a conversation packed with insight for artists, songwriters and anyone trying to make a living in music.

Christy has spent four decades in the industry, with a career spanning artist development, management, publishing, record production and music technology. His résumé includes helping develop, manage, publish and produce multi-platinum country band Little Texas, three Grammy nominations, numerous industry awards and work on projects totaling more than 13 million albums sold. MIC Newsroom

Today, Christy is taking everything he’s learned and putting it into MIC — Music Industry Community, a new platform built specifically for the music industry. MIC brings networking, bookings, streaming analytics, professional tools, collaboration and career resources together in one place, with the goal of giving independent artists and music professionals more control over their careers. GlobeNewswire

This episode goes deep into the business behind the music: what young artists get wrong, how the industry has changed, building the right team, creating real opportunities, developing a sustainable career and why relationships still matter in Nashville.

PERFORMANCES BY:
Huffman Acoustic
Nicholas Ray
Kevin Daniel
Adia Clark
Lay Monarch
Tammy Sue

If you're an independent artist, songwriter, producer or someone trying to break into the music business, this is an episode you don't want to miss.

Subscribe to Playlisted for weekly conversations and performances with the artists, songwriters, producers and industry leaders shaping music today.

Hosted by Austin Burke

#Playlisted #ChristyDiNapoli #MusicIndustry #MIC #IndependentArtist #Nashville #CountryMusic #MusicBusiness #songwriting

Comedy has Kill Tony. Music has Playlisted.
Artists perform one song in front of a live audience and receive real, unfiltered feedback from industry guest hosts.

Kevin Powers is one of the most exciting new voices blending country, pop and hip-hop into a sound he calls “Southern Pop.” After breaking through with “Walked In” and “How You Been?,” Powers made the move to Nashville and quickly established himself as both an artist and songwriter.

He co-wrote Shaboozey and Jelly Roll’s Grammy-winning #1 hit “Amen,” joined Shaboozey on The Great American Road Show, and became the first artist signed to Shaboozey’s American Dogwood label. His collaboration with Shaboozey, “Move On,” helped introduce the next chapter of his career.

On this episode of Playlisted, Kevin sits down with Austin Burke to talk about his journey, finding his sound, songwriting, his relationship with Shaboozey and what comes next.

Performers Include:
Alec Mason
Cody Lee Rose
Bella Rios
Zach Person
Max Beal

This might be the wildest episode of Playlisted yet.

Dasha joins us for an absolutely unfiltered night of music, stories, laughs and advice for our aspiring artists. We talk about her career, songwriting, the crazy ride of breaking through in country music and what she’s learned along the way.

Special Surprise by Ranch Hands Cowboylesque.

7 aspiring artists step up to perform original songs and get real, honest feedback from Dasha, and somehow we ended up with one of the funniest and most unpredictable episodes we’ve ever done.

Comedy has Kill Tony. Music has PLAYLISTED.

If you’re an artist, songwriter or just love seeing a side of your favorite artists you normally don’t get to see, this episode is for you.

🎙️ Special Guest: Dasha
🤠 Special Appearance: Ranch Hands Cowboylesque
🎸 7 aspiring artists perform live
📍 Recorded live in Nashville, TN

SUBSCRIBE because we do this every week with some of the biggest artists, songwriters and music industry professionals in Nashville.

#Dasha #Playlisted #CountryMusic #Nashville #Songwriting #RanchHands #MusicPodcast #NewMusic

Performers Include:
Carson Mac
Matthew Cole Needle
Ethan Anderson
JaeCe Simon
Ryan Higgins
Russell Wix
Dylan Brekke

Comedy has Kill Tony. Music has Playlisted.

Artists perform one song in front of a live audience and receive real, unfiltered feedback from industry guest hosts.

This week, one of the most powerful people in Nashville music publishing takes the Playlisted guest chair.

Rusty Gaston, CEO of Sony Music Publishing Nashville, joins Playlisted to hear aspiring artists perform one song and give them the kind of honest feedback most artists never get access to.

Before leading Sony Music Publishing Nashville, Rusty helped build THiS Music into one of Music Row’s most successful independent publishing companies, developing songwriters and songs that went on to earn dozens of ASCAP and BMI awards. Today, he leads one of the biggest publishing operations in country music and has spent his career identifying great songs, great songwriters and artists with something special.

On Playlisted, there is nowhere to hide. One artist. One song. A live Nashville audience. And real feedback from someone who has spent his entire career deciding what separates a good song from a great one.

PERFORMERS INCLUDE:

Melanie Murray
Kaylon McClish
Kyle Mercer
Michael Eddy
Corben Cole Bradford
Jordan Martin

Who should sit in the Playlisted guest chair next? Drop their name in the comments.

