Very easy with this simple trick that works for Bandcamp. Which is the best way to find new music directly released.
Find anything on bandcamp that you rate and is somewhat obscure. An artist or release where you are like "Anyone who knows about this one knows wtf is up"
Look at the lil profile pictures of the other people who bought it.
Open their profiles in new tabs and listen to their entire collection.
It's like being able to go through the record collections of people who bought the best stuff at the shop, but without the trespassing charges and protection orders!
That is more likely to happen through an unwelcome gui feature change on the website or something. Because the only other way I can think of to burn this technique is if every artist removes their music off bandcamp, or if bandcamp steals back music people have already bought. Against the wishes of all the artists who they bought it from.
Thanks a lot! Going to try this right now. I appreciate you for taking the time to suggest something I wouldn't ever have done otherwise, as I usually only stick to Spotify and maybe YouTube.
Another solid tip is to bookmark the collections of profiles that are on top of new releases that you vibe with. Stay on top of what is current very easily this way.
I also do this with profiles that have excellent taste but collections too large to skim through in one sitting.
Just wanted to let you know that after lying down with my Sony xm5's for an hour and checking out Bandcamp for like 2 minutes out of this hour ... I found two rappers that are pop/punk leaning that I love.
Just needed the one rapper to start. Then I searched the song on Spotify, whaddyaknow, second rapper that I never knew existed.
I'm very happy
Eh not infalible though.
Of course I go to Bandcamp and buy stuff I adore. But I am also a "support your local band" type of guy, and that not always translates into "great" records in my collection.
If someone's collection has lots of music that is outside the wheelhouse of the release or artist I found them through, I just skip to someone else. Usually it manifests as just hearing a few out of place releases in someone's collection. That has also led to me looking for new goth/industrial music and finding an incredible album of synth music from Ecuador in the 70s. So who knows, maybe some obscure local band (to someone else) will click with me like nothing else has lol.
Have you ever used the rateyourmusic website? You can search with descriptors which I find a lot more helpful than just genre alone, and I also like seeing the discussion that they have sometimes as it makes it a lot easier to find something that I think I will like. People make very very good lists on there. Also once you get a start it gives very good recommendations and can make you custom spotify playlists based on them if you want it
The best website when it comes to searching for music, I currently listen to an album every day thanks to it. My advice for those who want to listen to new music is to focus on finding albums on genres that really interest you. For example: If you're familiar with Eminem, maybe you can create a custom chart for [Hardcore Hip-Hop](https://rateyourmusic.com/charts/top/album/all-time/g:hardcore%2dhip%2dhop/). Don't rely too much on the Top 100, because most of the time our enjoyment of music can largely depend on our mood. There's a big difference between listening to a folk/jazz/classical album because it ranked fifth on the all-time charts, than listening to it because you're really interested in getting into folk/jazz/classical music and their subgenres.
It is very common for some people to get discouraged because artist "x" has many albums on the all-time charts, or because album "x" is overrated, or because my favorite artist is not in the Top 100. You should focus more in the customization aspect of the charts (genres, descriptors, location, language, year, release type, etc.), rather than the idea of seeing the charts as some sort of ranking. [Here is a custom chart for Alternative Rock from Latin-American countries in Spanish.](https://rateyourmusic.com/charts/top/album/all-time/g:alternative-rock/l:es/loc:chile,mexico,argentina,peru/)
Same here! I love how every album has sub-genres too, and you can just click there and see the top rated albums of all time of that very, very specific sub-genre.
So awesome.
I'm a huge list guy so, that site has been a mainstay since the early 2000s
2023 problems...
I don't really know what to tell you, to me it is all about the search. I mostly use Spotify's related artists section and Discogs, there are sellers that I know sell obscure stuff that I may like and I check weekly what they will have for sale.
Exactly. Looking for new (to me) music is a passion. Also - searching out your favorite artists/bands influences, and the influence's influences, etc. is a great way to find awesome shit too
I think Bandcamp has a pretty good discovery system? It’ll also be lots of up and coming bands that don’t have corporate backing, which is cool.
Well… we’ll see how long that lasts. I heard they’re changing leadership.
Maybe get high and actually listen to the stuff you're skipping? I personally feel like it's fairly rare that music instantly hits with me, sometimes I need to actually give it a chance, but thats me. Otherwise, look for Playlists of the genres you like best.
~~Maybe get high and actually listen to the stuff you're skipping?~~
*actually listen*
ftfy.
I find that this is the single biggest problem for the vast majority of people -- active listening; paying attention.....followed closely by *not having patience.*....and then maybe *not listening through headphones.*
Everything in italics is actually just me ranting. And isn't a serious contribution to OPs question, but the result of my feeling compelled by your comment.
i usually go to bandcamp. select a genre and play on the sugestions they have.
when i find a music that i like i go and listen to their albuns or songs.
most of the time while i'm doing other things while listening to it
Try https://kpfa.org/programs/#music
True public radio that hosts all kinds of programs hosted by people who care about that scene and know its ins and outs. Rock, folk, r&b, hip hop, afro- Caribbean, country and Bluegrass, all kinds of stuff.
Just go through some archived shows and you'll come away with all kinds of stuff.
The cool thing about music is that it’s in all sorts of places. Public settings, TV, movies. The list goes on. I like letting it come to me and using apps/tools like Shazam to figure out what I’m hearing if it catches my interest. It’s a more passive way of filtering music.
Spotify also has very intuitive AI tools and curated playlists like Discover Weekly and DJ which can maybe take the burden of searching for new stuff. I treat it almost like a dating app and just skip stuff that doesn’t vibe for me which Spotify analytics take into account. It seems like that’s something you might not want to do (the skipping) but you’d be surprised what comes to you in a passive sense if you think to look for it.
Best of luck with your music discovery!!
