Song Exploder
Song Exploder is an independent podcast founded in 2014 where musicians deconstruct and narrate their songs track by track, distributed globally on major podcast platforms and adapted into a Netflix series. The show serves music fans and is funded through listener donations, merchandise, and live events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Song Exploder does
Song Exploder is an independent podcast founded in 2014 by Hrishikesh Hirway and produced in Los Angeles, in which musicians break down individual songs track-by-track, explaining the creative and production decisions behind them. The core product is the long-running main podcast (300+ episodes as of June 2026) featuring artists ranging from Paul McCartney, U2, Metallica, and Fleetwood Mac to Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, The xx, and Clipse, plus a spin-off series, 'Key Change,' where non-musician guests discuss songs that shaped their lives. Distribution runs through all major audio podcast platforms (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, Pandora, Stitcher, Overcast, iHeartRadio, RadioPublic) via a standard RSS feed, and the brand was extended into television through a 2020 Netflix series adaptation.
The show's underlying format relies on isolated multi-track stems that the artist narrates over, allowing listeners to hear specific production elements while the creator explains the songwriting and engineering choices; this editorial method is the principal technical differentiation. The business operates on three small-leverage revenue streams: listener donations routed through the Radiotopia/PRX membership program, limited merchandise (logo t-shirts via Cotton Bureau), and live/speaking engagements booked through Ground Control Touring. Pricing is free at point of consumption across all platforms; there is no subscription or paywall. Song Exploder is a member of the Radiotopia podcast network from PRX, which provides distribution support and donation infrastructure.
The company is privately held and founder-controlled, with no disclosed external funding rounds, parent company, or institutional investors. The full-time operating team is small (1-10 people), comprising host/creator/producer Hrishikesh Hirway, illustrator Carlos Lerma, and music-clearance lead Kathleen Smith. Geographic reach is effectively global via digital podcast platforms, with notable live programming including a 2016 Sydney Opera House residency and featured appearances at Sundance, SXSW, Noise Pop, Moogfest, and AIGA.
Song Exploder firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Song Exploder
- Website
- https://songexploder.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Song Exploder is an independent podcast founded in 2014 where musicians deconstruct and narrate their songs track by track, distributed globally on major podcast platforms and adapted into a Netflix series. The show serves music fans and is funded through listener donations, merchandise, and live events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Song Exploder industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Music Podcast
- NAICS
- Other Sound Recording Industries (512290), Sound Recording Industries (5122), Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Music Editing & Scoring Support (Conform, Stem Prep, Score-Stage Support) (MPAHAEAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Music Producers & Production Teams (MPAIAHAB)
Keywords
Where Song Exploder is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Song Exploder business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Donations and Membership: Independent podcast funded through listener donations via Radiotopia/PRX network membership program. Support page at radiotopia.fm/donate
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including Song Exploder logo t-shirts through Cotton Bureau
- Live Events and Speaking: Revenue from event bookings and speaking engagements at conferences and festivals
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
Song Exploder product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Song Exploder is an independently produced music podcast founded in 2014 where musicians take apart their songs, and piece by piece, tell the story of how they were made — using isolated, individual tracks from a recording to discuss specific production decisions. Each episode features an artist discussing a song of theirs and breaking down the sounds and ideas that went into the writing and recording. The offering also includes the spin-off series Key Change, where non-musician guests discuss a song that changed their life.
Product overview
Song Exploder is an independent podcast produced in Los Angeles by host and creator Hrishikesh Hirway, and a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. The core offering is the main Song Exploder podcast where musicians deconstruct their songs, followed by the spin-off series Key Change featuring non-musician guests discussing songs that shaped their lives. The show has been featured at Sundance Film Festival, SXSW, Noise Pop Festival, and Moogfest, and was adapted into a Netflix series. Episodes are available across major podcast platforms and via RSS feed.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Key Change: A spin-off series where non-musicians discuss songs that changed their lives
Products and services
- Song Exploder (Main Podcast) A podcast where musicians take apart their songs, and piece by piece, tell the story of how they were made. Each episode features an artist discussing a song of theirs, breaking down the sounds and ideas that went into the writing and recording, using isolated multi-track stems. Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and all major podcast platforms.
- Key Change (Spin-off Podcast Series) A spin-off podcast series from Song Exploder where non-musician guests (actors, authors, chefs, comedians, directors) discuss a song that changed their life, exploring music fandom and personal identity.
Quantifiable outcome
- Featured at Sundance Film Festival, SXSW, Noise Pop Festival, Moogfest
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Song Exploder
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Song Exploder technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
Feature1 record
Song Exploder partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Radiotopia (PRX)coreSong Exploder is a proud member of Radiotopia, a curated network of podcasts from PRX. This partnership provides distribution through the Radiotopia brand, audience development support, and funding through the PRX listener donation infrastructure. Radiotopia promotes Song Exploder to its network subscribers and provides operational support.
- Ground Control TouringminorGround Control Touring handles booking for Song Exploder live events and speaking engagements. Agent Andrew Morgan manages event bookings for the show and Hrishikesh Hirway as a speaker.
- KALW (San Francisco Public Radio)minorKALW created 'Song Exploder Remix' as one of three new programs since 2023, leveraging archival audio content and partnering with Song Exploder to expand programming. This partnership created derivative content based on the Song Exploder format.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Song Exploder competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Song Exploder social profiles
Digital presenceSong Exploder financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Song Exploder leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Song Exploder funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Song Exploder M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Song Exploder
What does Song Exploder do?
Song Exploder is an independently produced music podcast founded in 2014 where musicians take apart their songs, and piece by piece, tell the story of how they were made — using isolated, individual tracks from a recording to discuss specific production decisions. Each episode features an artist discussing a song of theirs and breaking down the sounds and ideas that went into the writing and recording. The offering also includes the spin-off series Key Change, where non-musician guests discuss a song that changed their life.
Is Song Exploder a public or private company?
Song Exploder is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Song Exploder founded?
Song Exploder was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Song Exploder based?
Song Exploder is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Song Exploder make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Membership is the primary driver. The others are merchandise Sales and live Events and Speaking.
Does Song Exploder have an API?
No public API is recorded for Song Exploder.
What industry is Song Exploder in?
Song Exploder's product category is Music Podcast. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAHAEAG, Music Editing & Scoring Support (Conform, Stem Prep, Score-Stage Support), with a secondary code of MPAIAHAB, Music Producers & Production Teams. Its NAICS code is 512290.