Episodes 61
Avg. Duration 44m
Activity Highly Active
Apple Rating 5.0 (26)
Since Apr 2022
Latest Episode Jun 2026

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Publishing Details

Schedule
Weekly
Format
Episodic
Consistency
100%
Hosting
feeds.captivate.fm

About This Podcast

Arts and culture is a big business—a $1.02 trillion sector whose 100,000+ organizations serve almost every community in the nation. This podcast is about running that business: how to grow audiences, develop high performing teams and leaders, get younger attendees in the seats and on the donor rolls, apply strategies working in other sectors, and generate millions more dollars in revenue, all in order to serve the mission and flourish in a changing world. Hosted by “the Steve Jobs of classical music” (Observer) and "Sheryl Sandberg of the Symphony" (LA Review of Books), in each episode Aubrey Bergauer discusses the offstage work of arts organizations and the administrators, artists, and board members who make them run. Subscribe, download, and listen right here.

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Recent Episodes

S6E8 The Science of Leading Change in the Arts

Jun 02, 2026 1h 13m

This episode is all about change management in arts organizations. Aubrey Bergauer breaks down the research behind building a change-ready culture and how to actually shift someone's mind when facts…

S6E7 Can Auto-Renewing Subscriptions Work in the Arts?

May 26, 2026 47m

Auto-renewing subscriptions in the arts: how one organization hit 87% adoption and tripled its season ticket base in two seasons. Justin Morgan, Director of Audience Development at Chamber Music…

S6E6 How to Adopt AI at Your Arts Organization: A Practical Guide

May 19, 2026 1h 7m

Artificial Intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept, it’s an operational necessity for lean arts organizations. In this episode of The Offstage Mic, Aubrey Bergauer sits down with Ashley Gross,…

S6E5 From $1M Deficit to Balanced Budget: A Case Study

May 12, 2026 47m

Running an arts organization is hard, but tackling a $1 million deficit is a different level of challenge. In this episode, Aubrey Bergauer sits down with Vanessa Morosco, Executive Artistic Director…

S6E4 7 Performing Arts Predictions for 2026: Your Mid-Year Scorecard

May 05, 2026 1h

Are your traditional funding sources drying up while your audience development plateaus? In this mid-season reflection, Aubrey Bergauer revisits her seven bold performing arts predictions for 2025…

S6E3 Opera Isn't Dying. The Business Model Is, featuring Caitlin Vincent

Apr 28, 2026 48m

Is opera actually dying, or is the business model simply stuck in the digital dark ages? In this episode of The Offstage Mic, Aubrey Bergauer sits down with Dr. Caitlin Vincent, author of 'Opera…

S6E2 How to Drive Revenue Through Customer Experience, featuring Mercury Soul

Apr 21, 2026 57m

Customer experience is more than a buzzword. It is a critical driver of the bottom line, affecting everything from word-of-mouth marketing to donor retention. In this episode, Aubrey Bergauer dives…

S6E1 Episode 50: The Data Defining the Future of the Arts

Apr 14, 2026 46m

Welcome to Season 6 of The Offstage Mic! We are kicking things off with a massive milestone: our 50th episode. In this season premiere, host Aubrey Bergauer dives deep into the latest national data…

S6 Introducing Season Six of The Offstage Mic

Apr 07, 2026 1m Trailer Transcript

What does Changing the Narrative mean ten years later? That is what this season of The Offstage Mic with Aubrey Bergauer is all about. How can we continue to change the narrative for our cultural…

S5E8 The Time Management Lie Holding Back Arts Executives

Apr 15, 2025 37m

If your days as an arts leader are consumed by never-ending to-do lists, last-minute fires, and reactive work—this episode is your call to break the cycle. In this Season 5 finale, we dig into a…

S5E7 Major Gifts ≠ Financial Sustainability: Why Monthly Giving Is the Game-Changer for your Arts Organization

Apr 08, 2025 42m

One of the biggest mistakes arts organizations make is over relying on major donors. In this penultimate episode of the season, Aubrey Bergauer talks with Dana Snyder—author of The Monthly Giving…

S5E6 How to Level Up Operations at Your Arts Organization

Apr 01, 2025 38m

Does managing operations at your arts organization feel tedious or unwieldy? Maybe you know your internal processes need a boost, but don’t you know where to begin. Good news: It’s actually more…

S5E5 5 Steps to Using UX Design in Arts Management

Mar 25, 2025 54m

For arts organizations, the vast majority of your audience is not subscribers and donors; over 90% of your patrons are the ones who come and go, never to engage with another performance again. How…

S5E4 The Research Behind Gender Bias in the Arts

Mar 18, 2025 34m

Women in arts administration make up over half of the workforce. Yet arts leadership roles — on stage and off — are still male dominated. This episode, Aubrey shares some shocking statistics from the…

S5E3 How to Build Your Arts Marketing Budget

Mar 11, 2025 38m

Marketing has changed so much for arts administrators in recent years that you might not know how to maximize your marketing budget these days. What percentage should you allocate? What marketing…

S5E2 Harnessing Data At Your Arts Organization

Mar 04, 2025 44m

Understanding patron data can be daunting, confusing, or even cringeworthy for arts administrators. But your data is an asset, and arts organizations are leaving thousands of dollars on the table…

S5E1 How to Transform Patrons to Donors with Tailored Messaging

Feb 25, 2025 53m

For arts administrators, donor development often means soliciting as many patrons as possible, as soon as possible, without accounting for their unique needs. This may glean some revenue in the short…

S4E10 Apply These 7 Research-backed Skills to Grow Your Leadership in Arts Management

Dec 10, 2024 58m Bonus

Advancing in arts leadership can be tricky, because what got you to where you are now likely won’t get you to where you want to be. In the final part of this bonus series, Aubrey gives you real-world…

S4E9 8 Negotiation Strategies to Advance in Arts Leadership

Dec 03, 2024 59m Bonus

Imagine negotiating the salary and benefits you know you deserve as an arts leader. Or going to the bargaining table for union negotiations, and all parties come out satisfied. In Part 2 of this…

S4 Things They Never Taught You About Growing Your Leadership in Arts Management

Nov 26, 2024 1h 7m Bonus

There’s a lot about arts leadership most of us were never taught. And you can’t win a game if you don’t know the rules. So we’re bringing you three bonus episodes from our recent training series,…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does The Offstage Mic have?

The Offstage Mic has published 61 episodes since April 2022, covering topics in Arts, Business.

Is The Offstage Mic still active?

The Offstage Mic is currently highly active with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 44m.

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