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1) Music streaming services
Let's start with the obvious: music streaming services. There's internet radio, personal playlists, you name it, it's out there. Let's talk about some of the most successful services currently on the market and how they can be used most effectively.
Pandora This music streaming service is the grandfather of internet radio, eventually leading giants like Spotify and Apple to try their hand at it as well. Started and launched in 2000, Pandora is powered by the Music Genome Project. I found a lot of my favorite artists through it (ex: Arctic Monkeys, the Strokes, Franz Ferdinand) when I first started trying to diversify my music taste back in middle school. I'd recommend using Pandora to get a feel for your music taste and find a few good artists you'll stick with in the long run.
Spotify Though its record with paying artists may be a bit spotty (I'm sorry), Spotify is definitely my favorite music streaming service. I love that you can make your own playlists of nearly any song you can think of for FREE. This is really important to me because I don't necessarily commit to music just because I listen to it; I only want to pay for songs that I think I'll want to listen to forever. It's amazing how much freedom you get even without paying monthly for Spotify Premium, the service's paid option. I have it because I use Spotify as my main music library, but the free version is awesome too. In addition to the features I mentioned above, you can also follow others and curated playlists. There's also a 'Discover' section where you can find new music based on what you already listen to, multiple apps you can connect to your Spotify account to enhance your listening experience, Spotify Radio, and most recently Spotify Running for when you need some new workout tunes.
Songza This service is super unique and interesting. It's basically like Pandora, but instead of stations there are curated playlists, and instead of being categorized by mood rather than by artist or genre. Songza is great for people that know what they're feeling but are too lazy to come up with their own playlist to fit it.
Get some music streamin'!
→ Pandora ←
→ Spotify ←
→ Songza ←
2) IRL
In real life. I'm talking ads, YouTube videos, the grocery store, whatever. Somewhere or something you're experiencing as you're going about your business without expecting to find new music. Except you can. And you will.
Ads. Companies pay good money to marketers to make attention-grabbing ads. So believe it or not, but your next favorite tune might be straight out of an ad.
Music:
→ 1//Joy Zipper ←
Music:
→ Blue Eyes//Ladyhawke ←
YouTubers. To make good videos, you need a good soundtrack. This is especially pertinent to YouTubers. In general, keep your ears open when watching a video and you just might hit gold. Protip: the name of the song is probably in the description box. I realized the potential of YouTube videos to help me discover new tunes after I started getting into Jenn Im's videos. I absolutely love her music taste!
Movies/TV. Movie soundtracks are expertly curated, and the same goes for TV shows. Either that, or their completely original. Two of my favorite movie soundtracks are those of Inception and Interstellar, both by Hans Zimmer.
The Grocery Store. ..or anywhere else public. Keep your ears peeled and follow this quick tip to score a few faves:
→ Shazam ←
Movies/TV. Movie soundtracks are expertly curated, and the same goes for TV shows. Either that, or their completely original. Two of my favorite movie soundtracks are those of Inception and Interstellar, both by Hans Zimmer.
The Grocery Store. ..or anywhere else public. Keep your ears peeled and follow this quick tip to score a few faves:
If the song has lyrics, mentally note a line or two to Google later. If this isn't helpful (ex: songs with no lyrics), then try using Shazam. If you're slow or forgetful and don't think you'll get the app up in time, don't worry. There's a way to keep it on and recording at all times so that when you open it up at the end of day, there'll be a list of songs ready to go.
3) Free music
Who doesn't love free stuff?! Ok, ok, I know what you're thinking. "Free music? that's probably illegal." If you use the places I'm about to talk about, it's not.
Soundcloud I first discovered the potential of Soundcloud from Jenn Im, my favorite fashion vlogger. If you watch any of her videos, the music will probably leave a lasting impression on you. If you need another reason to give Soundcloud a try, know that it's full of new, often undiscovered artists, so you'll be supporting rising stars! Check out my account to get started.
A couple more reputuable royalty-free music websites I know of are freemusicarchive.com and premiumbeat.com.
4) Venues
I personally don't have the most experience with finding new music at venues- I've only been to two concerts- but that's irrelevant. If you have access to them, venues are a great way to find new tunes. After all, who doesn't like live music?
Local bands High schoolers and college kids, this one's for you. Many bands start out around this time in their lives and need a little support to get known. In addition to younger artists, more experienced ones may be in your area as well. Attend gigs and/or check their music out; you never know what you could find and you'll be supporting local talent!
Free concerts Many bigger towns and cities host free music events for the community. For example, this past summer, I attended the Montclair Jazz Festival with my cousin. I hope to one day visit a similar event in New York City. Make sure to look up events like these in a town or city near you.
Opening acts Many times, the opening act of a concert is a lesser-known artist. Don't snooze through their performance! Even when it comes to the main act, there may be some songs you've never heard before (until you're a die hard fan; then it's another story).
And there you have it: four different methods to find new music. Which one(s) are you gonna try out? Leave a comment down below!
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| Montclair Jazz Fest 2015 |
Opening acts Many times, the opening act of a concert is a lesser-known artist. Don't snooze through their performance! Even when it comes to the main act, there may be some songs you've never heard before (until you're a die hard fan; then it's another story).
And there you have it: four different methods to find new music. Which one(s) are you gonna try out? Leave a comment down below!
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