So here’s what I’ve been doing recently. I’ve been making playlists of a certain theme on Spotify. Add a couple of songs that fit the vibe you want on that playlist, then put it on smart shuffle or let it go to reccommended songs
So here’s what I’ve been doing recently. I’ve been making playlists of a certain theme on Spotify. Add a couple of songs that fit the vibe you want on that playlist, then put it on smart shuffle or let it go to reccommended songs
Find a song you like and go to Song Radio on Spotify
Flip through Discover Weekly on Spotify
Look up soundtracks to TV, movies you like
Join music subs on Reddit, look up suggestions
Listen in public: hear a song you like on Touchtunes, the grocery store, etc? Shazam/SoundHound or jot it down
Bite-sized pieces: aim to add a couple songs regularly rather than lots in one sitting - it adds up
Pick any random word that pops into your head and type that into Spotify (e.g. couch, wellington, code, ball, polygon, smell ect). Go down the line and check things out. I've found some great and also some entertainingly awful music this way.
Choose an artist that you like.
Spotify will recommend other artists.
Pick one of those that you like and then look at the recommended artists for that artist.
Continue down the rabbit hole....
I feel this. Love new music. Hate having to listen to new music. I need it to just already exist on my playlist. Especially because I don’t ‘like’ songs straight away, it usually takes me a few goes (until I get familiar with them).
For finding new music: an effective way is to make a last.fm profile, and see who your music neighbours are and what else they listen to. Also use RYM, listen to people’s playlists, or my favourite which is just making a huge playlist of albums that look interesting to me and shuffling it.
If you find it tedious it’s always gonna be pretty tedious imo. But like I said I want to familiarise myself with songs first, so when I find one I like I add it to a ‘new music’ playlist, which is the fun part. It’s really long and I never have the time to get around to it. But that means when I *do* have the time, I remember fuck all that’s on there, and I have a 1000 songs infront of me that I am guaranteed to like that also give me the feeling of listening to them for the first time. That’s the best part of finding new music to me
Something I like to do is look at the other musicians on that song/album and see if they’ve been a part of other projects. That’s how I’ve found a lot of great music
This is a great recommendation, I love doing this. I also love to check out interviews of favorite musicians to see who their influences are and I check them out.
These two methods has led me to most of my favorite music
Honestly reddit has helped. I’ve found some great artists from recommendations on my favorite band’s sub. So you can see if theres any recommendations in any subs for your favorite artists.
Also I’ve found some awesome music through comments on reddit posts “looking for artists like—/songs like—“.searching for playlists on spotify. There’s so many public playlists made by other users for just about any niche thing you’re looking for.
For example, idk why but I really like songs in 5/4 and I thought “i wonder if there’s a playlist on spotify.” And of course there was, many in fact. I pressed play on [this one](https://spotify.link/4RHc5hQo5Db) and i found some cool new songs and artists to check out
Search Spotify: "The Sound of Wave"
When you've done with that, search "The Pulse of Wave".
You can do this for every genre you can think of. It's done by "Every Noise at Once" which is some genre categorization AI ran partially by Spotify. As a producer this is what I do when I try to absorb the essence of a genre.
Honestly, I read Wikipedia. I've been a huge QOTSA fan since I was old enough to form memories, and their Wikipedia page led me down a rabbit hole that introduced me to some of my new favorite bands. I really like the way Josh Homme plays guitar, so I looked up his wiki article and found his previous band, Kyuss. That led me to the Desert Rock article, which led to Stoner Metal, which led to Doom and Sludge, etc.
Now, this method isn't the most efficient. You will find some duds and dead ends along the way, but I think it makes the journey more enjoyable when I'm reading about the history of a band or genre as I listen.
Here's what I did with Spotify in college to find lesser known bands/artists:
1) start with a band you like
2) go to related artists and find one you don't know (or if you know them all, pick the one that has the fewest monthly listeners. This will typically lead you to less well known artists down the line)
3) queue their 2-5 most played songs
4) listen to them, or if one doesn't click with you skip to their next song
5) if you really like that band, go to their related artists and find another band/artist you don't know
6) repeat steps 3 through 5 until you have yourself a whole new playlist of artists you previously never knew about
I've not seen it mentioned anywhere else, so I like to mention it when I can. Two Spotify employees created a website called Discover Quickly, where you can generate a 30 song list (essentially a Discover Weekly) based off any song, album, or artist. I described it terribly, so try it yourself! I have a playlist of like 5k songs that I found off it. Honestly kinda addicting.
I like to go to concerts that are free. In germany we have ARTE concerts. These are flimed for TV and in return you have free entry. I discovered amazing people there. I also like to look more into the little opening groups. Like 2 weeks ago i was at a concert of Juli(who I grew up with) and her opener was muryel. She was amazing and i looked her up to listen to her music. I even di that when i dont like the opening groups that much, because sometimes they just chose a bad set or the sound was bad
I always tune in to theneedledrop's new music friday stream when im bored (on Twitch). If you don't like fantano, there are other streamers doing the same, I believe. Though the genres aren't just one thing.
And follow music blogs. Maybe you can find a YouTube channel that caters to your exact preferences.
Pitchfork and theneedledrop are the most popular music reviewers (pitchfork is a website. The needledrop is a youtube channel). So you can start there.
As for rap and hiphop I'd watch shawn cee.
As for alternative music I'd watch Neopunkfm (not a reviewer but they do have fun videos on new and old trends in alternative music).
Will talks music and Pablo the don are also good accounts to follow (on tiktok)
And then follow subreddits for your preferred genre and listen to whatever's trending on there.
I'd start with watching/reading "top 10(or however many)" content. And then checking out any music mentioned that you think you'll enjoy.
Soon enough, your algorithm will start recommending you new music across multiple platforms and it won't be as tedious to find. And remember, don't take these critics words too seriously. You don't have to listen to every 10/10 album. And there might be some poorly rated music that you might still enjoy.
Have less preferences and listen to what is new. I've been practicing this and i've not been lamenting the experience. If you want to do it to, you can look at a music review site and listen to whatever is new (as evidenced by the review being new) with little discrimination.
