How to find new music: 74 amazing resources to please your ears

Looking for new ways to find music you actually like? Then you’ll love this page. Here you will learn everything you need on how to find new music in the digital age.

This is the most thorough and comprehensive list that is on the web.

In this list, you’ll find 74 of the best modern music resources. We have websites, applications, youtube channels, and much more.

These resources are an effortless way to:

quickly learn about artists
stay up to date with your preferred music
have a home for good music suggestions
easily widen your music taste

Let’s dive in!

how to find new music

The internet and cell phone have been able to give us what we want at the touch of a button. Luckily, discovering new music in 2020 isn’t as complicated or expensive as it once was.

In today’s time, even if music applications have paid options, they usually have extensive free trials and other free perks to enjoy.

Back in the day finding new music not only took away energy and time, it also cost money and usually a short trip somewhere to buy the audio.

Now we have plenty of ways to complete our need of finding new music. We will discuss in detail each of the following topics. We have:

1. Streaming

2. Record labels & Record stores

3. Following music in the media

4. Livestreams and shows (shows when we are in a covid-19 free world)

find new music through Streaming

You’ve probably heard of streaming before. Do you know what it means?

Cambridge dictionary defines streaming (UK definition) as “the activity of listening to or watching sound or video directly from the internet.” The US definition is “the act of sending sound or video to a computer, mobile, etc. directly from the internet so it doesn’t need to be downloaded and saved first.”

If you were born on 1996 or before, then you probably remember Napster. Limewire, and Kazaa days. These were the most popular file sharing internet softwares that allowed us to view content at the time. File sharing softwares allowed you to download files such as audio, video, and images to a computer for free.

In the early 2000’s, these platforms were credited to nearly ruining the music industry. People hopped on this trend heavily because it was the most modern way to find good music at the time. File sharing softwares shook everything up about copyright infringements and artists didn’t enjoy losing out on money.

Transition in music

It changed the way music fans would listen to music forever because moving forward record labels had to innovate and change the way of music consumption.

Labels were evidently seeing people didn’t want to spend much to listen and they also didn’t want to go somewhere to buy audio/video.

Fast forward to today, we don’t need to download anything anymore.

Internet connections have become quick enough to be able to show us audio/video in real time. Things like bitrate make this even more possible. Bitrate is the amount of data that gets encoded for a unit of time, in this post we’ll be referring to kilobits per second (kbps) for audio. There is also megabits per second (mbps) for video.

Pretty cool right?

Record labels lucked out with streaming services in regards to copyright and monetization issues. Why? Because it’s difficult to copy content on streaming services and illegally share it. Even if that is your approach, you’ll get caught eventually.

Streaming comes with a fee for certain features so it became a win-win for record labels, artists, to make their money AND music fans to pay a small fee to listen. Everyone was happy.

If you want to learn more about streaming terminology, Spotify for popular artists has a helpful Glossary of music terms for streaming.

the best music Streaming services

Since streaming provides better audio quality, it’s the easiest way to listen to music today. The best music streaming services will help you easily find new music and events through a subscription. Top streaming platforms are:

Spotify
Apple Music
Amazon Music
Youtube Music
Tidal

These music streaming services have free (limited) and paid options. We will discuss the pros and cons for each platform and subscription.

how to find new music on spotify

First up in the music streaming services is Spotify. The best of the best in the music industry for good reason. What makes Spotify #1 is their audio quality, super user friendly interface, and timeless features.

How to find new music on Spotify has never been easier because they keep all important information under one umbrella. Interestingly enough, we can see 2020 infographic on user trends and behavior.

The image below is a biography of the music band Fat Freddy’s drop on Spotify. What makes discovering new music effortlessly through Spotify, is you have quick access to artists information.

You don’t really need to go onto google and take more time out to research who this artist is. Within seconds you can decide if this is an artist of interest by learning who they are.

You can also see their popularity by viewing their monthly listeners too. Skim through a few tracks, read their bio, decide.

