Shain Shapiro is the world’s leading authority on music as an instrument for change, from healthcare and climate to economic development and cities.
How Music Can Save the World
The new book from Shain Shapiro
Out 9 February 2027 · Hardback & audiobook
Duncan Baird Publishing / Penguin Random House
Podcast, Dialogue and Events
Accompanying the book is Shain’s debut podcast, produced by DrownedinSound and part of the DiS Network.
This groundbreaking and optimistic podcast explores how the power of music is addressing global challenges and helping save the world right now. Season 1 guests include Maggie Baird (actress, activist and singer-songwriter), Ahmad Sarmast (director of the Afghan Institute of Music), Tift Merritt (singer‑songwriter and activist), Michael Sheldrick (co‑founder of Global Citizen) and others, and Season 2 is in production for release in 2027.
This Must Be The Place
How Music Can Make Your City Better
Shain's first book made the case that music can make your city better — and became the global guide to music and urban policy. It is published in six languages and as an audiobook, has seen Shain embark on a 90+ tour in 17 countries, and has helped define the concept of music cities all over the world.
About
Shain Shapiro, PhD is one of the world's leading thinkers on music's role in solving global problems. He is the author of How Music Can Save the World (2027) and This Must Be The Place: How Music Can Make Your City Better (2023), founder and chairman of Sound Diplomacy, founder and executive director of the Center for Music Ecosystems and founder of the Music Economy Development Initiative. His work has influenced how more than 175 cities and places invest in music — and now asks a bigger question: what else could music fix, if we let it?