Have you reached a point where you have listened to an album or song many times and are ready for something different? There are so many genres of music, and new artists and albums, that it can sometimes be overwhelming looking for new music, or it can just be hard to know where to start. There are also several music websites, apps, and services that allow you to listen to music for free, but by visiting just a few, you will be able to find new music that you like.
Steps
Method 1 of 5: Find Music with Spotify
Step 1. Create a Spotify user
To start using their service, Spotify requires you to sign up, but it's pretty straightforward. Go to their website and choose the option “Get Spotify for free” or “Subscribe to premium” (premium allows you to listen to commercial-free music and download songs to your phone so you can listen to music even when you don't have the service). Then, you must register through Facebook or with your email address in order to start listening to music.
Step 2. Download Spotify on your computer or use its web player
Spotify has several different options for listening to music. You can download its program to your computer, which allows you to keep your session permanently open, or you can visit Spotify's online web player (it runs similar to the program on your computer).
You can also download the Spotify app on your tablet or phone. With this app, you can still listen to music for free, but you won't be able to select individual songs. You will only be able to listen to random songs in albums or playlists, which will make it difficult for you to discover new music
Step 3. Visit the pages of the artists you like
To start your search for new music, it can always be helpful to start with the artists you like. In the Spotify player, you can type the name of your favorite artists in the search bar, and you can click on some of their albums or the artists themselves. To find new artists, it helps to visit the current artist page.
Step 4. Take a look at the related artists
Spotify has created a feature that allows you to query artists that are similar to the artists you like, which can be beneficial when trying to discover new music. The "Related Artists" link is on the right side of the page, next to "popular." It usually shows the top 7 artists related to the artist you listen to, but if you click the link, you will be directed to a page with 20 other artists.
Step 5. Use the browse function
Spotify has also created a page that gives you the option to explore different genres, news, charts, and even has a discovery page. Each of these pages gives you the option of finding new music, either by trying different genres or by following Spotify's suggestions. Click "Browse" in the upper left corner of the Spotify page to explore new music.
- Charts: within the "Browse" option, this page will allow you to listen to music ranked among the 50 best in the country. You can listen to music from the United States or from around the world. You can also visit the page "The 50 most viral by country", which allows you to see which songs are in the top 50 in each country.
- Genres and Moods - This page is useful if you're feeling a certain way or looking for a certain genre, but don't have an idea of specific artists to search. Spotify has created various genres and moods such as "Relaxation", "Jazz", "Travel", etc., as well as playlists within each of those categories to be more specific. For example, within the category "Relaxation", there are some playlists such as "Tea for three", "Between friends" and "Infinite rest". Within the category "Jazz", one of the playlists that you can find is "Classics of Jazz". In categories that are based more on genre than mood, Spotify has numbered a number of known or popular artists and albums within that genre.
- What's New - What better way to find new music than to hear what's new? This page consists of music that was recently released. It is not grouped by any specific genre or category, so you will have to make some adjustments to find music.
- Discover: This page is created exclusively for you as a user, and it gets better and better depending on the amount of time you spend on Spotify listening to music. Spotify has several different categories, such as "Best recommendations for you", "What's new for you", "Because you've heard …". Essentially, Spotify is able to identify the music you listen to and find similar artists or genres that you like so you can explore new music.
Step 6. Visit a friend's page
Spotify has the look of a social network, as you can add friends and view their pages to find out what music they listen to. If you know a certain friend who shares similar likes, visit their page by searching for their name in the search bar. You should be able to see the music you've recently listened to, the playlists you've created, and the artists and other friends you follow.
Method 2 of 5: Discover New Music on Pandora
Step 1. Create an account
To use Pandora, you can listen to music without an account, but it will not save any songs the next time you visit the application, so it is useful to create an account so that you can save stations.
With Pandora you can also choose between a free account and a paid account. The paid account essentially allows you to listen to music without commercials or advertisements
Step 2. Create a new station based on an artist or song
One way to discover new music on Pandora is to create new stations and “like” or “dislike” certain songs as they play. You can create a station based on an artist or song, and then Pandora will play music similar to that artist or song.
Step 3. Customize your station
As you listen to music, the best way to discover new music is to personalize your station. When a song you like is playing, click the thumb up icon at the top of the screen, and when you don't like a song, click the thumb down icon. This will help Pandora to play songs that best suit your tastes.
- Every time a new song plays, Pandora will also display similar artists. As you listen to music, you may discover new artists or songs by clicking on one of those similar artists.
- After you have listened to a station, you can also go back to it and edit the artists or songs that you liked or disliked. On the left side of the screen, where your stations are displayed, you can click the "Options" button under a station. Then, click on “Station Details”, and you will be directed to a page that shows the songs you “liked” or “disliked”. If you are bored with certain songs or want more variety, you can delete some of the songs so that the variety of music played on that station is wider.
Step 4. Explore the genres
In this service you can also search for playlists and genres that Pandora has already created. In the upper left corner, click on the search bar. A white box with instructions should appear, as well as a link within that box that says "Find Genres." Click on that link to see the different genres and stations.
- Pandora has a number of stations within each genre, suitable for the type of music that interests you or the mood you feel. You can view their top stations for listening to popular music, or you can visit their other categories which consist of various genres with different stations within the genres.
