He is YouTube's spiciest music analyst but Rick Beato loves the backlash

He has interviewed some of music's biggest names and his videos regularly attract millions of views on YouTube.

So, how did Rick Beato become one of the internet's biggest music personalities?

"I always tell people that my channel was just one video at a time," the 64-year-old says.

"I didn't have any grand strategy. I just made videos on things I was interested in."

That curiosity began in 2016, when Beato was just a proud dad showcasing his young son Dylan's perfect pitch. A clip challenging him to identify complex chords by ear swiftly went viral.

Today, his channel Everything Music has 5.8 million subscribers, sharing not only his hot takes on contemporary music and the perils of AI, but thoughtful dives into instrumental technique, technology and trends.

His popular What Makes This Song Great? segment dissects the production, songwriting and music theory of iconic records; everything from Nirvana and Fleetwood Mac to Adele.

Beato's passion and expertise has earned him the trust of huge talent. Sting and Flea have personally requested to be interviewed, adding to a star-studded CV that includes Billy Joel, Seal, Sheryl Crow, Josh Homme and super producer Rick Rubin.

His golden rule? "I never talk about myself. I always think … I'm here to talk about music and about them. That's my job."

Beato thoroughly enjoys it. You can see a "pinching himself" grin creep across his face as he basks in awe of a jazz great's improvisational skill or soaks up a rare showbiz anecdote.

A pandemic interview with Brian May was a turning point, helping him appreciate that rock stars are human beings, too.

"He was so nice! It was really disarming because he was like, 'Rick, I can't believe I'm talking to you. I've seen you in that same spot all the time.' And I was like, 'Same to you, Brian!'

"He made it easy to talk to these incredibly talented, gifted people after that," he continues.

"Even though a lot of them have written the most famous songs of all time … when it comes down to it, they're like you and I. Except, when they put their pants on, they make gold records, as Christopher Walken would say," he says, quoting a classic Saturday Night Live skit.

There are still plenty of names on Beato's bucket list:

"Paul McCartney, Angus Young, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Eddie Vedder, Dave Grohl," he says.

A few may be ticked off already, but "I never say it before it happens because I don't want to jinx it."

The Australian connection

Beato took his video content to the live stage a few years back. Facing an audience instead of a camera was "a little strange at first" but public speaking was "no big deal" thanks to his background as a college professor. 

He's "super excited" for his first-ever visit to Australia this month. His fans feel the same, selling out shows in Melbourne and Brisbane and prompting a venue upgrade in Sydney.

Beato's first major label gig was producing an Australian singer, the late, Perth-born American Idol contestant Michael Johns.

"He was one of my closest friends. I produced a band he was in before he got signed [The Rising], then we did demos and co-wrote a bunch of songs together," he explains.

Beato took Johns's death, in 2014 at age 35 from a blood clot, really hard. "Tragic," Beato reflects. "He was an incredibly talented guy. One of my favourite singers."

Becoming Beato

Born in Fairport, New York into a musical family, Beato played cello and double bass as a child before teaching himself guitar at age 13.

He earned degrees in classical music and a Master's in jazz guitar in 1987. He would go on to lecture at several music institutions, including the prestigious Berklee College of Music and his alma mater, Ithica College.

In the 90s, he inked a songwriting deal and was a member of rock band Billionaire. He moved to Atlanta in 1995 and bought Black Dog Sound Studios, which he operates to this day.

Unafraid to voice his distaste on popular music or the financial fallout of streaming, Beato divides opinion. To some, he epitomises "old man yells at clouds" clickbait. For many, it's never just "this sucks", it's always "this sucks because …"

How does he cope with backlash?

"I think it's funny. I enjoy when people criticise my opinions," Beato says. 

"As a matter of fact, I have friends that made videos critical of videos I've made, and I'll text them, 'I thought it was great.' I don't take it personally. I think it's really flattering."

And what do his three teenage children think of their dad being internet famous?

"They make fun of me all the time: 'Why did you do that rage-bait video!?'"

Whenever strangers approach him for a selfie or chit-chat, his kids are there to deflate his ego. "And they're good at it!"

Audience vs algorithm

It's clear the YouTuber has a thicker skin than most of the creatives he interviews.

"It's hard for a lot of artists that I talk to, they can't read any critiques of their music or get into the comments section. And I always tell them, 'Look, the comments are about the people that are writing them. They're not about you.'

"Don't take it to heart because it's literally a reflection on them, as is the algorithm on these platforms are a mirror for people. It just feeds back exactly who they are to them over and over.

"That's the problem with algorithms, because it only shows them things that they want to see.

Before his son's viral video, Beato has been a producer, session player, label boss and educator who preferred to keep out of the spotlight.

He recognises the irony of finding success in putting his face to addressing an audience of millions.

"I couldn't have imagined it. I just wanted to give back and teach people things."

Rick Beato's Australian tour begins on October 29 at Sydney's Enmore Theatre, then heads to Melbourne's Thornbury Theatre on October 30 and Brisbane's Princess Theatre on October 31.