David Michael 3 Comments March 1, We just have to look harder to find it. The model has shifted. Someone out there is probably making precisely the music that you want to hear. But, who cares? You just need to focus on how to find that one song that speaks to you, or fits your niche. You need to shift the way you think about music shopping. Here are 25 ways to help you find good music in the digital age.
"The Bigger Picture," Lil Baby
Add these to your playlist now.
In the pre-internet dark ages, finding a new band or singer to obsess over required time and effort. But as streaming and other technological gifts have disrupted everything in our culture, the way we discover new music and artists has become easier. Streaming For artists, playlists are paramount. Tei Shi recommends checking out playlists on Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal created by musicians you like, since, chances are, your tastes will align. That way your friend could potentially introduce you to a new song or artist on your own playlist. And when all else fails, falling down a YouTube or SoundCloud rabbit hole is still foolproof. Social Media Streaming platforms often source playlists from artists that originally broke on social media. Or you could be more proactive and find the buzzworthy songs yourself, like singer-songwriter Bibi Bourelly. There has to be some type of interest in finding something new and unique.
Act II: The Patents of Nobility (The Turn)
Today, there are more ways than ever for artists to get music into their fans' ears. However, the vast array of services can also be problematichow do you stay abreast of new music releases when they could pop up in lots of different places? A couple of decades ago, all you needed to do was subscribe to a music magazine and listen to the radio every day, but these days it's not so simple. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to keep up-to-date with new songs and new albums from your favorite artists. With that in mind here are the new music websites worth bookmarking. Instead, it focuses on new content from lesser-known and up-and-coming artists. Most of the site's recommendations revolve around four main genres: electronic, indie, hip-hop, and folk. The Music Ninja publishes regular playlists and often has new featured tracksall of which aim to introduce you to bands you probably haven't heard of. Each track in a playlist comes with at least a couple of sentences describing the artist and the song. You can download most of the featured tracks for free.
The Internet has mutated the way we hear about new artists and songs. There are reviews, a plethora of apps, and algorithms upon algorithms—meaning that discovering your favorite new bop is as overwhelming as ever. So we asked the people who know best about their strategies: people who write about music for a living, music execs, and of course, high schoolers. Discovering music does not frustrate me or cause me to have takes. I don't listen to Pandora, which might make that happen. I like it when SoundCloud drops into autoplay mode and delivers a sequence of songs tagged as related. I like it when YouTube does the same thing. I'm happy to learn what Spotify Discover thinks I want to hear.