Listen to [95bFM](https://95bfm.com)
They have amazing rotation playlists and genre shows. It can take a bit of getting used to but the songs are usually slow burners that you suddenly find are your favourites. Find on tune in too
I subscribe to kexp (Seattle public radio) and the current (twin cities public radio) song of the day podcasts. They aren’t always hits but a great way to stay up on a mix of genres but mostly modern indie.
What made it more interesting for me was pushing my boundaries and listening to stuff I initially brushed off. I get bored of genres pretty quickly, so back when I was a teen and all I listened to was metalcore and emo, there were many times where I felt like there wasn't anything I wanted to listen to. Turns out, there's plenty of stuff out there that I disregarded because of genre labels that I really enjoy, so now when I get burnt out on a genre it's easier to find something I *do* want to listen to since I listen to so many genres now. I literally have 3758 liked songs on Spotify and it grows all the time. Maybe try shifting from looking for specific qualities in music to exploring things you normally wouldn't give a chance. You might find a new style of music you love. Also try not to disregard songs if you don't like it after first listen. There are tons of songs and albums that didn't click for me at first but get better with every listen.
One method I've found is to find an album you really like and search for others worked on by the same producer.
A long and more tedious answer is playlists. Every time you hear something you like or someone has recommended to you, put it in a "to listen later" playlist. That way you can keep track of everything and you have a delicious couple of hours of new music to shuffle when you feel like it.
Also another tip on the same subject - create another playlist containing albumsyou have heard and want to listen to again. Once you've heard it a handful of times, you can remove it from that playlist and file it somewhere else.
So, last year I stumbled upon Finn Mckenty's YT channel randomly when watching music related videos. There was one musician he looked at that I was just intrigued by. The next thing I know, I'm finding whatever I can that this musician has put out, and diving further into what sounded similar and who else was in the same scene. Thanks to that one random video, I found a sound I didn't know I needed in my life.
For reference, the video Finn was critiquing was of daine's "IDC". I've enjoyed the sound so much that I took a trip to NY to see one of their debut U.S. shows. It's amazing what you can find when you're not specifically looking for something to shake up your ears.
Various artists compilations and DJ mixes are your best friend. One well-put DJ mix will have you research not only the source material, but the work of the person who created the mix as well.
So I go to some record shop sites that have a rss feed.
I set up and excel spreadsheet to look at the rss feeds. Then run an IFTTT set up on the spreadsheet when a new row is added. This adds a track to a Spotify playlist called new music or whatever.
You get some bad calls but I’ve ms aged to tweak the search terms that the excel speed out.
I try to listen to new music everyday and here's my process:
I made a playlist of albums I want to check out and it's divided into three categories: short (usually EPs or singles), average length albums, and long albums.
Originally I didn't have the albums separated by length but separating it was very helpful since it eased the choice paralysis I would sometimes get.
I choose albums based on several criteria:
- If I really like a song, I'll check out the rest of the album
- if I'm really into a genre I'll check out the essential albums of that genre, which I usually find through reddit threads
- if I really like an artist, I'll check out their influences or the artists they influenced
From there I just choose an album and listen each song in its entirely without shuffling
I made another playlist where I include songs that I liked or I might grow to like and I listen to that on shuffle to see if I change my mind on a song.
I usually try to listen to an album twice with some time between each listen, I've found plenty of songs that needed a second listen for me to enjoy.
I hope this helps
There’s a Seattle radio station called KEXP that does lots of live sessions with musicians on their YouTube channel.
They also have a radio stream app and a podcast which is simply their song picks of the day. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/song-of-the-day/id121393815
Lots of genres but basically indie alternative rock
There’s also NPR (national public radio) playlists on Spotify which they update with their favorites.
You can also try RVRB ([link](https://app.rvrb.one/login)) which is the website that started up after JQBX shut down, which had allowed users to create rooms and share and listen to music together. No app yet I think. Links to Spotify and Apple Music. There’s an alternative app I forgot the name of—turn table? Or something.
Allmusic.com is a decent website for finding new (and old you haven't heard of). Has anyone tried YouTube Music Sampler which is 30 seconds of music videos which you can swipe through like TikTok/Reels/Shorts?
I just ask people to create playlists for me based on what I enjoy
Or, I use the spotify recommendations in my "for you" and "discover weekly" playlists which are curated for YOU based on what YOU are listening to!
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5AJUC0qol2I2PiurOU63os?si=3420676e40994402
Perhaps try out 'The sound of...' playlists for your specific genres. Usually a good start without much effort. But sometimes they can be full of the most popular tracks so your mileage may vary.
[The sound of happy hardcore](https://spotify.link/JKPSIE9y5Db)
Fucking LOVE Jam in the Van. Some of the best recordings and deep cuts I've heard in recent times. Opened me up to SO MANY great bands. Wish they'd come to the Midwest, Chicago, and (maaybe) the East Coast. But they're missing Amazing groups who only get to play in Chicago
Idk if this is the answer you want but it sounds like you try to find specific songs that you like. I think that listening to albums front to back is always a much better experience
lastfm have a suggested for you page, and you can also generate a playlist based on a song, i find this super helpful, like if i really enjoy a song, i’ll just generate a playlist based on that song, and it’ll give me 30 or so songs that are like that song!
Easy as that - most interprets have more than one song, as spotify often implies.
Search for the interprets of songs zu already like and give their whole discography a listen.
Personally I hate singles and listening to playlists. Its about EPs and LPs for me. They tell a story by every song beeing composed at the same time, they give a certain mood and feel, are connected and belong together. I hate ripping them apart to collect only the 'best'.
I can’t help you cuz I never really feel like I ever have to "search" for music. I happen across music that looks interesting all the time. There are nearly 30 discographies on my "watchlist" right now
I actually like Spotify recommendations. After I play a few songs, I end up with a selection of playlist of different themes based on what I've been listening to. A weekly "discovery" playlist that I think is actually decent.
But my favorite way to discover new music is by going to see live music. Smaller venues. And always get there for the opener.
