Episode 476 – Beat Buddy Creator David Packouz, The Labels And Physical Products, And Producers Fear Getting Replaced By AI

My guest this week is David Packouz, who may have the most interesting back story of just about any guest I’ve had on this podcast. David is the CEO of Singular Sound and creator of the innovative Beat Buddy drum machine pedal, which gives guitar players easy control of drum loops and songs when they play live. But there’s a lot more to his story. Prior to starting Singular Sound, David worked as an major weapons contractor for the U.S. Department of Defense, which is a story in itself. In fact, his journey into arms dealing was the subject of the 2016 film War Dogs where his character was played by Miles Teller. After that adventure filled with international intrigue, David pivoted back to music and started Singular Sound thanks to an extremely successful crowdfunding campaign . Besides the Beat Biddy, Singular also makes looper pedals and controllers, all with the performing musician in mind. During the interview we spoke about navigating the dark world of arms dealing and how international politics plays a part (it's a great story), the key behind his super-successful crowdfunding campaign, why Beat Buddy has become the ultimate drummer in a pedal, and much more. I spoke with David via Zoom from his office in Miami. On the intro I’ll take a look at how physical product might lead to the major label’s downfall, and why music producers fear being replaced by AI.