Switched on Pop hosts move to Netflix after 12 years
The duo behind the acclaimed audio series have launched a video iteration on Netflix, featuring interviews with industry figures such as Aaron Dessner and Trevor Horn.
Nate Sloan and Charlie Harding, the co-hosts behind the long-running pop music analysis podcast Switched on Pop, have launched a video series on Netflix. The move marks a significant transition for the duo, who have spent 12 years and produced nearly 500 episodes of audio-only content dissecting the theory and production techniques of popular songs.
The new video series is a production of New York Magazine’s Vulture and the Vox Media Podcast Network. It features interviews with prominent music industry guests, including Aaron Dessner of The National, Trevor Horn of The Buggles and Yes, and the hip-hop group Cypress Hill. The podcast, which lore suggests was inspired by Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe”, has established itself as a definitive resource for understanding the mechanics of pop music.
Sloan, a composer and professor of musicology at the USC Thornton School of Music, and Harding, a songwriter, music journalist, and professor, discussed their work and personal preferences in an interview with The Verge. Their combined expertise covers a wide range of genres, from jazz and Tin Pan Alley to modern pop production, allowing them to analyse tracks ranging from Justin Timberlake to Taryn Southern’s AI experiments.
In the interview, the hosts detailed their professional tools and personal tech habits. Sloan relies on Sibelius music notation software to transcribe melodies, harmonies, and rhythms as part of his analytical process. Harding utilises keyboard shortcuts and the app Rectangle to manage his computer workflow, describing the efficiency gains as feeling like “mission control on some kind of spaceship.”
The discussion also touched on their musical gear and personal quirks. Harding owns a 1970 Martin D-28 guitar and a Dato DUO synthesizer with a Dato DRUM drum machine, which he notes his children use to create music nightly. Sloan, who coined the term “pop drop” for the instrumental postchorus, recalled travelling the world with an iPod in 2006. Both hosts shared insights into their digital habits, with Harding expressing frustration with iOS focus modes and Sloan noting his strict management of browser tabs to protect his attention span.