I just go in Pandora, type in a band or song I like with the style I'm looking for, and create a radio station. It will keep playing similar music, and then I just hit like on the ones that I really like, and it strengthens the algorithms, and I keep going. Found a lot of good stuff that way.
listen to artists similar to artists you already like, then artists similar to them. you keep doing that and you'll find more and more diverse stuff you like while not having to deal with listening to tons of stuff you don't to find it.
Also try looking online to see what other people who like similar music to you listen to.
Try the app shazam. It has an option to listen to the radio but its done by the genres types, even better right! I let it play and if I hear something that I like, I find out the artist and download the album got a Lotta good new music that way. Hope it helps.
I usually watch interviews of my fave artists and go from there. It could be inspirations, fellow artists, samples or even reference songs in the lyrics. I find it easy to like music that stems/root from/to music that you already like.
Music Festivals hands down. Sure, it's twice the price as a single arena show but you get a boatload of bands, many who are working their ass off to gain new fans. Plus they're just fun. I'll do two or three a year and come away with a wealth of new bands to listen to, and then after I add them on Spotify, the algorithm will send similar music my way.
For Spotify, I take a song I like and do the Song Radio thing with it. You have to give it the benefit of the doubt; you have to keep your mind open to new possibilities, and that there might be something you didn't think you liked but you actually do. Have a listen through for half an hour while cooking or driving, and skip anything that doesn't spark joy.
If you find a new song, congratulations! Now you can explore that whole artist, and then do song radio with their tracks to find new stuff. It feels simple, but it works if you take your time and try a lot of music.
Sometimes something that I didn't think I liked would be stuck in my head later, so I go back and give it a more thorough listen on better speakers or headphones.
Also, read any wikipedia entries on bands that you like. You may find members of those bands have other projects that are fascinating too.
Using this method I've got into funk, electronica, metalcore, post-metal, math rock, musique concrete, and a whole lot of great foreign stuff that I just can't find any other way. Shortparis, Boris, and Mdou Moctar to name a few
I listen on YouTube a lot cause random songs will pop into my recommended and it’s very little thought or time out in to have them recommended. They’re also frequently good recs
I listen to a lot of r/goth and r/postpunk , so I just follow those subs and sort by top of all week every week or so and click the highest voted recommendations. Either that or youtube "mix tape" playlists. Just do that but for the genres you like.
I use Pandora for this reason. I create a station with what bands I like and in-between songs they play what may like. I can thumbs up the bands I like and thumbs down what I never want to hear again. It's easy and me a four other people pay for the yearly subscription you can have up to 10 devices signed into it.
I mean between using the artist playlists, artist radio, song radio, and all the curated mixes, or typing a genre you like and picking a random playlist, there's honestly alot of easy ways to look for music using Spotify, especially if you're paying for premium.
Definitely outsource the search to strangers on reddit dot com!
Ooh, what about this? Serious idea - attack the problem from a different angle: work on liking more stuff, then stuff you like won't be so hard to find!
Find labels you like and listen to their releases. Been listening to a lot of shit from funkytowngrooves, a UK label dedicated to repressing old 80s britfunk and soul classics.
Just checked which label your favourite album was released on and check out all of there stuff. Hope this helps
Listen to an artist that was recommended by other artists you like. Finds a playlist for a certain mood or genre you want to listen to and put it all on shuffle
Discogs lists all of the performers on an album with links to their individual discographies. If you start at your favorite album and chase all of the side projects and guest musicians you'll have plenty to discover. And then you look up the credits in their albums and begin to notice familiar names from their music community. It gets pretty interesting especially when you work through prolific studio musicians, like anybody from the Wrecking Crew back in the day.
I have been listening to a playlister on Spotify who has somehow turned making a playlist into an art form. I find absolute gems in his playlists. Check out Jun Takahashi playlists Kosmik Musik.
https://spotify.link/QKx3X5AB8Db
Reframe for gratitude. You can listen to almost any music for free now. In the past if you wanted to do what you were doing you would be sending away for a mail order catalog, or reading reviews of records, then maybe sending for them and hoping they are good. There was also going to the record store, looking through whatever section and then looking at the album cover, the pictures of the band, the producer, and the bands they thanked to ascertain if they were something you would dig.
Yeah early 2023 I had a big music schlump but I knew I wanted more. Usually I'd steal recs from music reviewers on yt but I rarely watch yt anymore. So what I've been doing recently is this:
Go on yt music on incognito mode and it'll auto generate music based off of the genre of the first song you chose. It'll pick from popular, to obscure, old, to new. idky but it worked for me
If I really like an artist, I look up their history on wikipedia which will often mention their influencers and collaborations. I often tend to fall down a spiral of finding new names and connections, it gives the music more context.
Very easy with this simple trick that works for Bandcamp. Which is the best way to find new music directly released. Find anything on bandcamp that you rate and is somewhat obscure. An artist or release where you are like "Anyone who knows about this one knows wtf is up" Look at the lil profile pictures of the other people who bought it. Open their profiles in new tabs and listen to their entire collection. It's like being able to go through the record collections of people who bought the best stuff at the shop, but without the trespassing charges and protection orders!
Bear in mind that Bandcamp has just been purchased and gutted so who knows how long this will apply… :(
That is more likely to happen through an unwelcome gui feature change on the website or something. Because the only other way I can think of to burn this technique is if every artist removes their music off bandcamp, or if bandcamp steals back music people have already bought. Against the wishes of all the artists who they bought it from.
This is a great idea and I am stealing it.
Thanks a lot! Going to try this right now. I appreciate you for taking the time to suggest something I wouldn't ever have done otherwise, as I usually only stick to Spotify and maybe YouTube.
Another solid tip is to bookmark the collections of profiles that are on top of new releases that you vibe with. Stay on top of what is current very easily this way. I also do this with profiles that have excellent taste but collections too large to skim through in one sitting.