SUBSCRIBE to Playlisted to discover rising artists, hear real music industry feedback and see who gets pulled from the bucket next.

#Playlisted #RustyGaston #CountryMusic #Nashville #Songwriting #MusicIndustry #SonyMusicPublishing

Country music legend Vince Gill joins Playlisted for one of the biggest episodes yet, sitting down with Austin Burke to talk songwriting, Nashville, longevity, the music industry, and what it really takes to build a career that lasts.

Aspiring artists perform their original songs in front of him and get real, live feedback from one of the greatest singers, songwriters, and musicians in country music history.

Vince talks about the lessons he’s learned through decades in Nashville, what he hears when a new artist walks onstage, what separates a good singer from a real artist, songwriting, success, fame, the future of country music, and the advice he would give anyone trying to make it today.

A Country Music Hall of Fame member, Grand Ole Opry member, 22-time Grammy winner, and member of the Eagles, Vince Gill has built one of the most respected careers in American music.

PLAYLISTED is the live music discovery show where aspiring artists perform original songs in front of established artists, songwriters, producers, executives, and other leaders in the music business.

Comedy has Kill Tony. Music has Playlisted.

Hosted by Austin Burke.

Performers Include:

Ryan Saab
Kate Cameron
Cass Jones
Dee White
Carter Orion
Michael Leatherman
Dyer Davis
Landon Wall
Izzy Jude

Subscribe for full episodes, artist performances, industry advice, and the next generation of artists coming out of Nashville.

Better Than Ezra frontman Kevin Griffin joins Playlisted to give 5 aspiring artists real, unfiltered feedback on their songs and performances.
Kevin Griffin has built one of the most unique careers in music. He is the singer and founding member of Better Than Ezra, an award winning songwriter and producer, co founder of Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival, author, entrepreneur, and co founder and CEO of SoundBreak AI.

As a songwriter, Kevin has helped create massive songs including Howie Day’s “Collide” and Sugarland’s “Stuck Like Glue,” with his music also being performed by artists including Taylor Swift, Train, Dierks Bentley, Christina Perri and more. His songs have collectively sold more than 80 million copies and generated over 1 billion streams.

In this episode, Kevin sits down with Austin Burke to talk about what actually makes a great song, how to build a career that lasts, the evolution of the music business, artificial intelligence and songwriting through SoundBreak AI, creating and owning Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival, and what he hears when evaluating new artists.
Then, 5 aspiring artists take the Playlisted stage and get feedback directly from Kevin Griffin.

This is what Playlisted is all about.
Part performance. Part podcast. Part music industry masterclass.
Where Tomorrow’s Artists Meet Today’s Legends.
Subscribe for new episodes of Playlisted every week and comment below which artist you thought had the best song.

🎙️ Hosted by Austin Burke
⭐ Special Guest: Kevin Griffin of Better Than Ezra
🎵 Featuring 5 aspiring artists + bucket pulls
📍 Recorded live in Nashville

#KevinGriffin #BetterThanEzra #Playlisted #Songwriting #MusicPodcast #Nashville #Songwriter #IndependentArtist #SoundBreakAI #PilgrimageFestival

Comedy has Kill Tony. Music has Playlisted.

Country hitmaker Tyler Farr and songwriter/producer Jamie Collazo take over the guest chairs on Playlisted as rising Nashville artists perform one song and receive real, unfiltered feedback about their music, performance and career.

Tyler Farr, the voice behind country hits including “Redneck Crazy,” “Whiskey in My Water” and “A Guy Walks Into a Bar,” joins Jamie Collazo, a Nashville songwriter, producer, guitarist and musical director, for one of the most unpredictable nights yet on Playlisted.

Artists step on stage one at a time in front of a live Nashville audience with one song and one opportunity to make an impression.

Tyler and Jamie break down what works, what doesn’t, what makes an artist memorable and what it really takes to build a career in country music.

One song. One shot. Real feedback.

This is not a writers round.
This is not a normal podcast.
This is where tomorrow’s artists get heard by the people who can change their careers.

Recorded live at Green Light Bar in Nashville, Tennessee.

Subscribe to Playlisted to discover rising artists, hear real music industry feedback and see who gets pulled from the bucket next.

Follow Playlisted:
Instagram: @playlistedpod
TikTok: @playlistedpodclips
YouTube: @playlistedpod

Hosted by Austin Burke.

