It’s been about a month now that we’ve been back in school, but it’s still as rough as ever. Honestly one of the only things that can get me through my 8ams is the fact that I get to listen to music on my walk there. I know the whole Spotify vs. Apple Music controversy is a thing, but I have Spotify premium and absolutely love it. I pay $5 a month (with the student discount) and I get to listen to as much music as I want, which is totally worth it to me (you also get a free Hulu subscription!). Now I’m not here to try and persuade you to switch from one service to another. If you use something else and it’s working for you, that’s awesome. Honestly any and all of these services are amazing.
When I was growing up, I had an iPod and the only songs I listened to on it were either ones I purchased on iTunes (I wasn’t savvy enough at the time to pirate music) or ones off of a CD I owned (or borrowed from the library). Basically, the spectrum wasn’t very broad. My taste mostly came from songs I heard on the radio. Sometimes there’d be an old song my dad had bought that’d make its way on there, for now a lot of my music taste has been influenced by him.
The game has changed so much since then!! My music taste is so widespread now and has grown tremendously and I have the internet to thank for that. When I compare the music I listened to then vs. now, it is different in so many ways. It’s not that the old music was bad, for I enjoyed it at the time, and it was a big part of my life. However, now I like to think I’m better at listening to music (if that’s possible). Sure, there are still basic radio hits that I jam to, but I’m finding that now I connect in a deeper way. Because of Spotify and the ever-growing technological spectrum that we live in, I am discovering old and new artists that I would have never even knew existed. Some have proven to be my favorites.
We are exposed to SO much music and there is SO much out there that people aren’t even aware of. These are a couple ways that I find new music to listen to in my daily life.
1. Spotify-made playlists
I never used to take full advantage of these until recently. These playlists, based off of mood and genre, are consistently being updated with new and old music, so even if you only listen to a couple, you’re still being exposed to new music every week. Another really cool Spotify feature is the Made for You playlists found in your library. Each week Spotify curates a playlist of about 30 songs that are chosen just for you based on your previous listening that’s updated every Monday. It also features a few personalized “Daily Mixes” that are more like a playlist radio, in which they are an endless mix of songs, that are genre oriented and specific.
2. Friends
I love getting to know what my friends are listening to. Whether it’s asking them to recommend songs/artists they love or following their playlists on Spotify, everyone has such unique tastes and come from different walks of life. Isn’t it such a great feeling when someone recommends a song to you and it completely flips you upside down?! I also like to see what the people I follow are listening to on the “Friend Activity” bar on the ride side of the app on my desktop. Sometimes I’ll see an artist on there that I like and follow it to a new song. This brings me to my next point…
3. Look at artists similar to ones you like
I do this ALL of the time. I like to visit the page of an artist I really love or one I just discovered and look at under “Fans Also Like” header. It usually sucks time out of me as I make my way deeper and deeper into the Spotify realm. When I find someone interesting, I make an effort to listen to a few of their popular songs and see if I like it. This is a great way to find a plethora of new artists to keep on your radar.
4. Movies/TV/Commercials
Now I can’t promise this method will always give you maximum results, but being the movie obsessed person that I am, I’ve definitely discovered plenty of music this way. Whenever you see a really good commercial, there’s usually a great song behind it. When I’m studying, I can’t always listen to music I can sing along to or else I get distracted, so I like to listen to film scores. I also find a lot of awesome music in the soundtrack of my favorite films.
So even if you think you’re content with the music you listen to and don’t feel like branching out, I encourage you to try. Whether it’s posting on your insta story asking for song recommendations or listening to a new playlist while studying. While I’m busy finding old music, there’s a consistent stream of new music every day. The idea that there’s always more to discover will always keep me hooked. When the world is letting you down, no matter how frustrated or upset I get, music is something that I can always count on.
If you need some inspiration, you can check out my Spotify!