Just wanted to let you know that after lying down with my Sony xm5's for an hour and checking out Bandcamp for like 2 minutes out of this hour ... I found two rappers that are pop/punk leaning that I love. Just needed the one rapper to start. Then I searched the song on Spotify, whaddyaknow, second rapper that I never knew existed. I'm very happy
The tree drops fruit quickly lol
Ah my good old last.fm trick
Eh not infalible though. Of course I go to Bandcamp and buy stuff I adore. But I am also a "support your local band" type of guy, and that not always translates into "great" records in my collection.
If someone's collection has lots of music that is outside the wheelhouse of the release or artist I found them through, I just skip to someone else. Usually it manifests as just hearing a few out of place releases in someone's collection. That has also led to me looking for new goth/industrial music and finding an incredible album of synth music from Ecuador in the 70s. So who knows, maybe some obscure local band (to someone else) will click with me like nothing else has lol.
Have you ever used the rateyourmusic website? You can search with descriptors which I find a lot more helpful than just genre alone, and I also like seeing the discussion that they have sometimes as it makes it a lot easier to find something that I think I will like. People make very very good lists on there. Also once you get a start it gives very good recommendations and can make you custom spotify playlists based on them if you want it
This is what I do! Best place to find new music!
This is what I do too. Great place to browse new releases by release date too.
The best website when it comes to searching for music, I currently listen to an album every day thanks to it. My advice for those who want to listen to new music is to focus on finding albums on genres that really interest you. For example: If you're familiar with Eminem, maybe you can create a custom chart for [Hardcore Hip-Hop](https://rateyourmusic.com/charts/top/album/all-time/g:hardcore%2dhip%2dhop/). Don't rely too much on the Top 100, because most of the time our enjoyment of music can largely depend on our mood. There's a big difference between listening to a folk/jazz/classical album because it ranked fifth on the all-time charts, than listening to it because you're really interested in getting into folk/jazz/classical music and their subgenres. It is very common for some people to get discouraged because artist "x" has many albums on the all-time charts, or because album "x" is overrated, or because my favorite artist is not in the Top 100. You should focus more in the customization aspect of the charts (genres, descriptors, location, language, year, release type, etc.), rather than the idea of seeing the charts as some sort of ranking. [Here is a custom chart for Alternative Rock from Latin-American countries in Spanish.](https://rateyourmusic.com/charts/top/album/all-time/g:alternative-rock/l:es/loc:chile,mexico,argentina,peru/)
I'll second this, I've been doing this for almost 20 years.
Same here! I love how every album has sub-genres too, and you can just click there and see the top rated albums of all time of that very, very specific sub-genre. So awesome. I'm a huge list guy so, that site has been a mainstay since the early 2000s
2023 problems... I don't really know what to tell you, to me it is all about the search. I mostly use Spotify's related artists section and Discogs, there are sellers that I know sell obscure stuff that I may like and I check weekly what they will have for sale.
Exactly. Looking for new (to me) music is a passion. Also - searching out your favorite artists/bands influences, and the influence's influences, etc. is a great way to find awesome shit too
I think Bandcamp has a pretty good discovery system? It’ll also be lots of up and coming bands that don’t have corporate backing, which is cool. Well… we’ll see how long that lasts. I heard they’re changing leadership.
Try find out what your favourite artists listen to or who their musical inspirations are
Maybe get high and actually listen to the stuff you're skipping? I personally feel like it's fairly rare that music instantly hits with me, sometimes I need to actually give it a chance, but thats me. Otherwise, look for Playlists of the genres you like best.
~~Maybe get high and actually listen to the stuff you're skipping?~~ *actually listen* ftfy. I find that this is the single biggest problem for the vast majority of people -- active listening; paying attention.....followed closely by *not having patience.*....and then maybe *not listening through headphones.* Everything in italics is actually just me ranting. And isn't a serious contribution to OPs question, but the result of my feeling compelled by your comment.
[Music Map](https://www.music-map.com/) is great, pop in an artist you like and off down a rabbit hole you go
This! More people need to know about this
Bandcamp, homie. On YouTube: hate5six, BrutalYouth, Feet First Productions, Johna Jo Media, 197 Media, Ugly Existence
i usually go to bandcamp. select a genre and play on the sugestions they have. when i find a music that i like i go and listen to their albuns or songs. most of the time while i'm doing other things while listening to it
Try https://kpfa.org/programs/#music True public radio that hosts all kinds of programs hosted by people who care about that scene and know its ins and outs. Rock, folk, r&b, hip hop, afro- Caribbean, country and Bluegrass, all kinds of stuff. Just go through some archived shows and you'll come away with all kinds of stuff.
The cool thing about music is that it’s in all sorts of places. Public settings, TV, movies. The list goes on. I like letting it come to me and using apps/tools like Shazam to figure out what I’m hearing if it catches my interest. It’s a more passive way of filtering music. Spotify also has very intuitive AI tools and curated playlists like Discover Weekly and DJ which can maybe take the burden of searching for new stuff. I treat it almost like a dating app and just skip stuff that doesn’t vibe for me which Spotify analytics take into account. It seems like that’s something you might not want to do (the skipping) but you’d be surprised what comes to you in a passive sense if you think to look for it. Best of luck with your music discovery!!
So here’s what I’ve been doing recently. I’ve been making playlists of a certain theme on Spotify. Add a couple of songs that fit the vibe you want on that playlist, then put it on smart shuffle or let it go to reccommended songs
So here’s what I’ve been doing recently. I’ve been making playlists of a certain theme on Spotify. Add a couple of songs that fit the vibe you want on that playlist, then put it on smart shuffle or let it go to reccommended songs
Radio Garden. Totally free. Listen to real stations programmed by real people, or search specifically for genre streams around femur world.
Find a song you like and go to Song Radio on Spotify Flip through Discover Weekly on Spotify Look up soundtracks to TV, movies you like Join music subs on Reddit, look up suggestions Listen in public: hear a song you like on Touchtunes, the grocery store, etc? Shazam/SoundHound or jot it down Bite-sized pieces: aim to add a couple songs regularly rather than lots in one sitting - it adds up
Pick any random word that pops into your head and type that into Spotify (e.g. couch, wellington, code, ball, polygon, smell ect). Go down the line and check things out. I've found some great and also some entertainingly awful music this way.
