Press play, in your ear

We binge-watched. Now, were bingelistening too. In the streaming world, soundtracks are big business, title tracks have power. See how composers changed their tune

- Karishma Kuenzang

It was bound to happen. Streaming shows are on our flatscreens, on our phones, in our conversations, playing on the commute home. Obviously, it's now on our music playlists too. "Audiences are paying attention to a show's background score more than ever before," says Anand Bhaskar, composer and musician on Mirzapur (2018-). Audio clips from the drama series (slow-building instrumental melodies and chimes) have been enjoying a viral afterlife on Reels."Composers writing background scores were never as famous as those writing the songs," he says.That's changing.

Part of this has to do with how dramas now unfold on screen. They're slower, moodier, more immersive than they used to be. So, composers need to match that tone. The shows themselves have a wider platform, so a score must resonate with a global audience. It's pushing composers to dream different. See what some of them are up to.

Scoring a nation

Anand Bhaskar, 42, didn't start out composing for web series. But one of his songs, Mera Safar, created under his classic rock band Anand Bhaskar Collective, was used in the 2016 comedy series Official Chukyagiri.

Creating music for a show is different, he says. "There's a situation or an idea that the song needs to cater to," he says. "There are also limitations. The song must sound a particular way, belong to a particular genre. It pushes me to explore a style I  don't naturally go to."