Richard John Beato ( ; born April 24, 1962) is an American YouTuber, multi-instrumentalist, music producer, and educator. Since the early 1980s, he has worked variously as a musician, songwriter, audio engineer, and record producer; he has also lectured on music at universities.
Beato owns and operates Black Dog Sound Studios in Stone Mountain, Georgia. He has produced for and worked in the studio with bands such as Needtobreathe, Parmalee, and Shinedown. On his YouTube channel, he covers different aspects of rock, jazz, blues, electronic, rap, and pop, and he conducts interviews with musicians and producers.
Early life and education Beato was born in Rochester, New York, and grew up in Fairport, a suburb east of Rochester. He is the sixth of seven children; he has two sisters and four brothers. His family life was highly musical: at an early age, he was introduced to the rock music of the 1960s by his older sisters. His mother's siblings and father were musicians and music teachers. He started playing cello at seven. At 13, he switched to the double bass, and at 14, he began playing guitar, initially learning by ear. After several years, he began formal training from a neighbor who owned a local music store.
After graduating from Fairport High School in 1980, Beato studied at Ithaca College, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in classical bass; he earned a master's degree in jazz guitar from the New England Conservatory of Music in 1987.
Career Beato has been a session musician, songwriter, studio engineer, mixer, and record producer. He has lectured at several schools, including the University of Alabama and Berklee College of Music, and taught jazz studies at Ithaca College.
Band Beato was a member of a band called Billionaire, formed in 1997. After releasing a self-produced debut album in 1998, titled The Goodnight Sky, Billionaire signed to Republic Records and put out a second album, Ascension, in 2000.
Studio Since 1995, Beato has owned Black Dog Sound Studios in Stone Mountain, Georgia. He has also previously run the record label 10 Star Records.
Book He has published The Beato Book – A Creative Approach to Improvisation for Guitar and Other Instruments.
Signature guitar In 2021, Gibson previewed a Rick Beato signature Les Paul Special Double Cut guitar. It comes in a special TV Blue Mist finish with P-90 pickups and Beato's signature on the truss rod cover. In 2023, a second collaboration of the model was made in a Sparkling Burgundy finish.
YouTube career Beato's YouTube channel, Everything Music, launched in 2015, has accumulated over 5 million subscribers as of May 2025. His videos, which cover a range of music-related topics, have garnered a substantial following, including close to a million followers on Instagram.
Despite his initial inexperience with video production and uncertainty about the channel's potential ("nobody's going to watch an old guy with white hair on YouTube"), Beato's extensive background in audio engineering contributed to the development of educational content aimed at a broad audience. His experience as a music professor instilled in him a passion for teaching, and he has said, "I've been very lucky to have a great music education. I wanted to pass it along to other people that aren't as fortunate as I was".
In the early days of his channel, Beato focused on creating videos that offered insights in how to play instruments, music theory, production techniques, and song analysis. His content ranged from detailed explanations of musical concepts to breakdowns of popular songs. Despite a modest start, his videos began to attract attention due to their educational value and Beato's engaging presentation style. Everything Music gained significant attention in 2016 after a video featuring his son demonstrating perfect pitch went viral, quickly amassing over three million views and helping to establish Beato's social media presence.
Following the success of his early videos, Beato expanded his channel's content to include more comprehensive music topics, such as the series "What Makes This Song Great?", where he analyzes popular songs to explain their musical structures and compositional techniques. He also conducts interviews with musicians, producers, and other music industry professionals.
One challenge that Beato has faced with YouTube is copyright issues while reviewing music. Several of his videos, including ones with Radiohead and Fleetwood Mac, were issued take-down notices due to copyright claims. In July 2020, he testified about his YouTube experiences before a United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, which was reviewing the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and considering limitations and exceptions such as fair use.
Notable interviews and guests Beato has conducted interviews with a diverse array of notable musicians on his channel, spanning various genres and eras. These include Peter Frampton (Beato's first interview), Sting, Brian May, Pat Metheny, Kirk Hammett, Billy Joel, Keith Jarrett, Billy Corgan, and Tori Amos.