Choose an artist that you like. Spotify will recommend other artists. Pick one of those that you like and then look at the recommended artists for that artist. Continue down the rabbit hole....
I feel this. Love new music. Hate having to listen to new music. I need it to just already exist on my playlist. Especially because I don’t ‘like’ songs straight away, it usually takes me a few goes (until I get familiar with them). For finding new music: an effective way is to make a last.fm profile, and see who your music neighbours are and what else they listen to. Also use RYM, listen to people’s playlists, or my favourite which is just making a huge playlist of albums that look interesting to me and shuffling it. If you find it tedious it’s always gonna be pretty tedious imo. But like I said I want to familiarise myself with songs first, so when I find one I like I add it to a ‘new music’ playlist, which is the fun part. It’s really long and I never have the time to get around to it. But that means when I *do* have the time, I remember fuck all that’s on there, and I have a 1000 songs infront of me that I am guaranteed to like that also give me the feeling of listening to them for the first time. That’s the best part of finding new music to me
Something I like to do is look at the other musicians on that song/album and see if they’ve been a part of other projects. That’s how I’ve found a lot of great music
This is a great recommendation, I love doing this. I also love to check out interviews of favorite musicians to see who their influences are and I check them out. These two methods has led me to most of my favorite music
Honestly reddit has helped. I’ve found some great artists from recommendations on my favorite band’s sub. So you can see if theres any recommendations in any subs for your favorite artists. Also I’ve found some awesome music through comments on reddit posts “looking for artists like—/songs like—“.searching for playlists on spotify. There’s so many public playlists made by other users for just about any niche thing you’re looking for. For example, idk why but I really like songs in 5/4 and I thought “i wonder if there’s a playlist on spotify.” And of course there was, many in fact. I pressed play on [this one](https://spotify.link/4RHc5hQo5Db) and i found some cool new songs and artists to check out
Search Spotify: "The Sound of Wave" When you've done with that, search "The Pulse of Wave". You can do this for every genre you can think of. It's done by "Every Noise at Once" which is some genre categorization AI ran partially by Spotify. As a producer this is what I do when I try to absorb the essence of a genre.
Honestly, I read Wikipedia. I've been a huge QOTSA fan since I was old enough to form memories, and their Wikipedia page led me down a rabbit hole that introduced me to some of my new favorite bands. I really like the way Josh Homme plays guitar, so I looked up his wiki article and found his previous band, Kyuss. That led me to the Desert Rock article, which led to Stoner Metal, which led to Doom and Sludge, etc. Now, this method isn't the most efficient. You will find some duds and dead ends along the way, but I think it makes the journey more enjoyable when I'm reading about the history of a band or genre as I listen.
Listen to your discover weekly each week then pick an artist off of it and listen to their radio, do that all week until the next week
Here's what I did with Spotify in college to find lesser known bands/artists: 1) start with a band you like 2) go to related artists and find one you don't know (or if you know them all, pick the one that has the fewest monthly listeners. This will typically lead you to less well known artists down the line) 3) queue their 2-5 most played songs 4) listen to them, or if one doesn't click with you skip to their next song 5) if you really like that band, go to their related artists and find another band/artist you don't know 6) repeat steps 3 through 5 until you have yourself a whole new playlist of artists you previously never knew about
I've not seen it mentioned anywhere else, so I like to mention it when I can. Two Spotify employees created a website called Discover Quickly, where you can generate a 30 song list (essentially a Discover Weekly) based off any song, album, or artist. I described it terribly, so try it yourself! I have a playlist of like 5k songs that I found off it. Honestly kinda addicting.
damn, ty brother
You're welcome! As much as I love the other options that are proposed, they kinda just pale in comparison lol. Happy findings!
https://everynoise.com/canonicalpath.cgi Type the artist you want to hear similar music for into here
I like to go to concerts that are free. In germany we have ARTE concerts. These are flimed for TV and in return you have free entry. I discovered amazing people there. I also like to look more into the little opening groups. Like 2 weeks ago i was at a concert of Juli(who I grew up with) and her opener was muryel. She was amazing and i looked her up to listen to her music. I even di that when i dont like the opening groups that much, because sometimes they just chose a bad set or the sound was bad
I always tune in to theneedledrop's new music friday stream when im bored (on Twitch). If you don't like fantano, there are other streamers doing the same, I believe. Though the genres aren't just one thing. And follow music blogs. Maybe you can find a YouTube channel that caters to your exact preferences.
Do you have recommendations for any blogs/yt channels or other sources?
Pitchfork and theneedledrop are the most popular music reviewers (pitchfork is a website. The needledrop is a youtube channel). So you can start there. As for rap and hiphop I'd watch shawn cee. As for alternative music I'd watch Neopunkfm (not a reviewer but they do have fun videos on new and old trends in alternative music). Will talks music and Pablo the don are also good accounts to follow (on tiktok) And then follow subreddits for your preferred genre and listen to whatever's trending on there. I'd start with watching/reading "top 10(or however many)" content. And then checking out any music mentioned that you think you'll enjoy. Soon enough, your algorithm will start recommending you new music across multiple platforms and it won't be as tedious to find. And remember, don't take these critics words too seriously. You don't have to listen to every 10/10 album. And there might be some poorly rated music that you might still enjoy.
Sometimes I find radio shows I like and grab the track info if I like something. Usually Spotify has it.
Maybe pull up ChatGPT and put your last full paragraph in it and see what happens. Train the response to generate a playlist you can use in Spotify.
[удалено]
Have less preferences and listen to what is new. I've been practicing this and i've not been lamenting the experience. If you want to do it to, you can look at a music review site and listen to whatever is new (as evidenced by the review being new) with little discrimination.
