“I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.” -Albert Einstein
I am someone whose music taste seems to change by the year. I can pretty much guarantee that what I’m listening to in January will not be on my playlist by December. One of the reasons for this is because I am always looking for new artists to listen to and new types of music that work for me. However, sometimes I do find myself listening to the same handful of artists, and while this is fine, I would much rather expand my horizons. Through all of my music listening, I have developed a few easy tips to help you expand your own playlist!
Courtesy of Natalie Perea
1. Listen to Spotify Discover weekly
In case you don’t have Spotify or don’t know what this is, Discover Weekly is a playlist that is freshly tailored to your music taste every week. I have found a few of my favorite artists this way and think it’s the easiest way to start listening to new artists. If you decide you don’t like a particular song or artist, you can even tailor the playlist yourself by “liking” or “disliking” each song. This helps Spotify get it right the next week.
Another reason I recommend this playlist is because I don’t really listen to one genre of music – I listen to most of them. Discover Weekly pulls songs I don’t know but would probably enjoy from all of these different genres and hands them to me on a silver platter. If you don’t have Spotify, other streaming devices will have similar things for you, think Pandora radio-stations.
2. Pay attention to “Similar Artists” or “Fans Also Like” sections
If you really enjoy an artist, don’t be afraid to go to their page and see what other artists are similar to them! I have done this a few times and have found new bands and musicians that I enjoy even more than the original one. It’s also interesting to see how certain artists are similar because then you can understand why they sound the way that they do.
3. Go to live shows
Live shows are my personal favorite way to discover new music because you are meeting the music in its purest state. Even if you already know an artist, the way that you listen to their songs going into a show versus after seeing a show is night-and-day. A good concert can make the songs seem fuller and more dynamic to listeners. There are also always the bands that open the show. Watching these opening bands is a great way to discover fresh artists.
4. Get recommendations from friends
You probably have a friend who enjoys listening to music as much as I do (they might even enjoy it more). If you ask a few people for recommendations, you will likely find who your “music friend” is who listens to a lot of stuff and has similar music taste to you. This is also a good way to bond with people because once you start listening to more artists, you can also give them suggestions for who they should listen to next.
With the help of these four things, you’ll be able to refresh your playlists and maybe even discover your next favorite artist!