Rick Beato, the producer, educator and one of YouTube’s most influential music commentators, will visit Australia and New Zealand for a series of live shows in October 2026.
by Paul Cashmere
Rick Beato, the American producer, songwriter, educator and YouTube personality whose Everything Music channel has become one of the most influential platforms for music discussion online, will visit Australia and New Zealand in October 2026. The run of dates will take in Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, marking Beato’s first announced live tour of the region as his profile continues to expand beyond the studio and digital media worlds.
The tour arrives at a time when Beato occupies a unique position in the modern music industry. Few figures have successfully bridged the worlds of record production, music education, social media and industry advocacy as effectively as the Georgia-based producer. With more than five million YouTube subscribers, Beato has built a global audience through deep-dive analyses of songs, artist interviews and discussions about the state of the music business.
This trip offers an opportunity to see a figure who has become a significant voice in debates surrounding music copyright, streaming economics and the growing influence of artificial intelligence on creative industries.
Before becoming a YouTube phenomenon, Beato spent decades working across multiple sectors of the music business. A trained musician with degrees from Ithaca College and the New England Conservatory of Music, he established himself as a session player, songwriter, engineer and producer.
His production credits span rock, country and alternative music, including work with bands such as Shinedown, Needtobreathe, Parmalee and Ingram Hill. He also operated Black Dog Sound Studios in Stone Mountain, Georgia, where he developed a reputation as both a producer and mentor.
One of his most commercially successful songwriting achievements came with Parmalee’s hit “Carolina”, a track he co-wrote that became a major country radio success in the United States.
However, it is his work online that has transformed him into a globally recognised figure. Since launching his Everything Music YouTube channel in 2015, Beato has become known for series such as What Makes This Song Great?, in which he breaks down classic recordings and explains the musical and production techniques behind them.
That success has not come without controversy.
Beato has frequently clashed with record labels and copyright holders over the use of short excerpts of songs in educational content. Several videos analysing recordings by artists including Radiohead and Fleetwood Mac were removed or restricted following copyright claims despite Beato arguing that the content fell within principles of fair use.
The issue became significant enough for Beato to testify before the United States Senate Judiciary Committee in 2020 during discussions surrounding the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. He argued that educational commentary and music analysis were being unfairly targeted by automated copyright enforcement systems.
The debate remains highly relevant as creators, educators and rights holders continue to wrestle with the balance between protecting intellectual property and encouraging legitimate commentary and criticism.
Artificial intelligence has become another area where Beato has emerged as an outspoken voice.
In recent years he has repeatedly warned about the potential consequences of AI-generated music and the unauthorised use of copyrighted recordings in machine-learning datasets. While acknowledging the technology’s potential benefits, Beato has argued that creators must be compensated when their work is used to train AI systems.
His concerns led to another appearance before U.S. lawmakers in 2023 when he participated in a Senate forum examining artificial intelligence, transparency and copyright. Beato proposed licensing structures for AI training that would mirror existing music licensing frameworks.
Not everyone agrees with Beato’s broader critiques of the modern music industry. Some observers argue that streaming platforms and digital technology have democratised music creation and distribution, opening opportunities that did not exist in previous decades. Others challenge his frequent assertions that contemporary popular music has become less complex or artistically adventurous.
Yet even critics acknowledge that Beato has become one of the most visible advocates for musicians navigating rapid technological change. His interviews with artists including Sting, Brian May, Peter Frampton, Billy Corgan, Pat Metheny and Kirk Hammett have further established his reputation as a thoughtful and informed commentator on music culture.
The Australian and New Zealand dates will give audiences the chance to engage directly with a figure who has become a central participant in some of the industry’s most important conversations. As debates around copyright, streaming and artificial intelligence continue to reshape music, Beato’s perspective remains influential, whether audiences agree with him or not.
Dates:
24 October 2026, Auckland, SkyCity Theatre
29 October 2026, Sydney, Factory Theatre
30 October 2026, Melbourne, The Thornbury Theatre
31 October 2026, Brisbane, The Princess Theatre
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