Still using Fat Freddy´s drop as an example, you´ll notice the section that says “fans also like” and “appears on.” If you go to any artist’s profile on Spotify, you can scroll all the way down (past popular and popular releases) to find these sections.

These are algorithms that quickly let you browse artists with similiar sounds, and other albums where the artists (profile your on) has appeared on.

Then, you have events. This to me is one of the best features on Spotify because they keep the users in the platform yet give valuable information so you don’t have to go elsewhere.

Given COVID-19 times, we don’t really have many live events but whenever we get that back keep your eye here. Click on the event date to learn more and easily buy tickets if interested.

Best Spotify Playlists

Who doesn’t love a good playlist? Spotify has no shortage of this for its users. Let’s get into the top playlists you can start listening on the platform right now.

Rap Caviar by Spotify features the best rap songs at the moment. It has also been accredited to being “the most influential playlist” for good reason. If you like rap, start with this playlist.

Calling all Pop lovers, if that’s your jam, you definitely don’t want to miss this jampacked 5 hour long Top Pop playlist by Spotify.

Gold School playlist by Spotify brings you the hiphop classics, old and new. Ranging from the early 90s to late 2000’s, Big L, Jay-Z, and more bring this playlist heat over a 3 hour mix.

Defected records brings you over 24 hours of deep house in this extensive playlist that features popular artists such as Gorgon City, Disclosure, MK, and lots more. Get ready to head nod with this one!

Complex always brings the heat, so if they’re making a playlist, you can bet its going to be worth listening to. With their Best New Music Playlist, you can hear all the best new music in rap, r&b, and pop.

They update it every week so if that’s of interest, make sure you follow the playlist.

Discover weekly

The discovery weekly feature is known and loved by Spotify’s users. Simply save your favorites so the app knows your taste. They will curate a playlist for you every Monday with your favorites. Discover weekly is such a hit because Spotify makes finding good music that YOU like easier.

Now let’s discuss Spotify’s strength and weaknesesses.

Strengths:

Free 1 month trial for individuals and 3 month trial for students
Huge song catalog, around 50 million songs
Excellent featured playlists and music discovery
Can discovery weekly playlists the app curates for you
Informs you on new releases
Effortlessly learn about artists biography through their about section
Easily build playlists of your favorite songs and share with friends
Look for new music quickly through Spotify’s explore section
Find similiar music by songs you’ve already listened to
Algorithm is set up with music discovery options such as: “Fans also like, Special for you, Radio, Genres, Podcasts,” and lots more.
Supports Mac, IOS, Web, Windows, and Android,
Listen to Spotify on your smart tv, mobile, laptob, wireless speaker, etc.
Easy car integration
Reasonably strong free option (not to intrusive with the ads compared to other streaming services – pandora i’m looking at you!)

Weaknesses:

There are ads in the free option
As a free account, you don’t have access to their huge music database. It’s a mix that is based on requested music.
Does not have the best high sound quality option, free users max out at 160kpbs, paid users max out at 320kpbs
Music library doesn’t have live content
There is not a lossless audio option
Aren’t able to upload your own music library, if you have one.

Prices:

If you don’t mind restrictions and ads, Spotify can be free. However, if you want to use Spotify individually and make it ad free, the price is $9.99.

They have good deals that come at a fair rate such as the “Duo” plan that is $12.99 and gets you two accounts. Something to consider if you have another music lover who happens to be a friend.

There is also a family and student plan. The family plan is $14.99 per month and gets you up to six accounts. Students monthly plan is an individual account discounted at $4.99 per month.

Certain plans make you authorize your plan status with formal identification (i.e student id, student email) so make sure you pick the appropriate plan for you.

Stream Spotify now

Apple music

Next in line in music streaming services is Apple music. If you are a die hard Apple consumer AKA owner to all Apple devices, this is a music service to consider.

Apple music has changed so much to keep up with its competition in the music industry. Make sure to give check them out if you haven’t been on the application recently.

