How To Find New Music

What a strange name for a post, don’t you think?

For most people, you’d figure they would easily be able to find music, but this never seems to be the case. Why is it that every time you talk to someone, the only bands they can mention is ones they heard on the radio? Do they not use the internet to find more music?

I’ve often pondered this question, but when I think about it, it’s actually quite common that people simply don’t know how to find out new music. There’s nothing more exciting than to find a sample from a brand new song that dates back to the 70s, it’s like finding Waldo.

I figure I’d like to share some of the ways I find new and old music online.

This is how to find out new music…

YouTube

First on the list is YouTube. I know, you may be thinking ‘duhhh’ everyone uses YouTube as a way to find music, but do they really? It seems that most people are just typing in a song they heard on the radio and jump between them.

You can easily delve further into a musical genre by looking at the suggested videos on YouTube. The further you go, the more obscure you’ll get. Sometimes you’ll find a song that was produce by an artist and that was his only song. It could be the most amazing thing in the world, but no one ever hears about it.

Search peoples channels to see what else they post, sort their playlist by popularity and other options, read comments talking about the sampling and vocals within a song. You’ll go deeper and deeper into a genre of music as you begin to find more information about it.

Music Shops

Whither it’s a local music shop or buying vinyl at an online shop, you’ll be able to hear the latest and greatest music of the particular genre you love and want to spin. Subscribe to the websites RSS feed if available so you know within seconds of new songs that were just released.

Additionally, check the forums on these music websites. There are always people talking about other artists that sound like X or their top lists of artists from that genre. There are millions of others just like you out there looking to find that rare and exciting track, just ask them.

Networking

Social networking is another great way to learn where to find music. Besides the fans of the music which will talk your ear off, you could also directly talk to fellow DJs to see what their favorite tunes are and where they find them.

Some of the best suggestions were from DJs of genres that I love. They are always up to date on the newest releases as well as some of the white label presses. They’ll be more than happy to give you a few names and from there, just check various websites to hear samples.

Forums

Forums are one of my favorite ways to find out about new and old music. As mentioned before, people will always ask for suggestions for other artists that sound like one of their favorites. Often, you’ll find people talking about every kind of music on these forums.

If you want to get specific, just find a forum that is based around your favorite genre. Because the people on these forums are hardcore for the sound, they spend a lot of their time finding every bit of information about it.

Blogs

Blogs are an excellent way to find new music. There are millions of blogs on the internet, many of which talk about the music the bloggers listen to. Just do a blog search or type in one of your favorite album titles and then start searching around to see what else these blogs are talking about!

Music Review Sites

Besides blogs, there are plenty of music review sites.

On these music sites, besides doing music reviews, they also talk to the artists that make the songs! Because many music review sites have a ton of contributors, you will see a wide range of music being covered.

Music Maps

Sites like MusicMap is a great tool to find similar artists, visually. Much like a web, a music map will show similar artists within that genre based on tagging and suggestions. The websites are generally spot on with their suggestions because people demand to know great information.

Streaming Radio

There’s an abundance of streaming radio websites and applications for the web and computer. Load up Winamp and just take a browse through the streaming radios available. Websites like Radiotuna, Last.FM, Pandora and DI.FM will allow you to listen to the music while also giving you additional information like track listing and artist information. Use the available information to find other artists related in the genre.

Discogs

What I like to do is delve further into a genre by looking at the side projects my favorite artists have done. If you know the name of the group or artist, just type it and Discogs will show to you all the other tracks they have made over the years under different names and groups.

Sometimes you’ll find that your favorite artist teamed up with someone you don’t know at all. At this point, go further and check out this other artist’s tracks as well.

Your Friends

Your friends are probably going to give you some of the best suggestions for other music. Although you may agree on much of the same music you both like, there’s a high chance that both of you listen to a lot of obscure stuff within the genre.

Jump on instant messenger and ask your friends what groups and artists they like. Ask for them to link you to forums, YouTube videos and radio stations. Hell, even dedicate a night to finding out more about the genre you both love.

Always keep digging

I want to stress the importance of both looking toward the future and delving into the past. It’s one thing to know all of the latest artist and their work, but to truly appreciate the music you need to know the roots.

Spend some of your time finding out about music by going into the past. See where those first samples came from or what instrument that killer bassline was made from. Find a few sets from the 80s (Detroit techno what!) and learn how the scene has progressed over the years.

There’s always going to be new music in the future, but don’t forget that the past has more than you can ever go through as well.

So, tell me, how do you find out about new music?

"Subscribe to the blog"

Receive an update straight to your inbox every time I publish a new article. Your email address will never be shared.