5 Ways to Discover New Music
Music discovery has become a major problem on the internet in recent years. In no medium is it more convoluted. There is a constant stream of new artists. Social media ends up amplifying the noise, rather than clearing up the signal when it comes to finding something you actually like. It’s all a far cry from just 10 or so years ago.
Sure, extremely well-promoted artists like Taylor Swift or Kanye West are hard to miss. But today, there are few personal music blogs left standing. Most of the major music-focused websites that survived the Facebook era churn out so much content that it’s hard to sort through based on your personal tastes. Here are some of the best resources for music discovery, and how to use them.
NPR’s All Songs Considered highlights the best new music across genres
NPR’S All Songs Considered is the perfect place to start if your tastes span from mainstream to eclectic. The podcast is a shot of everything missing from the more pop culture-focused music coverage found elsewhere. It has a critical eye, rather than one limited by genre, elevating interesting upcoming artists alongside highlighting the best work of longtime performers.
Think of it as a podcast version of Rolling Stone music coverage. There are interviews, Peel Session-esque live performances, and album reviews. Not sure where to get started? Check out their “Best of” yearly rundown playlists and see if their selections land with you.
Gnoosic is a music search engine with a twist
Most of the popular content discovery tools — Google included — are stacked with results so hyper-targeted, that it can feel suffocating for those actually looking for something different. For music lovers, that’s the exact problem Gnoosic is designed to solve.
Rather than functioning as a traditional search engine, Gnoosic starts by asking for your three favorite artists. It recommends artists based on your tastes, often lesser-known artists. Users are invited to vote whether they like/don’t like each recommendation so that results can be further defined. If you’re confident in your knowledge of the more popular artists in a genre, Gnoosic can’t be beat if you’re looking to dig much deeper.
Don’t shy away from the radio features on popular streaming platforms
Most music streaming platforms, like Soundcloud, Spotify, and Apple Music, have radio stations based on genres. Sometimes even incredibly specific genres, like a very particular type of metal. While the human element might seem removed from these, they’re often curated very well behind the scenes.
You’ll get a mix of trending music, as well as songs curated by hand for many of these stations. This isn’t the best way to discover the most obscure artists in a particular subgenre — we’ll get to that later — but it’s a crucial way to expose yourself to the most influential and popular artists.
Curated playlists on streaming services are better than you might assume
Often, on a service like Spotify, you’ll have one or more titled playlists recommended. They’ll have fairly broad titles, rather than referring directly to just one genre. They’re going for a vibe as a DJ does, and they tend to be handled from top to bottom by hired music tastemakers.
If you miss the feeling of a flowing set, curated by someone with that special skill of transitioning between two songs you’d never think to put together? And somehow, it all works? You might find that magic by digging through curated playlists.
Artists’ personal playlists are a goldmine
Spotify and Apple Music in particular have a habit of partnering with artists to pair playlists with their profiles. Spotify, being as broadly used as it is, often has artists who put up playlists just for fun. Regardless of the intention, these are some of the best places to discover music.
You’ll get insight into your favorite artists’ influences, which are often more eclectic than one might assume. That special touch that’s missing in the absence of physical record shops can be rediscovered here. While it’s easy to feel adrift, listening to the same things the algorithm recommends you rather than forming your own tastes, there are options out there to bring the human element back in — if you look for them.