Strengths:

Apple music easily integrates with other Apple devices such as HomePod, Siri, and Apple Watch
For new users there is a free 3 month trial to see if you like it
Music library consists of over 60 million songs
Able to upload personal iTunes music library to Apple Music using iTunes Match
In addition to millions of songs, with a subscription you have access to Beats 1 radio station
Listen to Apple Music on a web browser (no longer need to download another app)
Because of their agreements with certain record labels, Apple music has exclusive access to artists first releases
Free radio options on app

Weaknesses:

No free option after 90 day free trial expires
Audio quality for paid users caps at 256 kpbs (less than Spotify)
Worst user experience when using service on non Apple devices such as Android and Playstore
No option to make collaborative playlists with other users
Wont always find your favorite songs
Limited free radio options
Outside of ipod touch, there are issues with Apple music and older ipods

Prices:

Free 3 month trial for new Apple music users. After that you can use Apple Music for free to only listen to the radio or music you’ve uploaded to the library. $9.99 for a regular Apple music account after trial ends. $4.99 for students and $14.99 for family up to 6 accounts.

Stream Apple music now

amazon music

Amazon is slowly but surely taking over every aspect of our lives, their music streaming services has no shortage for users. Streaming on Amazon has 2 options: Amazon Music unlimited and Amazon Music Free.

If you are already an Amazon Prime user, you’ll notice you have access to Prime music. However if you want a better streaming service, it’s recommended to upgrade to Amazon Music Unlimited for a bigger music library.

Strengths:

Amazon Prime subscribers get a discounted monthly rate
Love to sing along? Amazon music unlimited has all their songs with lyrics.
Successfully integrates with other Amazon products such as Alexa and Echo
Has a lossless audio playback option
3d audio on Echo devices
Trials to test out service
Wide platform support such as 360 reality audio support
More affordable than other music streaming platforms if you are a prime user
Amazon free has thousands of stations and top playlists to listen to

Weaknesses:

Only has music content (no podcasts)
Audio quality is capped at 256kbps.
Have to upgrade to Amazon Music HD for high resolution audio playback
Music artists don’t have much information on their profiles, weak bios
Free option has ads

Prices:

You can get up to a 30 days free trial for all Amazon Music plans.

If you are only looking for free than Amazon Music free is your best bet. Like most streaming services, it will be limited and have ads.

Regular plan prices are as follows: Individual accounts are $9.99. Students are $4.99, and family up to 6 is $14.99. They also have a single device plan for $3.99, this is to stream on only one fire tv or echo device.

Eligible devices are: echo dot, echo plus, echo, alexa, echo studio, echo input, fire tv, and echo spot.

For better quality, Amazon Music HD has individual and family plans. Nonprime members individual accounts are $14.99 a month and for family plans it is $19.99 a month.

Prime members can enjoy Amazon Music HD at a discounted rate, individual plans are $12.99 and family plans are $14.99. Amazon Music HD does not currently offer discounts for students or other groups.

If you are a prime member, these are the prices for Amazon Music Unlimited plans: Students are $0.99 per month, individual accounts are $7.99, family accounts are $149/year vs 14.99$, comes out to $12.40 a month,

Stream Amazon Music now

tidal music

Calling all my music geeks that aim for the best of the best. I introduce to you, Tidal, music streaming services with better audio quality, album exlcusives, and livestreams for fans. Tidal makes music discovery easier with their exclusivity.

What seperates Tidal from the rest is they do audio and some video which definitely appeals to users who already know what they like and want to stream it in the best way possible.

Tidal prides themselves in having the best audio quality. If you choose their HiFi plan you can really step things up. Let’s get into their strengths and weaknesses.

