Podcast Culture

Zane Lowe: Design Tangents Episode Nine

We kick off of our second season with Apple Music’s head of artist relations, podcast host and lead anchor for Apple Music 1 Radio on diligence, instinct and what makes for a great interview

Josh Rubin, Evan Orensten

10 January 2024

To kick off the second season of Design Tangents, COOL HUNTING’s podcast exploring the creative processes and inspirations that drive change-makers, we needed to lead with a voice anchored in passion and wisdom. That was what brought us to Zane Lowe’s studio at Apple Music in LA, where we sat down with the influential host. Lowe, once referred to as “Pop’s Unofficial Therapist” by the New York Times, is Apple Music’s head of artist relations and the lead anchor for Apple Music 1 Radio, and hosts the The Zane Lowe Interview Series and The Zane Lowe Show podcasts. Lowe’s roles are owed to his intuitive skills at interviewing and his passion for music—born from a need to find a place where he felt understood. In our insightful conversation, Lowe shares his thoughts on diligence, instinct and what makes for a great interview. He also relishes us with a tale of an interview that changed his life and taught him there was space for him to be both a fan and do his job.

In 2015, Lowe spearheaded the efforts behind the launch of Apple’s Beats 1 Radio, which transformed into the renowned Apple Music 1 Radio, helping usher in a new era of music broadcasting. Throughout his tenure, Lowe has learned about the importance of structure and balance, and the power of listening. “I was terrible at being present when I was younger, only up until very recently have I felt like I’ve been in practice on that,” he shared with us. “It’s a practice for sure and it will be forever. That’s where self-awareness comes in handy.”

I have to feel the music. I have to know the intention, from my perspective, of the music

Lowe is known for presenting his questions and interpretations to his guests in the most thoughtful way. He notes that it’s about reading the energy of the room—and being as informed as possible in advance. “I cannot talk to you unless I’ve heard your music,” he says. “That, to me, is research 101. The number one thing I have to do, and I’ve said this before, is that I have to feel the music. I have to know the intention, from my perspective, of the music.”

“Music doesn’t get put in the same descriptive categories as some of the other arts,” he adds. “It’s been so successfully commodified and commercialized and distributed as a packaged product that people often forget that it’s not the intention most of the time.” Lowe seeks to uncover why each track has been made—and his listeners benefit from his curiosity. Tune in to learn more about Lowe’s process, what moves him and a recent experience that set a new standard for sound experiences.