Producer Points

Here it is:
🎧 Alex Bilowitz on Co-Writing BTS's "Butter," Raising a Family & 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
🛒 Production templates & more: SoundBetter | Patreon Templates
In this episode of Producer Points, Justin sits down with Alex Bilowitz — a songwriter, producer, and keys wizard whose credits span the entire spectrum of pop. He co-wrote "Butter" by BTS, a song that broke Billboard records, sales records, and Guinness records. He's gone on to work with Le Sserafim, Lil Wayne, Megan Thee Stallion, Keith Urban, Bebe Rexha, Jessie Murph, and more. And on top of all of it, he's one of the funniest, most naturally gifted musicians Justin has ever had the pleasure of knowing.
🎶 Song deep dives:
"Butter" by BTS — the story behind the write, who was in the room, the synths, the lead, the bass, the counter-melody, and that synth solo
"so unfair" by Sophia James — the piano sound, arrangement philosophy, switching from sampled to real drums, gang vocals, bass guitar, and the NY/modern Broadway energy running through the whole thing (full deep dive on Patreon)
🎛️ We explore:
Growing up in New York, getting signed to Primary Wave early, and building his way into major pop rooms
How "Butter" came together over WhatsApp with BTS in Seoul during the pandemic
Balancing songwriter instincts with production chops and knowing when to play simply vs. show off
Raising a family while navigating the unpredictability of a music career
His keys-first approach to sessions and how he shapes piano and synth tones
Plug or Unplug: Keyscape, Serum 2, UAD 1176 Rev A, Goodhertz Megaverb, Cradle The Prince, CLA Vocals, Kramer Tape
🔗 Follow & Listen:
Alex Bilowitz: @alexbilomusic
Justin Gammella: @justin_gammella
Producer Points: @producer_points
TikTok: @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
The number one question Justin gets — in DMs, in person, at mentoring events, from his aunt's cousin's brother-in-law's friend's kid — is "How do I make it in LA?" In this roundtable, he sits down with three producers and songwriters who figured it out the hard way to talk about what actually works, what nobody tells you, and what the grind really looks like from the inside.
Kyle Reynolds (@kylereynoldsmusic) — platinum songwriter, producer, and artist with releases alongside Galantis, David Guetta, 5 Seconds of Summer, Marshmello, Stray Kids, Machine Gun Kelly, Travis Barker, and iann dior. Founder of Songdads.
Tyler Thompson (@tylermeetsworld) — producer, mixer, and mastering engineer with 300+ credits. Works with GIRLHOUSE, Valerie Broussard, Lindsey Stirling, Salem Ilese, The Mowgli's, and The Band Perry. His band WILD has 50M+ streams and syncs on Pixar and Ted Lasso.
Nate Flaks (@nateflaks) — songwriter and founder of Hitchhiker Sound. Credits include Transviolet, Khatumu, Lily Williams, and Hailey Knox. One half of pop duo Sleeping Lion and host of the Talking Lion podcast.
🎛️ We cover:
How each guest actually got to LA — and the gap between the fantasy and the reality
Networking the real way: relationships vs. transactions, and where the best connections actually happen
Cold DMs and reach outs — what lands and what gets ignored
Working with people at your level and why your peer group becomes your career
Social media, Instagram profiles, and what actually moves the needle
Writing hundreds of songs and the mindset shift from precious to prolific
Word of mouth — what gets you talked about in rooms you're not in
Current events: Spotify removes 75 million AI tracks, Apple Music raises prices, and Massachusetts moves to cap ticket resale with Noah Kahan's backing
🔗 Follow & Listen:
Kyle Reynolds: @kylereynoldsmusic
Tyler Thompson: @tylermeetsworld
Nate Flaks: @nateflaks
Justin Gammella: @justin_gammella
Producer Points: @producer_points
TikTok: @producer.points
🎧 Producer Points Playlist
🛒 SoundBetter | Patreon Templates

🎧 Charlie Hickey on Guitar Tones & Making Indie Records That Hit Different
🎙️ 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 Charlie Hickey — an artist, songwriter, and producer from Pasadena whose music hits you in the most honest, disarming way. His songwriting has always stood out — there's a softness and emotional clarity to it that feels completely effortless. And every time you hear one of his guitar tones, you end up pausing and going, okay, what exactly is happening there? He's quickly becoming one of the most interesting producers in the indie world.
🎶 Song deep dives:
"My Heart Is a Bloodhound" by Sydney Ross Mitchell — guitar recording, baritone tone, drum samples, vocal chain, and the genius production move at the end
"Tommy" by Beeson — acoustic guitar lo-fi tape vibe, banjo recording, late drum entrance, slide guitar, and hidden textures (full deep dive on Patreon)
🎛️ We explore:
Growing up around music with songwriter parents, dropping out of college, and making his first EP in a friend's bedroom
His label experience, what worked, and why paths diverged
How he transitioned from artist to producer and started working with other artists
Guitar tones, amp chains, pedals, and how he shapes emotional texture
His approach to lo-fi vs. clean and knowing when a sound is right
Plug or Unplug: Strymon Deco, FabFilter Saturn 2, Baby Audio Spaced Out, Nudistort, Devious Machines Infiltrator, CLA Vocals, RC-20 Retro Color
🔗 Follow & Listen:
Charlie Hickey: @charlie_hickey_
Justin Gammella: @justin_gammella
Producer Points: @producer_points
TikTok: @producer.points
🎧 Producer Points Playlist
🛒 SoundBetter | Patreon Templates

🎧 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