Strengths:

Outstanding audio quality to enjoy your favorite songs
They offer 2 plans – premium and HiFi
Premium plan has 320kbps
HiFi’s bitrate is even more impressive at 1,411kbps, in other words, you’ll hear the audio the way it was intended to be, full cd quality.
The HiFi plan also offers 3D audio tracks that use reputable Sony 360 reality audio codecs and Dolby Atmos
Jay-Z bought the service in 2014 for $56 millions
Has exclusive content such as albums, (i.e Kanye West “The Life of Pablo”) music videos, livestreams, and other behind the scenes greatness
The service’s subscribers get exclusive offers for certain concert and sports tickets
Get to test things out for free for 30 days

Weaknesses

HiFi needs to be listened to on high quality audio gear and also needs a wired or Wi-Fi connection to playback devices to enjoy perks
There is no free version outside of a trial
Can’t upload your own files
Pricing of HiFi plans might turn off potential users
Doesn’t have collaborative/social features
Hasn’t gained market share the way Apple, Spotify, and other competitors have

Prices:

Tidal premium and HiFi are both paid services with no free option available.

The premium rates mirror the other streaming competitors with $4.99 for students, $14.99 for families, and $9.99 for individual.

HiFi is pricier with $19.99 for individuals, $29.99 for families, and $9.99 for students.

Stream Tidal now

youtube music

If you have a lot of Google products, Youtube Music might be one of the best music streaming services for you. With expansive video options, it’s definitely something to consider.

Strengths:

Has a one month free trial
With a larger pool of videos and content, its great for music discovery
Works well with Google Assistant and other Google products
Supports Siri
Has over 40 million tracks
If you sign up for Youtube Premium, you also get Youtube Music for free (2 for 1)
Download feature lets you download content for offline listening
Allows for collaborative playlists
Able to upload your own music
Easily upgrade to Youtube Premium

Weaknesses:

Google has mentioned is trying to make it better
Not the best user interface
Does not support Amazon Alexa
Not the widest selection of playlists

Prices:

For Youtube Music, the prices are: $9.99 for individual accounts, $4.99 for students, and $14.99 for families. The plan of Youtube music is related to premium so you can upgrade for $2 more monthly. If you are interested in watching Youtube videos, it’s something to consider.

Stream Youtube Music now

find new music with other Streaming services

Other music streaming services that are not in the top tier but might be of interest are: Pandora, Soundcloud, Iheartradio, and Sirius XM.

Pandora

Pandora is not known globally because it isn’t available outside of the US. The audio quality is what makes it not hit the top tier, with Pandora premium bitrate at 192kbps. That’s pretty low in regards to industry standards.

Pandora actually used to be one of the best for music discovery and to find music back in the early 2000’s. You didn’t have much control with the free plans so it would shuffle the music for you. The algorithm would play you new releases and popular artists.

However, if you are looking for a cheaper option this is something to consider with plans starting free with ads, or $4.99-$9.99 for the paid options. It also has good discovery options and lets you find similar music by song. Their Music Genome project analyzes 450 things in their algorithm to give users better music suggestions.

Soundcloud

Soundcloud is infamous but the audio quality hasn’t been there for years. The service provides 128 kbps in mp3 format but the majority of the music you listen to on the platform will be a super low 64 kbps. No one really knows why Soundcloud’s bitrate is that low.

Another flaw in the service is many users complain that there isn’t much of a difference in music with Soundcloud’s paid options. Soundcloud however is free for the most part and it’s very friendly to creatives. Meaning it’s an easy platform to upload your own music if you are an artist, and easily find music if you are a consumer.

I Heart Radio

I Heart Radio is owned by I Heart Media and is known as a good option for a free radio station to listen to online. Ofcourse as all free options, it is limited and doesn’t let you choose songs to listen to, it does however let you choose playlists. You are able to play music on demand through their paid options and their plus subscription is only available on Android and Apple devices.

Sirius XM

Sirius XM similar to Pandora, Sirius XM only has coverage in the US (continental), coastal regions, Canada and Mexico. It is also really popular for people to get it to listen in the car. The monthly subscription fee ranges from$10-18. Users have mentioned the installation is a bit complex if you have an older car but still doable.

how to find that song

There’s nothing worst than hearing a song, thinking about it for hours, and never finding out the name because you barely remember the lyrics.

Now, there’s lots of apps you can use that solve this problem for you.

Shazam is super common, but for those who don’t know about this masterpiece, it’s an app that lets you find a song by the touch of a button in the app. It’ll then pull up the songs information along with where you can play it and sometimes the lyrics.

