Millions of Monthly Streams

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Bobby Knepper is a music producer in Nashville. The music he's produced is streamed by millions of people every month. He's worked with artists including Dreamer Boy, BENEE, Quinn XCII, Melanie Faye and others. He’s also toured with Dreamer Boy, opening for Clairo, Still Woozy, Omar Apollo and the Marias.

Incredibly, Bobby's only been producing full-time for the past three years and says he already supports himself primarily off Spotify royalties. His typical week includes some combination of co-writing with artists, playing and recording parts for songs, and mixing tracks. Ultimately, he says, it involves a lot of time sitting and listening. He runs a studio out of his house now and plans to open up a bigger shop in the future where he can continue to work with amazing artists.

Bobby is a serious talent we'll only hear more from in the future. Other than Spotify, you can find him @bobbyknepper on Instagram and on his LinkTree. Here are some of the things he relies on every day.

Bobby's Eight Essentials

#1 Philips Hue Light Bulbs: These things automate my whole day. I have them in my bedroom as well as my studio. The lighting of your environment heavily contributes to your headspace and can help you naturally dictate whether it's time to work, eat, or relax. I use the filament bulbs in my bedroom for warm ambient lighting. They pop on when it's time to wake up, along with my alarm. A couple hours later, the LED bulbs pop on in my studio as I'm starting my day. I don't have a cue for lunch, but they switch to a moody color in the evening as an indicator that it's time to eat dinner. They slowly dim from there until about 11pm, when they shut off completely. I have a natural habit of getting lost in my work and losing track of time, so these bulbs help me regulate my time a bit better without creating any interruptions.

#2 Gabrylly Ergonomic Mesh Office Chair: Like most adults, I spend my entire day sitting. I wish it weren't the case but it is. For many years I sat in some cheap office chair that wasn't breathable or supportive. About 4 years ago I switched to a mesh ergonomic option that totally changed my life. The mesh is my favorite detail; I've always dealt with getting sweaty down there from extended sitting, but now that's a thing of the past. The support it offers is also a night and day difference, and I notice it at the end of the day. Taking care of your back health is so important, and this helps reduce the impact of spending every day seated.

#3 Trace Mineral Drops: I got a drinking problem (with water). I've always maintained a habit of staying extremely hydrated; my water bottle stays by my side no matter where I am or what I'm doing. When I finally switched from nasty tap water to charcoal filtered, my girlfriend made sure I started using these drops too. A good filter is gonna strip out just as much of the good stuff as it does the bad, so it's essential to add back in all the minerals that keep you hydrated. They also offer an added electrolyte blend that I'm very fond of. I noticed a huge difference in my physical and mental well being once I got in the habit of using these daily. They provide essential vitamins like magnesium and potassium to your water, and even improve the taste/feel of it (at least I think so).

#4 VINCI Express Cold Brew Maker: My entire life I've been addicted to coffee, for better or worse. But let's face it, it's an essential part of my workflow. A few years back I started making my own cold brew the traditional way, but found this device recently and fell in love with it. It can whip up great cold brew in under 30 minutes, which is a life save when I have a session starting with artists/writers and didn't make any cold brew the night before. It tastes great and is easier on the stomach.

#5 Kensington Trackball: I've always seen these in studios and never understood the appeal until I finally tried it myself. Since college, I swore by the Apple Magic Mouse. But when I started dealing with carpal tunnel, I realized that 8+ hours of scrolling up and down a session was really straining my hand/wrist. The Kensington Trackball is amazing because it allows you to move around your screen with broader, full arm gestures. This keeps your entire arm engaged instead of straining one finger (a physical therapist confirmed this for me recently). Also, the additional buttons are great. I have left/right click like usual, but also undo/redo and copy/paste. The first few weeks were a frustrating transition, but I'm glad I made the jump. I'll never go back.

#6 Dymo Label Maker: My studio space is littered with cables and input jacks, and one of the most frustrating experiences is when you're in the middle of a creative flow and none of the cabling in the room is labeled. This is especially true of my patch bay, which lets me connect different recording tools together throughout the room. Everything in the studio remains labeled and it saves me loads of headaches. I wish it was a mandatory agreement of all recording studios to have this taken care of.

#7 Subpac M2: I live and work in a duplex home so I don't always have the luxury of blasting my speakers to feel the low end. That's where this tool comes in -- the Subpac straps on to your body and lets you feel the impact of the music as if you were at a live show, without having to blast your speakers. I've dialed in the low end on many tracks by referencing the impact of the music compared to great released music that I already know hits the way it should.

#8 Brownlee Bathing Corp Terry Town Short: I have their yellow pair and am obsessed. They're a perfect fit, perfect fabric, and just feel and look great. I've been able to sleep in them as well as wear them to casual social situations. I'm convinced I make my best music in these shorts. I would wear them every day if I had enough pairs.

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