Discography Band member 3 Song Demo – The Monroz (1978) First Light – Rival Suns (1993) Feel – Rival Suns (1993) Pressure – Rival Suns (EP, 1993) The Goodnight Sky – Billionaire (1998) Ascension – Billionaire (2000)
Session work Demolotion ("The Walls You Walk Through") – Umajets (1997) Swollen and Tender ("Mr. Combination", "Boxes") – Umajets (1999) Four-Star Explosion ("Up in Space", "A Postcard (from the Edge of the World)", "Breathe") – Big Atomic (2000) My Kung Fu Is Good ("Used to Be") – The Duke (2005) Echo Heart ("Close My Eyes") – Markus Fagervall (2006)
Production Source: Year Artist Title Album Contribution1996 The Tender Idols The Tender Idols Co-producer, co-mixer Skirt Choking on Sugar Producer2001 Flickerstick "Smile", "Got a Feeling", "Beautiful" Welcoming Home the Astronauts Co-producer Left Front TireSocial Icon Producer, songwriter Michelle Malone Hello Out There Co-producer, musician2002 Weekend Excursion "I'll Never Fall in Love Again", "Best Friend" Take Me Home Producer, musician All Is Well Plastic KissProducer Logic 34 Demo Karma Running on Adrenaline Co-producer, co-mixer, musician2003 Shinedown "Lost in the Crowd", "In Memory", "Stranger Inside" Leave a Whisper Co-producer, engineer The Working Title Everyone Here Is Wrong Producer Endo "Simple Lies" Songs for the Restless Co-writer Left Front Tire 42 Ways to Lose a Friend Co-producer, co-writer Boxelder Live Under the Sun Co-producer, co-mixer, co-engineer2004 Ingram Hill June's Picture Show Producer, mixer, co-writer Jump, Little Children Between the Dim & the Dark Producer, engineer, mixerCharlie Mars Charlie Mars Producer, musician EP Co-producer, co-mixerIngram Hill Live with Mark & Brian Co-writer2005 "More Than a Feeling" (Boston cover) Herbie: Fully Loaded soundtrackProducer One Less Reason "Favorite Color" Everyday Life Mercy Drive Mercy Drive FozzyAll That Remains Co-producer, co-writer I Nine "Same in Any Language" Elizabethtown (Music from the Motion Picture) Producer2006 Ingram Hill "Solsbury Hill" Why the Wait Producer, engineer, mixer State of Man Both Sides of the Story Co-producer2007 Needtobreathe The Heat Co-producer, engineer Submersed Immortal Verses Co-producer, co-composer, co-mixer 12 Stones "Hey Love" Anthem for the UnderdogCo-writer2008 Shinedown "Son of Sam" The Sound of Madness Halo Stereo The Invisible War Producer, mixer Stuck Mojo The Great Revival Engineer Crowfield Goodbye, Goodnight, So Long Midwestern Producer, mixer, musician Streetside Symphony The Curse Producer, mixer2009 Needtobreathe The Outsiders Co-producer, engineer Papercut Massacre If These Scars Could Talk Songwriter Decyfer Down "Ride with Me", "Moving On" Crash Co-writer2010Furyon Underdog EPProducer Gravitas2011 NeedtobreatheThe Reckoning Co-producer, engineer Crowfield Crowfield Producer Halo Stereo Siren Songs Producer, mixer Plain Jane Automobile Your Tomorrow Producer, mixer, musician 2012 Dark New Day New Tradition Co-producer2013 Parmalee "Carolina" Feels Like Carolina Co-writer Bridge to Grace Staring in the Dark Producer Carey Murdock "Shot in the Dark", "You're Leaving Me" Shot in the Dark Producer, mixer2014 Nashville Pussy Up the DosageMixer Rubicon Cross Rubicon Cross Blackwater "Memories", "Better Man" River Producer, writer Yes the Raven Love Is Covered in Dust Co-producer, mixer2015 Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown "Stitch It Up" The Wayside Producer Furyon Lost Salvation Co-producer, co-mixer Atlas Road Crew Halfway to Hopkins Co-producer Bridge to Grace Origins Producer, mixer, composer John Stringer Limitless Love & Light Producer, musician 2016 Muddy Magnolias Broken People Co-producer 2017 Carter Lou & the Project "Annabelle", "Nothing Left to Lose" Carter Lou & the Project Producer 2021 Dollybraid All the Hype That Money Can Buy Co-producer
Views Beato periodically shares his critical perspective on modern music trends and the future of music through his videos, arguing that contemporary music has declined in complexity and quality due to commercialization, streaming services like Spotify, and changes in production techniques. He believes that the industry's focus on producing hit singles and algorithm-driven playlists over full albums and artist development has led to a homogenization of music, reducing musical diversity, and stifling innovation. Furthermore, Beato criticizes modern production techniques, such as Auto-Tune and excessive digital effects, for diminishing the authenticity and richness of music. These discussions emphasize the broader debate on the impact of technological and commercial changes on music's artistic expression.
Another significant aspect of Beato's perspective is his role as a music educator. He advocates for well-funded music programs in schools, believing they are crucial for developing critical thinking skills and citing examples of influential figures like Paul Allen who were musicians. Beato is concerned about the future of music, noting the rise of artificial intelligence, the shallowness of popular music, and the decline in the number of children learning to play instruments.
In November 2023, Beato testified before a U.S. Senate A.I. Insight forum on transparency, intellectual property, and copyright. In his testimony, he proposed licensing policy for musical datasets similar to the music licensing used for films or public performances.
References
External links
and