From podcast to TV series, Song Exploder is set to debut on Netflix

Hrishikesh Hirway’s acclaimed podcast, Song Exploder, is now a TV show debuting on Netflix in October!

Music nerds, you’re going to want to program the release of Song Exploder into your calendars. Hrishikesh Hirway’s podcast–known for the spotlight it gives musicians to unpack their songs–is now a TV series set to debut on Netflix on Oct. 2.

The TV adaptation of Song Exploder pairs what fans love about the podcast with a visual component. Fans of Alicia Keys, Lin Manuel Miranda, Ty Dolla $ign, and R.E.M. will be taken on a journey of song creation, following their favorite artists as they breakdown note by note and lyric by lyric how they put together songs like “Losing My Religion” and “Wait for It.”

When talking to Rolling Stone about his new TV series, Hirway said:

"As a teenager, I used to sit in my room and listen to music while poring over the lyrics and liner notes and artwork until I could almost feel myself living in the world of the artist. It was the most incredible feeling, and with Song Exploder, I wanted to take that feeling and go even further. It’s been so exciting to turn it into a television show, because it’s provided a chance to immerse yourself in the music — and the ideas behind the music — in a deeper way than I ever imagined."

The platform Hirway has created for a deeper exploration of the songs many of us know and love is undeniably a draw for fans looking to hear and now see the work that’s gone into the songs that mark music history.

Hirway, along with the Oscar-award winning filmmakers of 20 Feet from Stardom, intends for fans to “hear music in a new way” as musicians give us “a peek behind the creative curtain.” For Ty Dolla $ign that’s explaining the textures he creates in his music. While Alicia Keys showcases how to take a pretty sounding song and introduce the roughness it needs to get to the heart of its message.

Watch the trailer for Song Exploder:

What’s a classic to fans might be a mistake to the artist as Michael Stipe reveals. Sometimes, the inclusion of the right bass can make or break a track. For Lin Manuel-Miranda, melody is just as important as lyrics when developing who a character is in the worlds he creates.

Fans will learn all this and more when Song Exploder is available to stream on Netflix. But until then we’ll have to wait until Oct. 2 to take a deep dive into the work that has gone into songs like “3 Hour Drive” and “L.A.,” but thankfully October is just around the corner.