Next up, we have Soundhound. It does everything Shazam can do, but more. Yes, more. They allow you to search by humming and singing the song on the app. Try to get as precise as you can because that is how you are going to get your results. Though it’s not perfect, it’s definitely an upgrade from Shazam with more features.

Soundhound also offers a hands free app which gives the service an upper hand because you can use it while driving.

Lastly, Google Sound Search is newer but that doesn’t mean its lacking one bit. If you are a pixel phone owner, you’re probably familiar with this service.

What’s pretty neat, is pixel phone users get to have Google Sound Search always on. Meaning, you don’t even have to worry about Google displaying the song it was playling because it is already listening.

They have also integrated it with their cloud services so ideal if you own their appliances, such as google home and android phone.

find new music through labels and record stores

As you can see through out the years, how to find new music has evolved over the course of time. One thing that used to be really common in the 90’s and earlier, was to follow record labels. The point of this way to keep track of what new artists were getting signed to the label.

Cult favorite record label that was exceptionally popular was Death Row Records. The label lasted from 1991-2008. Artists on this record label included: Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and Tupac Shakur. In other words, some of the best of the best.

Even older record labels to mention were Motown Records that had acts such as Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, The Supremes, and The Four Tops.

The last label we have to discuss is Sub Pop. It’s incredible because they are STILL going. Sup Pop is huge, they’ve been around since 1986. Grungy signed top talent like Nirvana, Beach house, Soundgarden, and more. They have a motto on their site “we are not the best, but we’re pretty good.” Aint that cute?

discover new music in Record Stores

No longer do we really have to go anywhere to find new music, but when in doubt, if you really want to take it back in time, go to your nearest record store. Browsing up and down the isles, you might be surprised what you’ll find or who you’ll learn about.

Music junkies love doing this and can take hours shopping at record stores. Not sure if there’s a record store near you? Google record store near me, and if there’s not something super closeby, maybe they have a website you can view and/or mail you something you like. Worth a try.

how to FIND NEW MUSIC THROUgh publications

With quick access to the web, we can’t forget about valuable music publications. The magazines that have gone online to give us what we want, information that helps us discover everything we need about music.

What is great about these online magazines is they are a one stop shop for important information people look for like, music news, interviews, music events, video releases, (sometimes) very special performances, and more. Here are the best music publications today.

Billboard

Billboard magazine and the billboard charts have been around for over 125 years. The publication arranges the charts weekly and are organized by artist streams, sales, airplays, and more. You can stay up to date with artists information on their website since they are always updating who and what are hot right now.

Complex

Complex another reputable music publication but a bit more modern in their news approach, they like to challenge listeners. “From hip-hop to pop” they have a wide range of artists they cover. The music publication also has integrations in the website so you can easily stream artists you’ve found on their website. Good reference point for music news, features, videos, and lots more.

Vibe

The Vibe publication started in 1993, making it a 27 year old business. It is a one stop shop for all R&B and Hip-Hop music. They also cover entertainment and fashion news. For the music news they cover they focus on videos, new releases, live reviews, album reviews, and music premieres.

Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone magazine started in 1967 and is one of the most popular music publications in the world. Incase you forgot about them, it is a great resource to get your music news from and learn about artists you aren’t familiar with just yet, specficially pop and rock culture.

NPR

NPR All Songs Considered brances off from the NPR famous radio station. They have programs on the website such as New Music Friday, Tiny Desk Concert (more on this later), and their own show where hosts share their favorite tracks of the week over a mix.

All Songs Considered is perfect for music fans looking for a welcoming community where they can get the latest news and releases all in one place, and can also drop an opinion here and there if they want. Their motto is to “upgrade your playlist.”

find new music through this website

This is a travel, music, and lifestyle website so you can expect tons of music content here. Consider reading some of the following to expand your music taste:

other media that can help you find new music

Social media platforms allows us to hop on these apps and discover new things quickly. In other words they allow us to quickly see whats viral and whats trending.