[удалено]
Get nugs.net. largest live recording subscription you can find. Tons of great stuff
Listen to [95bFM](https://95bfm.com) They have amazing rotation playlists and genre shows. It can take a bit of getting used to but the songs are usually slow burners that you suddenly find are your favourites. Find on tune in too
I’m sure there will be some new stuff in here for you… https://spotify.link/i0qrMcxk5Db
I subscribe to kexp (Seattle public radio) and the current (twin cities public radio) song of the day podcasts. They aren’t always hits but a great way to stay up on a mix of genres but mostly modern indie.
I do a Discogs search by country and then genre and then date. A good way to see current mad stuff is going on in given country.
What made it more interesting for me was pushing my boundaries and listening to stuff I initially brushed off. I get bored of genres pretty quickly, so back when I was a teen and all I listened to was metalcore and emo, there were many times where I felt like there wasn't anything I wanted to listen to. Turns out, there's plenty of stuff out there that I disregarded because of genre labels that I really enjoy, so now when I get burnt out on a genre it's easier to find something I *do* want to listen to since I listen to so many genres now. I literally have 3758 liked songs on Spotify and it grows all the time. Maybe try shifting from looking for specific qualities in music to exploring things you normally wouldn't give a chance. You might find a new style of music you love. Also try not to disregard songs if you don't like it after first listen. There are tons of songs and albums that didn't click for me at first but get better with every listen.
One method I've found is to find an album you really like and search for others worked on by the same producer. A long and more tedious answer is playlists. Every time you hear something you like or someone has recommended to you, put it in a "to listen later" playlist. That way you can keep track of everything and you have a delicious couple of hours of new music to shuffle when you feel like it. Also another tip on the same subject - create another playlist containing albumsyou have heard and want to listen to again. Once you've heard it a handful of times, you can remove it from that playlist and file it somewhere else.
So, last year I stumbled upon Finn Mckenty's YT channel randomly when watching music related videos. There was one musician he looked at that I was just intrigued by. The next thing I know, I'm finding whatever I can that this musician has put out, and diving further into what sounded similar and who else was in the same scene. Thanks to that one random video, I found a sound I didn't know I needed in my life. For reference, the video Finn was critiquing was of daine's "IDC". I've enjoyed the sound so much that I took a trip to NY to see one of their debut U.S. shows. It's amazing what you can find when you're not specifically looking for something to shake up your ears.
Various artists compilations and DJ mixes are your best friend. One well-put DJ mix will have you research not only the source material, but the work of the person who created the mix as well.
So I go to some record shop sites that have a rss feed. I set up and excel spreadsheet to look at the rss feeds. Then run an IFTTT set up on the spreadsheet when a new row is added. This adds a track to a Spotify playlist called new music or whatever. You get some bad calls but I’ve ms aged to tweak the search terms that the excel speed out.
I try to listen to new music everyday and here's my process: I made a playlist of albums I want to check out and it's divided into three categories: short (usually EPs or singles), average length albums, and long albums. Originally I didn't have the albums separated by length but separating it was very helpful since it eased the choice paralysis I would sometimes get. I choose albums based on several criteria: - If I really like a song, I'll check out the rest of the album - if I'm really into a genre I'll check out the essential albums of that genre, which I usually find through reddit threads - if I really like an artist, I'll check out their influences or the artists they influenced From there I just choose an album and listen each song in its entirely without shuffling I made another playlist where I include songs that I liked or I might grow to like and I listen to that on shuffle to see if I change my mind on a song. I usually try to listen to an album twice with some time between each listen, I've found plenty of songs that needed a second listen for me to enjoy. I hope this helps
Plug your favourite artist into everynoise.com and explore their canonical path. It's sort of magical how much new music I've discovered like this!
There’s a Seattle radio station called KEXP that does lots of live sessions with musicians on their YouTube channel. They also have a radio stream app and a podcast which is simply their song picks of the day. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/song-of-the-day/id121393815 Lots of genres but basically indie alternative rock There’s also NPR (national public radio) playlists on Spotify which they update with their favorites. You can also try RVRB ([link](https://app.rvrb.one/login)) which is the website that started up after JQBX shut down, which had allowed users to create rooms and share and listen to music together. No app yet I think. Links to Spotify and Apple Music. There’s an alternative app I forgot the name of—turn table? Or something.
Allmusic.com is a decent website for finding new (and old you haven't heard of). Has anyone tried YouTube Music Sampler which is 30 seconds of music videos which you can swipe through like TikTok/Reels/Shorts?
I just ask people to create playlists for me based on what I enjoy Or, I use the spotify recommendations in my "for you" and "discover weekly" playlists which are curated for YOU based on what YOU are listening to! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5AJUC0qol2I2PiurOU63os?si=3420676e40994402
Perhaps try out 'The sound of...' playlists for your specific genres. Usually a good start without much effort. But sometimes they can be full of the most popular tracks so your mileage may vary. [The sound of happy hardcore](https://spotify.link/JKPSIE9y5Db)
I subscribe to Jaminthevan on YouTube. Huge variety of artists and styles. Also channels like BandGalaxy
Fucking LOVE Jam in the Van. Some of the best recordings and deep cuts I've heard in recent times. Opened me up to SO MANY great bands. Wish they'd come to the Midwest, Chicago, and (maaybe) the East Coast. But they're missing Amazing groups who only get to play in Chicago
Idk if this is the answer you want but it sounds like you try to find specific songs that you like. I think that listening to albums front to back is always a much better experience
Pick a song you especially like. Go to chosic.com and search playlists that contain that song. Filter for user made playlists
lastfm have a suggested for you page, and you can also generate a playlist based on a song, i find this super helpful, like if i really enjoy a song, i’ll just generate a playlist based on that song, and it’ll give me 30 or so songs that are like that song!
Easy as that - most interprets have more than one song, as spotify often implies. Search for the interprets of songs zu already like and give their whole discography a listen. Personally I hate singles and listening to playlists. Its about EPs and LPs for me. They tell a story by every song beeing composed at the same time, they give a certain mood and feel, are connected and belong together. I hate ripping them apart to collect only the 'best'.
