3 Series About Making Music, Streaming Right Now

3 Series About Making Music, Streaming Right Now

2020 has not been the greatest of years for music lovers. Live shows have been cancelled for the foreseeable future. Album releases have been delayed. Musicians who work best in collaboration have struggled to produce.

I’ve definitely had my low points. I was going to see both My Chemical Romance and Slipknot in Japan in March. I was also looking forward to a Sam Smith album months ago! Of course, my experience is nothing on the musicians who have lost a lot of income.

Nonetheless, not all of 2020 has been bad in terms of music. Musicians have come together to stream concerts, and some great quarantine music has been made by artists from Charlie XCX to Machine Gun Kelly. Furthermore, it has given us time to catch up on some great series about making music.

To stream safely (and access content everywhere) you should use a VPN. Learn more on VPNPros about the best VPN for streaming. Then watch the following 3 series.

Song Exploder (Netflix)

Based on the hit podcast, Netflix’s Song Exploder catches up with four very different musicians who discuss how some of their most famous songs came about. Alicia Keys, R.E.M., Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Ty Dolla $ign each get their own episode.

What’s great about this show is that it doesn’t just focus on the meaning behind the lyrics or the background “story”. It actually delves into the composition of the music, giving insightful gems to aspiring musicians everywhere.

Sometimes it can feel overwhelming to hear how the best musicians in the world created some of their biggest hits. But as long as you don’t expect to become the next Alicia Keys overnight, you will learn from every minute.

4 Producers 1 Sample (YouTube)

Musician Andrew Huang, on his YouTube channel, has created the excellent 4 Producers 1 Sample. The concept is simple. Huang provides one sample to four very different producers and they have to create a song out of it. There are no guidelines of what genre the song needs to be.

It surprises me that no network has picked up this concept. While there are endless singing contests, there is not much content for people who want to see the process of music production. 4 Producers 1 Sample scratches that itch, giving aspiring musicians insight into the nitty-gritty of music production while generating 4 bangers.

Rhythm + Flow (Netflix)

Rhythm + Flow hasn’t made the waves that vocal competitions tend to make. This is probably because you won’t hear showtunes or classic songs. Rather, you will hear original creations by up-and-coming rappers. You need to have an ear for hip-hop to enjoy seeing these young artists fight their way forward.

T.I., Cardi B, and Chance The Rapper judge, with guest appearances from big names such as Snoop Dogg, Anderson .Paak and many more. You're not just going to get some covers or tight vocal performances. What you will get is musicians with great skill and creative chops building music from the ground up. It is well worth the watch.