Sick of the same old music? Here are a few tips to help you explore something new.
By Morgan Heilman
Finding new music can be difficult. Often your friends share your music tastes, so you already know what they know, or it’s the opposite, in which you don’t like any of their songs. The problem remains: How can you find new music to add to your playlists—music you know you would like?
Streaming sites like Spotify and Apple Music have tried to solve this problem by creating perfectly curated playlists attained to algorithms of a person’s tastes. But these playlists may not be your best bet because they end up giving you repetitive songs or disappointing options.
Here are a few tips for you to consider when trying to find new music:
- Don’t write off music from new genres.
Many people are wedded to genres they “do not like” or “do like.” But switching up genres can be a good way to refresh your music library and diversify your music tastes. It can also teach you to keep an open mind about other people’s music choices.
Grace Praxmarer, a journalism student at the University of Minnesota, said she likes to listen to a variety of music so she doesn’t get tired of her playlists.
“I have various playlists, like hip-hop, country, throwbacks and I have a gym playlist that has all types of different music,” Praxmarer said. “I think it depends on my mood and the season.”
- Ask your friends and family about their favorite songs or artists.
Why not explore the musical tastes of those you choose to spend time with? You might get insight on songs from certain artists or genres that you may not have heard of before.
Ryan Anderson, an accounting student at the university, said his friends like to look at the Spotify new release playlists and talk about their favorite songs.
“Especially on the weekends when we are hanging out together and listening to music,” Anderson said. “When there is new music released by people that we all know, we will talk about it.”
- Explore playlists posted by those with similar interests.
Many music streaming services, like Spotify and Apple Music, allow you to view public playlists created by other users. Using this to find new music to add to your playlists is a helpful way to find songs from people’s playlists with similar music taste to you. It also allows you to explore several different users and playlists while creating your new playlists.