#Playlisted #TylerFarr #CountryMusic #NashvilleMusic

**Comedy has Kill Tony. Music has Playlisted.**

What does country radio REALLY listen for when deciding which artists and songs get played? Cumulus Media Vice President of Country Travis Daily joins Playlisted to give aspiring artists real, unfiltered feedback and pull back the curtain on the country radio and Nashville music industry. He even features 3 songs from the night on 103.3 Country.

Artists perform one song in front of a live audience and receive real, unfiltered feedback from music industry guest hosts.

This week, Travis Daily sits in the guest chair. Travis has spent his career programming country radio and now helps lead country programming for Cumulus Media while overseeing Nashville stations 103.3 Country WKDF and 95.5 Nash Icon WSM FM.

Hear what Travis is listening for when a brand new artist takes the stage, what separates a great singer from an artist country radio can actually play, and what emerging artists need to understand about breaking through in today's music business.

**PERFORMERS INCLUDE:**

Traci Vandee
Raihanna Estrada
D’Lee
Ellie Jarrell
Mallory Williams
Leon
Dee White

Playlisted is where tomorrow’s artists meet today’s music industry.

Subscribe for full episodes, live performances, artist feedback, songwriting conversations and an inside look at the Nashville music business.

#Playlisted #CountryMusic #nashvillesongwriter

Comedy has Kill Tony. Music has Playlisted. Artists perform one song in front of a live audience and receive real, unfiltered feedback from music industry guest hosts.

SUBSCRIBE to Playlisted on Youtube to discover rising artists, hear real music industry feedback and see who gets pulled from the bucket next.

Abbie Callahan is one of country music’s fastest rising new voices, blending Americana, folk, bluegrass and pop into what she calls “kaleidoscope country.” After releasing her debut EP Grossly Aware, signing with WME and making appearances at CMA Fest, Bonnaroo and AMERICANAFEST, Abbie joins Playlisted to hear aspiring artists, give real industry feedback and talk about her own journey in Nashville.

PERFORMERS INCLUDE:
Brad Hodz
Kyndle Wylde
Nick Byrd
Justin Judge
Glenbrooke

WHO SHOULD WE HAVE ON PLAYLISTED NEXT? Drop their name in the comments.

#Playlisted #AbbieCallahan #CountryMusic

Comedy has Kill Tony. Music has Playlisted.
Artists perform one song in front of a live audience and receive real, unfiltered feedback from industry guest hosts.

Country hitmaker Canaan Smith joins Playlisted to give six aspiring artists honest feedback and share the stories behind his career. Canaan scored a No. 1 with “Love You Like That,” released fan favorites like “Hole in a Bottle” and “Beer Drinkin’ Weather,” and has written songs recorded by Jason Aldean, Cody Johnson, Florida Georgia Line, Cole Swindell, and HIXTAPE featuring Morgan Wallen and HARDY. We also talk songwriting, record deals and fatherhood.

Performers Include:

Reese Burke
Madeline James
Andrew Mathews
Chris Shelby
Christine Hebdon
John D Neal

Comedy has Kill Tony. Music has Playlisted.
Artists perform one song in front of a live audience and receive real, unfiltered feedback from industry guest hosts.

Dave Cohen joins Playlisted to share what it really takes to create a hit in Nashville. Dave is a producer, songwriter and session musician who has won ACM Piano/Keyboards Player of the Year four times and played on more than 100 No. 1 songs. His credits include records by Morgan Wallen, Post Malone, HARDY, Old Dominion, Jon Pardi and many more, making him one of the most accomplished musicians behind modern country music.

Performers Include:
Britt Nix
Hannah Murphy
Jenna Kay
Jer Gregg
Jake Seiler
Luke Uzzell

Comedy has Kill Tony. Music has Playlisted.

Country star Josh Ross joins Playlisted as aspiring artists take the stage to perform one original song in front of a live Nashville audience. One song. One opportunity. Real, unfiltered feedback from someone who has reached the top of country music.

Josh Ross is a Canadian born, Nashville based country artist with more than one billion global streams, back to back CCMA Entertainer of the Year wins, a JUNO Award for Country Album of the Year and the CMA Jeff Walker Global Country Artist Award. His hits “Single Again” and “Hate How You Look” earned consecutive No. 1s at U.S. country radio, making him the first solo Canadian male artist in more than 50 years to accomplish that feat.

Featured Performers:

Bryan Loweree
Ava Lynn Votaw
Nick Byrd
Billy Baker
Saint Chevelle
David Payne
Rocko Hunt
James Holler
Brian Goyette
Dylan Brekke
John D. Neil

Recorded live at Green Light Bar in Nashville, Tennessee.