- There are certain categories that are not necessarily a genre, such as "Classic", but are states of mind, such as "Cooking," "Studying," and "Exercising." Within these categories you will have different stations that Pandora has created. For example, within “Cooking”, there are different stations such as “Hipster Cocktail Party”, “Relaxed Lunch”, “Fun Banquet”, etc., all with songs that fit this type of food.
Method 3 of 5: Find New Music Using iTunes
Step 1. Download iTunes on your computer or phone
In order to access music in iTunes, you will have to run it on your computer or as an application on your phone. Then you can create an Apple account and log in. Your songs and purchases will be saved in iTunes for later use.
Step 2. Use the radio function
Like many music players, iTunes has a radio that allows you to search for a genre, artist, or album, and iTunes will play songs similar to the one you searched for. This is a good way to find new music if you're not sure where to start and only have a general idea of the type of music that interests you.
- To find this feature, open your iTunes page. At the top center of the page, you should make a white bar that shows the options you can choose, such as "Library", "For you", "Radio" and some others. Once you click on the radio option, iTunes will display its featured stations, as well as a number of other stations that you can choose from.
- To customize your station, when songs are playing, you can "like" or "dislike" certain songs. Move the cursor to the top of the page where it shows which song is playing. An ellipsis icon should appear. Click on that icon, and you'll see some options, one of which is "Play similar ones" and another is "Never play this song." You can also buy songs directly from iTunes by clicking on the price next to the song that is playing.
Step 3. Visit the “What's New” page
If you are looking for new music, you can visit this page to discover music that has been recently released, or the most popular artists, albums and songs. Apple has playlists like "Today's Hits," "New Music," "Today's Hits," and many other suitable options to help you find new music.
Step 4. Visit the iTunes store
It might seem obvious, but a good place to find new music is to simply check out the songs in the iTunes store. You can listen to a sample of the song before deciding to buy it, or you can add it to your wish list to listen to later.
The iTunes store is a lot like the "What's New" page in that it lists hits, new music, and various genres to choose from
Method 4 of 5: Find New Music with Bandcamp
Step 1. Create an account
Bandcamp is a great way to discover new artists and music that aren't always high on the charts. To create an account, you will first need to buy music or support an artist. The great thing about Bandcamp is that many of the artists offer their music for free, so you can search for a free album or song, and then you can create an account.
Josh Garrels often offers his music for free with no minimum purchase amount (donation is recommended) and there are other artists like him on Bandcamp who allow you to download his album without paying anything
Step 2. Visit the Bandcamp home page
This is the page where you will find many of the most popular artists, new albums and the most listened to songs (recent favorites of artists, fans and special guests). On the home page you should also see the "discovery" section that lists albums of different genres.
In the discover section, you can choose the genre and date (today, this week, last week, 2 weeks ago, etc.), and then choose from the best results, staff picks, new songs and recommended artists. When you click on an album, Bandcamp will automatically start playing one of the songs on the album, and then you will have the option to listen to more of the album by clicking the “Listen More” link below the song that is playing. You can also choose to "Buy Now" or put the song on your wish list, which will require an account
Step 3. Follow your favorite artists
Every time an artist you like releases new music, Bandcamp will automatically notify you if you follow the artist on their home page. This will require an account, but it is a good option because it allows you to keep track of new and upcoming music. Bandcamp may also notify you by email of the artist concerts you are following taking place in your area.
Step 4. Discover new music on the home page
With Bandcamp you can follow your favorite artists, but you can also follow other users. In your newsfeed you should see the activity of your followers and followed artists. You can listen to any music they've listened to, and you can also find “recommended users” (people who have a similar taste in music that Bandcamp suggests you can follow).
The difference between Bandcamp and iTunes is that you have unlimited access to music, which means that you can listen to the entire duration of a song before purchasing it. Bandcamp also features alternative, indie, rock, and folk music as its main music, so chances are you have a variety of music selection that you would get through a popular music streaming app
Step 5. Create a music collection
This can be done after you have created an account by adding music to your wish list and purchasing artist music. You will then have access to your collection through the Bandcamp app or their website. You can also redownload your purchases, which allows you to recover music that you may have lost.
To redownload purchases, you can visit your music collection and click "Download" under the album or song you want to listen to. Even if you've downloaded the album before, Bandcamp allows you to re-download it, which is good if you lose the music
Method 5 of 5: Discover New Music with Shazam
Step 1. Download the Shazam app
One of the best features of Shazam is its application, which allows you to identify songs played on the radio (or through any other means that plays music) to help you find it. The app is available for Android or Apple phones, and can also be connected to the Apple Watch.
Step 2. Identify new music
To use the Shazam app, every time you hear a new song that interests you, open the Shazam app and press "Make a Shazam." Shazam will listen to the song and identify it. Then, you will have the option to buy the song or go to a page where Shazam shows the lyrics of the song, allows you to start a station with the song and recommends other similar songs.
Step 3. Explore clues
On the app's home page, you can browse the best songs from around the world and see which artists have used Shazam recently, which can help you discover new music. You can also see the songs that the application has identified the most, and you will have the opportunity to follow the artist, watch music videos, listen to other recommended songs or listen to the song for free in the “Rdio” function of the application.
To see Shazam's trends, you can also visit the “Trends” page to access the top trending songs in several different genres. You can also see the songs that various users have made Shazam to in the app
Step 4. Sign up or log in to get more tools
On your app's "My Shazam" page, you can see all the songs you've made Shazam to, but you can also log in or create an account for more tools. By creating an account you can connect with Spotify and Rdio and have access to all the artists you follow.