To do this you can go on the platforms and see who and what is gaining traction. If they are a musician the traction is probably due to a new release.

Songs that go viral on social media get to us quicker than our top Spotify playlists. Why is that? Social media platforms move quicker.

Something else to recommend is follow people who are music lovers. Stalk their profiles, give it a listen to see if it’s a match and keep your eyes peeled for posts on their timeline.

Timelines are easy ways to view something through someone else if you are already using the platform religiously.

music review websites

Music review websites are another great way to find out about new music. After all, the whole point of reviews is for people to state their honest opinions. So if you want raw, uncensored feedback about music, these websites are a great place to start.

Metacritic

Metacritic is the biggest review website of them all. It is a review website not only for music, but also for games, movies, and tv. The site gives whatever they are rating a “metascore” which is an average number that comes from the respected reviews that are online and in print. You can compare things from this year, new releases that come out this week, or old fashioned classics.

Pitchfork

Pitchfork is a music publication owned by Condenast and has a very big following with its music news. It has music review sections such as their daily reviews that goes over every important album in music. They also do 8.0+ reviews that is dedicated to the best music releases out right now, best new albums, best new music, and list and guides that break down music by year (i.e 2019 year in music).

All Music

All music is an American online database with access to over 30 million songs. It is owned by Rhythm One and provides thorough informatin such as record reviews and informative artists biographies. You can also easily get new music recommendations to listen to or stream independently.

Consequence of Sound

Consequence of sound is focused around pop culture. You can go here for music,tv, movie and pop culture information. They do music reviews on albums, concerts, festivals, artist of the month, and song of the week.

how to find new music online

There is a lot of junk on the internet, but with the help of these 9 websites, discovering new music online is almost effortless. They are platforms to consider if you want more options outside of traditional streaming.

Mixcloud

Mixcloud started in 2008 and in my opinion is a great website to listen to new artists. It is a British online streaming service where you can find radio shows, DJ mixes, podcasts and more. The best part? The website is free to use unless you want access to certain DJ exclusives. You’ll find a lot of house, electronic, and techno music here. The usual bitrate is also not the best at 128 kbps.

8tracks

If you are looking to avoid getting music recomendations through algorithms, 8tracks helps you find new music through selecting themes and moods. Literally if you want to yell screamo or have nap time music, you’ll find it all on 8tracks. Premium users have the luxury of saving playlists so if that sounds appealing to you, consider upgrading.

Ones to Watch

Get a kick out of finding new artists first? Ones to watch is a blog decidated solely on finding new talent and showcasing it. Keep your eyes peeled here for their updates.

Bandcamp

Bandcamp is a popular platform to browse and buy music. There are some neat features to point out that helps users discover new music. In addition to financially supporting your favorite artists, Bandcamp has a discover section that lets you browse different genres, formats, and more.

You can also create wishlists, fan pages that show your latest purchase, comment on favorite tracks, and easily follow artists to stay up to date on news.

Pro tip: If you are considering buying music, try to buy it on bandcamp if it’s available. The artist gets more of a profit cut in comparison to other platforms.

What Song

Ever watch a tv show or movie and really enjoy the soundtrack? Whatsong helps you identify the songs you enjoy from the film and tv. It lets you search by the tv program, episode, and even exact moment. Really convenient for all movie and tv buffs that like their music too.

Indie Shuffle

Like indie music or perhaps an indie artist yourself? Indie shuffle lets you upload your own music if you are an indie artists. It also lets you create a new playlist from other music junkies instead of using algorithms.

Magic Playlist

Magic playlist uses AI to quickly give you a new playlist, all you have to do is enter one of your favorite songs and ba, you now have a new playlist. Integrates with Spotify so you can edit playlists through Spotify after. Very quick way to find new music.

Similar music finder

One of the best ways to find new music is to check into what you already know and like. After knowing the type of artists and sounds you enjoy, finding similar music through search engines could be your solution.