Subscribe and join us as tomorrow’s artists perform in front of today’s biggest names in music.

Who had your favorite performance of the night? Let us know in the comments.

#JoshRoss #CountryMusic #PlaylistedPodcast

Comedy has Kill Tony. Music has Playlisted.

Artists perform one song in front of a live audience and receive real, unfiltered feedback from industry guest hosts.

Neil Thrasher is one of Nashville's most celebrated songwriters, with songs that have sold more than 50 million records and spent a combined 25 weeks at No. 1. His catalog includes country classics like "There Goes My Life" (Kenny Chesney), "Fast Cars and Freedom" (Rascal Flatts), "Why" (Jason Aldean), "Take a Little Ride"(Jason Aldean), and "How Country Feels" (Randy Houser), An ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year and winner of more than 20 ASCAP Country Music Awards, Neil joins the Playlisted Podcast to share the stories behind these iconic songs, his journey through Nashville, and the craft of writing hits that have defined modern country music.

Performers Include:
Justin Love
Sam Lyons
Brody Kean
Paul RoseWood
Aurea Moore
Loren & Guthrie

Comedy has Kill Tony. Music has Playlisted.

Welcome to Playlisted, the live music show where rising artists perform one original song in front of a live audience and receive real, unfiltered feedback from music industry guest hosts.

In Episode #71, Clay Hunnicutt returns to Playlisted for a real look inside what it takes to break artists, build careers, and spot talent before the rest of the world catches on.

Clay is a 2025 Country Radio Hall of Fame inductee, Co-Founder of Honey Music, former EVP of Label Operations at Big Machine Label Group, former GM of Big Machine Records, and former President and Partner of Big Loud Records. Throughout his career, Clay has helped shape the paths of artists including Morgan Wallen, HARDY, Jake Owen, Chris Lane, and more.
Before the label world, Clay built a powerhouse career in country radio, rising from an unpaid intern at US-101 in Chattanooga to major programming roles with Clear Channel and iHeartMedia, including national leadership over country programming. In this episode, he brings decades of experience from both radio and records to talk about artist development, what labels are really looking for, how to stand out in Nashville, and what separates a good artist from an artist people want to bet on.

This is not a writers round. This is not a normal podcast. This is where tomorrow’s artists get heard by the people who can change their careers.

Performers include:
Jessee Lee
Duncan Brothers Band
Luke Williams
Brother Joe
John D Nea

Recorded live at Green Light Bar in Nashville, Tennessee.

Subscribe for more episodes of Playlisted, where rising artists, hit songwriters, producers, publishers, managers, label executives, and country music stars come together for real songs, real feedback, and real music industry conversations.

Follow Playlisted:
Instagram: @playlistedpod
TikTok: @playlistedpodclips
YouTube: @playlistedpod

Hosted by Austin Burke.

#Playlisted #ClayHunnicutt #Nashville #CountryMusic #MusicIndustry #Songwriters #WritersRound #MorganWallen #HARDY #BigLoud #BigMachine #NewArtists

Comedy has Kill Tony. Music has Playlisted.
Artists perform one song in front of a live audience and receive real, unfiltered feedback from industry guest hosts.

Rob Beckham is one of Nashville’s biggest power players, with more than three decades of experience helping shape the careers of some of country music’s biggest artists. Before co-founding The Artist Management Group, where he served as President and CEO, Beckham was a partner and co-head of WME’s Nashville office, representing and guiding major names like Garth Brooks, Brad Paisley, Chris Young, Blake Shelton, Reba McEntire and Rascal Flatts across touring, endorsements, sponsorships, television and film opportunities. His work has earned him major industry recognition, including CMA Touring Agent of the Year, TJ Martell Ambassador of the Year and honors from the Nashville Association of Talent Directors, making him not just an executive, but one of the architects of modern country music careers. He is now Chairman of The Undeniable Music Company.

Performers Include:
Anna Wescoat
Madeline O'Dell
Max Beal
Jake Morgan
Madelyn Blum
Cash Cortes
Chris Arcana

Over 50 artists put their names in the bucket for a chance to play one original song in front of the room, but nobody knew what was coming. Hit songwriter Jeffrey Steele kicked off the night with a 15 minute run of his number one songs, sharing the stories and songs that helped define country music. Then Cole Swindell surprised the crowd for a once in a lifetime Playlisted moment.
This episode is everything Playlisted is about. Rising artists, real feedback, Nashville history, and legendary guests giving the next generation a shot.
Comedy has Kill Tony. Music has Playlisted.

Hosted by Austin Burke
CMA Fest Special Episode #69
Featuring Cole Swindell and Jeffrey Steele