Whether you're a casual listener looking to shake things up or even a professional musician who wants to expand their horizons and get a better feel for what's going on in the music scene today, we'd like to share with you some of the best ways to find new music that you'll love.
Have you heard the term 'decision paralysis' before? It has become a pretty popular phrase in recent years, and that's thanks to the way in which it applies to how we interact with media through the internet and all of our devices.
Basically, decision paralysis is when you're presented with so many different options (often twelve or more) that you simply freeze up.
All of a sudden, you don't know what you're in the mood for and so you don't know which option to choose.
This problem has only gotten bigger with online media streaming because, as you already know, there are just so many different options trying to get your attention, from thousands of movies to literally millions of songs.
How do you know you'll like one artist more than another? There's definitely not enough time to sample every single track.
So if you've found yourself in a situation where you're overwhelmed by all kinds of music but you don't know what to pick, read on.
If you're looking to find new music, you're going to have a tough time if you tend to limit yourself to just a handful of different genres.
Let's say you're really into modern chart-topping hip-hop. Yeah, you can look around and find some new artists in the genre that you didn't know before, but you're going to run out of options pretty quickly.
But if you instead open yourself up to other options and other genres, you'll find some great new music more quickly while also maybe opening a door to brand new styles of music you didn't even know about before.
It can be tough to make yourself listen to something you're not used to, but that's only because what we already like feels comfortable.
If you can widen your musical tastes a bit, a whole new world could open up.
Recommendation algorithms have been getting talked about a lot these days, in both good and bad ways, but for users looking for new music on streaming services, they can be extremely helpful.
It used to be that you would have to go around asking people about other artists kind of similar to the ones you already like, and that's still a decent option depending on your situation, but algorithms are much more efficient.
When you use a music streaming service, these algorithms learn about your listening habits and, most importantly, take note of which artists you listen to the most.
Then, they work behind the scenes to find other artists that you might like, based on genre, the listening habits of other users, and even song structure and specific chord progressions.
That said, if you only listen to a handful of genres on these services, like we just talked about above, then the algorithms will continue to feed you more of the same, and that's not going to be too helpful.
But if you cast a wide net by listening to different genres every week, then the algorithms will come back with all sorts of picks, and you can refine the results even further by telling the service which ones you like and don't like with a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down.
This one is definitely a more old-fashioned option, but it still works great. Asking your friends about what they're listening to right now and what they think you might like can be an excellent way to find new music.
No matter who your friends are, we can guarantee that at least some of what they listen to on a regular basis will be unfamiliar to you.
Give it all a shot and see what you think. You won't enjoy all of it, but this will still give you a better idea of what kind of music you're looking for right now, and that can guide your search in the future.
If some of your friends happen to be musicians or work at music stores, then you can expect their recommendations to be more than a little out-there, which is all the more helpful for breaking you out of your musical bubble.
Sometimes casual listeners tend to forget that record labels themselves can be a great way to find new music that they'll love for years to come.
This probably isn't quite as true if we're talking about a huge record label that signs all kinds of different artists in different styles. But when you look to an indie label that has only signed a few dozen artists, you'll be happy with what you find.
Start with a single artist or band that you really like. If you look them up online you'll be able to see what record label they're currently signed to and which labels they've worked with before.
From there, you should have a very easy time. Just Google each of those labels and see what other acts they've signed.
In fact, if it's a somewhat popular label, you'll also be able to find sample playlists on streaming services or maybe just on the label's official website.
That way, you can scrub through each playlist to get a sense of each artist's sound and whether or not you're into it.
Live shows and all kinds of concerts are a great option for finding new music, especially if you dive into a concert without knowing anyone on the billing.
Look for cheap shows in your area. That way, at best, you'll find some cool new music and maybe even be able to meet the artists, or, at worst, you'll hate every act and go home knowing that at least you tried and didn't spend too much money in the process.