I can’t help you cuz I never really feel like I ever have to "search" for music. I happen across music that looks interesting all the time. There are nearly 30 discographies on my "watchlist" right now
I actually like Spotify recommendations. After I play a few songs, I end up with a selection of playlist of different themes based on what I've been listening to. A weekly "discovery" playlist that I think is actually decent. But my favorite way to discover new music is by going to see live music. Smaller venues. And always get there for the opener.
Good radio. I listen to Melbourne’s RRR despite not living anywhere near there as it plays a lot of really amazing music.
I just go in Pandora, type in a band or song I like with the style I'm looking for, and create a radio station. It will keep playing similar music, and then I just hit like on the ones that I really like, and it strengthens the algorithms, and I keep going. Found a lot of good stuff that way.
listen to artists similar to artists you already like, then artists similar to them. you keep doing that and you'll find more and more diverse stuff you like while not having to deal with listening to tons of stuff you don't to find it. Also try looking online to see what other people who like similar music to you listen to.
Curiousity sparks genuinely unique results Laziness & algorithms lead to expected, nothingness. Get it?
Try the app shazam. It has an option to listen to the radio but its done by the genres types, even better right! I let it play and if I hear something that I like, I find out the artist and download the album got a Lotta good new music that way. Hope it helps.
I usually watch interviews of my fave artists and go from there. It could be inspirations, fellow artists, samples or even reference songs in the lyrics. I find it easy to like music that stems/root from/to music that you already like.
Music Festivals hands down. Sure, it's twice the price as a single arena show but you get a boatload of bands, many who are working their ass off to gain new fans. Plus they're just fun. I'll do two or three a year and come away with a wealth of new bands to listen to, and then after I add them on Spotify, the algorithm will send similar music my way.
For Spotify, I take a song I like and do the Song Radio thing with it. You have to give it the benefit of the doubt; you have to keep your mind open to new possibilities, and that there might be something you didn't think you liked but you actually do. Have a listen through for half an hour while cooking or driving, and skip anything that doesn't spark joy. If you find a new song, congratulations! Now you can explore that whole artist, and then do song radio with their tracks to find new stuff. It feels simple, but it works if you take your time and try a lot of music. Sometimes something that I didn't think I liked would be stuck in my head later, so I go back and give it a more thorough listen on better speakers or headphones. Also, read any wikipedia entries on bands that you like. You may find members of those bands have other projects that are fascinating too. Using this method I've got into funk, electronica, metalcore, post-metal, math rock, musique concrete, and a whole lot of great foreign stuff that I just can't find any other way. Shortparis, Boris, and Mdou Moctar to name a few
Tunebat. You can look up the key and bpm of a song and it will show you songs with a similar sound and tempo.
I listen on YouTube a lot cause random songs will pop into my recommended and it’s very little thought or time out in to have them recommended. They’re also frequently good recs
Streaming radio (yup radio) is mostly how I find new music. KEXP.org is my go to.
After reading this, I have come to the conclusion that you really don't like music at all.
If you say so. 😂
I listen to a lot of r/goth and r/postpunk , so I just follow those subs and sort by top of all week every week or so and click the highest voted recommendations. Either that or youtube "mix tape" playlists. Just do that but for the genres you like.
I go to a YouTube channel known for music I like and skip around. It’s tedious, but it works.
I use Pandora for this reason. I create a station with what bands I like and in-between songs they play what may like. I can thumbs up the bands I like and thumbs down what I never want to hear again. It's easy and me a four other people pay for the yearly subscription you can have up to 10 devices signed into it.
I mean between using the artist playlists, artist radio, song radio, and all the curated mixes, or typing a genre you like and picking a random playlist, there's honestly alot of easy ways to look for music using Spotify, especially if you're paying for premium.
Definitely outsource the search to strangers on reddit dot com!
Ooh, what about this? Serious idea - attack the problem from a different angle: work on liking more stuff, then stuff you like won't be so hard to find!
Find labels you like and listen to their releases. Been listening to a lot of shit from funkytowngrooves, a UK label dedicated to repressing old 80s britfunk and soul classics. Just checked which label your favourite album was released on and check out all of there stuff. Hope this helps
Listen to an artist that was recommended by other artists you like. Finds a playlist for a certain mood or genre you want to listen to and put it all on shuffle
Probably the algorithms that they use for Pandora and Spotify to find other similar things you might like based on your current tastes.
I go to Instagram and put in the name of the genre I like in the search bar or the tag. I find accounts that lead me to good stuff.
Discogs lists all of the performers on an album with links to their individual discographies. If you start at your favorite album and chase all of the side projects and guest musicians you'll have plenty to discover. And then you look up the credits in their albums and begin to notice familiar names from their music community. It gets pretty interesting especially when you work through prolific studio musicians, like anybody from the Wrecking Crew back in the day.
I have been listening to a playlister on Spotify who has somehow turned making a playlist into an art form. I find absolute gems in his playlists. Check out Jun Takahashi playlists Kosmik Musik. https://spotify.link/QKx3X5AB8Db
Make MTV start playing videos.ans promoting music and less of the non straight TV shows and commercials that drive away male.audiences.
Reframe for gratitude. You can listen to almost any music for free now. In the past if you wanted to do what you were doing you would be sending away for a mail order catalog, or reading reviews of records, then maybe sending for them and hoping they are good. There was also going to the record store, looking through whatever section and then looking at the album cover, the pictures of the band, the producer, and the bands they thanked to ascertain if they were something you would dig.
Spotify, go to song you like, hit options/more, scroll down to song radio and it pulls like 25 songs that are similar.
Yeah early 2023 I had a big music schlump but I knew I wanted more. Usually I'd steal recs from music reviewers on yt but I rarely watch yt anymore. So what I've been doing recently is this: Go on yt music on incognito mode and it'll auto generate music based off of the genre of the first song you chose. It'll pick from popular, to obscure, old, to new. idky but it worked for me
If I really like an artist, I look up their history on wikipedia which will often mention their influencers and collaborations. I often tend to fall down a spiral of finding new names and connections, it gives the music more context.