Musicroamer is a good option if you want something quick and to the point. It is a website that visually pops up a graph after you type in an artists name. The surrounding artists are in a related music genre and you can preview the tracks. Super easy way to browse music and find your next music favorite.

Use Last.fm if you are looking to track your music and easily come across your next music discovery. Simply make an account, connect it to your streaming service, and last.fm will keep track of it to give you new recommendations. The application also introduces you to new artists and reminds you of new concerts of the artists that are found in your library.

Sage lets you filter out artists you don’t like by using ai and public data from late.fm. The search tool gives musical suggestion by consdering artists you like and don’t like.

Music map uses an index to give you a map of similar artists. Their theory is the closer 2 artist names are, the higher probability you will like both.

Last but certainly not least in the similar artists search engine is, Similar Artist info. Simply type an artist of a band to see artists with a related music style.

how to find new music through youtube

Youtube is so powerful because it is strictly a video platform. It is the perfect place to combine audio and music.

With that said, there is definitely no shortage of music content on Youtube.

These 10 Youtube channels dedicate themselves to always releasing new content and performances on their channels. It is the perfect place to tune into new performances to learn more about artists, new and old.

First up we have Mahogany – Created in 2010 to “create the best online music discovery in the world.” Mahogany is a London based creative agency that records music sessions with popular and debuting artists. With over 500+ sessions, previous performances include Billie Eilish, Anna Leone, and more.

The famous radio station NPR, brings music to life through their Tiny Desk Concert Series. The name is funny because the desk isn’t tiny at all. Host Bob Boilen and his team invite popular artists of all genres to perform. Previous acts on the show are Lizzo, Adele, and more.

KEXP is a radio and nonprofit art organization that focuses on serving music lovers by bringing complete live performances in the indie and alternative rock sector.

More music oriented Youtube channels

Boiler Room has been building their reputation since 2010. Starting in a warehouse in London, the project has grown into 7,500 performances by more than 7,000 artists in over 250 cities. They strictly focus on club culture and its ability of bringing people together.

BBC Radio 1 is originated from the popular BBC radio station. They have mini mixes, to interviews with big names, to live lounge sets.

Mixmag is another channel focused on dance music and club culture. On their youtube you’ll find previous mixmag lab recorded sets, track premieres, mixes, and more.

Triple J Like a version is Australia’s youth broadcaster focusing on all things that are great and important music. Like a version is their audio youtube sessions with artists ranging from Childish Gambino to Kali Uchis.

If you are into epic landscapes and house music, Cercle is worth checking out. They create special music experiences by selecting beautiful locations and landmarks that help represent culture.

Majestic casual focuses on well known and indie music. The channel gives debuting artists a chance to get their music out there. It focuses on many different genres. The videos aren’t recorded sessions of the artists, more artists audio with video they create on their own.

Fact magazine on everything electronic dance music since 2003. Here you’ll find original video content such as exlcusive artists performances and creative storytelling.

Colors Studio is one the best youtube channels to discover new music. It’s simple yet efffective approach focuses on a minimalistic stage where viewers can focus on the music with out distraction. Every show brings a new color and a new artist.

You’ll find artist performances such as Alicia Keys, Masego, Haute, and many more. This show is how I discovered Masego before he got really big. Definitely check them out.

modern day file sharing softwares

These are the 5 best modern (free) file sharing softwares for Windows computer. If you were a big Napster or Limewire fan, consider modern day file sharing softwares. The point of still using these platforms is they let you download music for free.

This is ideal for certain musicians such as DJs and producers.

Some of these platforms are peer to peer and can be a solid way to discover new music when you see users music library.

The best of the best is SoulSeek. Very popular with good reason, Soulseek has a huge community of not only music, but e-books, and other entertainment needs. It is a free file sharing and also has peer to peer.

Next in line is Morpheus, a software that has been around for a while. Some of the perks include auto antivirus scan, supports udp transfers, and has parental control.

Bit Che is reputably known for being safe and also has 12 different language options.

Vuze supports plug ins, has a customizable user experience, and has options to manage torrents.

