For years, music competition shows have thrived on spectacle, overproduced drama, tone-deaf auditions, and celebrity judges more interested in sound bites than sound quality. However, Netflix seems to have flipped the script with its latest reality music series, Building the Band and Hitmakers, two shows that actually center on talent, not just television.
Let’s start with Building the Band, which quietly made its way into the streaming ecosystem and has since become a sleeper hit. What sets this series apart? Everyone in the room can actually sing. There’s no fluff, no extended montage of people who “tried their best” but clearly missed the mark. This is a curated pool of artists, vocalists, musicians, and creatives who are serious about their craft. And the format makes us care.
We watch as these individuals form a band from scratch. From first rehearsals to final performances, their journey feels organic. We’re invested in their chemistry, song choices, and the raw grind it takes to go from solo act to synchronized unit. It’s emotional, musical, and authentic — three qualities that have been missing from the genre for a while.
Then there’s Hitmakers, a different lane, but equally potent. The show opens the curtain on the songwriting process, taking us into an elite writing camp where creatives are competing to craft hits for giants like Usher, Shaboozey, and John Legend.
The twist? These aren’t amateur hopefuls, they’re industry players with real credits. The cast is made up of producers and writers whose names you might not know, but whose songs you definitely do. And they’re hungry.
Yes, Hitmakers has drawn some criticism. Some argue it romanticizes a songwriting industry that’s been plagued with unfair compensation, long hours, and, now, looming threats from AI. That’s real. But it’s also true that the show is aspirational in the best way, giving up-and-coming writers a glimpse into what’s possible. Watching the cast work through writer’s block, chase melodies, and land emotional punchlines feels like the HGTV version of the music industry: we might not be living in the mansion yet, but we’re getting ideas.
Both shows do something crucial: they take music seriously. They treat the art and the artists with respect. In a space that’s been flooded with flashy gimmicks and backstory over vocals, that feels revolutionary.
And for fans who want to keep the experience going, Netflix made a smart move by making much of the original music available on streaming platforms like Apple Music. It’s a savvy integration that allows the audience to take the journey with them, even beyond the show.
That said, not all tracks made the cut. Eleven and Cherry from Hitmakers still haven’t hit the official soundtrack, which makes us wonder: will these tracks end up with the artists they were meant for? Or are they just waiting for the right moment to drop?
Photo Credit: Netflix