Cabos has a huge p2p network and has a clean and clear interface along with an itunes integration.

youtube shows about music

These YouTube shows below are more about discussing music related topics with some live performances here and there. On the following channels you’ll find things like discussions, interviews, and unfiltered reviews.

Pitchfork.tv is another sector of the music publication that features exclusive interviews, disucssions, festival livestreams, documentaries, and new music videos.

Dead end hip hop focuses on everything in the hiphop genre. While having unscripted conversations, dead end gives you the latest album reviews and hip hop news.

Mass appeal is known as the “elevated” voice of hip hop that focuses on people who are changing the culture. You’ll find artists like Nas, Phi, and DJ Shadow.

The needle drop is a one man show ran by Anthony Fantano. You can except music reviews in a conversation style on rock, pop, electronic, rap, and more.

Genius is a very popular youtube show that explains the deeper meanings behind music. The show brings on artists and interviews them about things like music lyrics, videos, and present global topics.

find new music through indie channels

We all miss live music and if you are looking for amazing indie music to binge on, these channels are a must to consider. Even if you don’t know who the artists are at first, it’s the perfect way to expand your music taste and find new favorites. Here are the best indie live music channels to discover new music.

Sofar sounds was founded in London 2009. Since then, they have visited over 400 cities around the globe. The show invites artists to have an intimate concert setting without large crowds to prevent distraction. It is a bit exclusive, you have to apply to attend a live show.

Jam in the van isn’t your typical youtube channel. With a very interesting concept, the show’s van is a solar powered mobile recording studio. Their goal is to travel around the USA to help expose local music.

Cardinal sessions releases new music every Thursday. It was founded in 2010 with the concept to let artists perform with only vocals and unplugged instruments.

La blogotheque is a French channel that records intimate and unique music performances with reputable aritsts and ones that are up and coming.

Wild honey pie features brand new artists that cover popular tracks. They also have regular performances too.

Out of town films is a bunch of friends working as a collective in Philadelphia to record your favorite performances.

Audiotree is a show that gives young bands and artists a platform to be heard. Here you’ll find intimate performances recorded in a professional studio.

Songs from the shed does exactly that. Videos are recorded in a garden shed in Somerset UK and create handmade acoustic sessions for viewers.

discover music events

livestreams

Remember when we used to have concerts and festivals? Those are definitely missed during our covid days.

However, with a lot of luck we now have access to livestreams. The current live music substitute.

Believe it or not, there’s a ton of livestreams to start streaming right now. Livestreaming is an awesome way to discover new music by checking out new artists and giving them a chance to hear them perform.

Beats paying tickets and not enjoying the show! Atleast if you don’t like it, you can ex out of your web browser. 😉

favorite features

resident advisor

Resident Advisor has a magazine, listing, and music section of their website.

You can find out so much regarding artists, events, parties, and festivals.

This website has helped me discover a lot of new music and events.

It’s kind of like a one stop shop for music and information.

They offer information on a broad selection of music like Disco, Techno, Dance, Indie, House, Electronic, and more. There is sometimes Rap and Hip Hop events too.

Simply put in the artist you are looking for on the search bar and all their events will come up.

Click here if you’d like to check it out.

Their event pages is incredibly convenient. This is my go to when I’m looking for a night out.

Where ever you are in the world, if there is some type of music scene there, it will come up on the website.

This has helped me find events when I’ve traveled and didn’t know a soul.

This picture is just a glimpse of how many countries they have in their event network.

clubbing spain

This website is only helpful if you are into the club culture and located in Spain. It is for Electronic music, techno, and similiar music under that umbrella. What’s neat about this website is it has a lot of other events that are NOT on Resident Advisor. It is helpful if you are looking for more options on a night out with an artist you specifically prefer to listen to.

Click here if you’d like to check it out.

conclusion

And there you have it, 74 resources to please your ears.

Lets face it, how to find new music doesn’t have to be difficult. With these resources you’ll be well on your way to finding artists you like, effortlessly.

Let me know how you are enjoying these resources. Do you use some of them already? If not, would you be willing to try?

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