While you may treasure your extensive library of albums, it’s easy to grow tired of the same old playlists. We have all found ourselves stuck in a musical rut where we only listen to just a few songs. It even makes it hard to share our playlist with our friends. True enough, new music and artists are always popping up. If you don’t listen to the radio every day, then there’s a good chance that you’re missing out on new music releases. Luckily, by taking time to dig through the digital streaming services, you can always have a new tune to hum to. We are here to offer a helping hand so you can break the monotony and update your playlist. Best of all, you can discover new music that is similar to what you already listen to. Let’s get started.
How to Find New Music on Spotify
Spotify offers one of the best ways to find new music. This is because it uses an AI system to provide music suggestions based on the taste of the listener. The algorithm is known as Bandits for Recommendations as Treatments (BaRT). BaRT provides song recommendations based on the listener’s previous listening activities. This includes songs you skipped, liked, and how long you spend on a song. It also slips in a few new tracks following the same genre so the listener doesn’t get bored. BaRt also combines three different algorithms to predict the type of songs you’re likely to thumb up. They include Collaborative Filtering, Natural Language Processing, and Raw Audio Modeling. Here are a few more features that make it easy to find songs on Spotify:
Made for You RADAR Playlist recommendation Fans also like Friend Activity
Made for You
Spotify’s Made for You section can be conveniently accessed on the desktop app on the left menu beneath Your Library. You can also search for it from the Browse tab of the mobile app. This section is based on your listening habits for the last six months. It includes Discover Weekly, Tastebreakers, Daily Mix playlists, and Release Radar. Let’s take a look at how each works:
Discover Weekly: If it’s Monday, then you know that Spotify’s Discover Weekly has cooked up a fresh playlist for you. You just need to remember to add tracks to your “Liked Songs” since the playlist is refreshed weekly. Tastebreakers: Tastebreakers provides music suggestions from artists you barely listen to. It can help you discover new talent or you could even end up interested in a different genre of music. Daily Mix: Spotify also pre-makes up to six Daily Mix playlists with lengthy playback that combine your favorite songs with new songs that you may love. Each playlist is differentiated by a unique colored cover. Release Radar: While Discover Weekly will ensure you get a good start to your week, Spotify’s Release Radar ensures you have an even better weekend with a fresh Friday playlist. The Release Radar compiles a playlist of new albums that have been released in the last two weeks.
RADAR
From the desktop app, you can type RADAR on the search bar and you will get a selection of playlists from emerging local and international artists. The playlists include new song releases that are filtered by genre and country.
Playlist recommendation
For any playlist you create, you will have a Recommended Songs section just below the last song on your playlist. The recommended song selections are based on the genre of songs you already have on your playlist. You can easily add them to your playlist if they match your taste.
Fans also like
Fans also like is another great feature on Spotify that appears when you click on a specific artist. It works by providing suggestions of other similar artists and even upcoming stars whose music revolves around the same music genre. For example, if you click on the profile of a mainstream pop artist, you will get suggestions from other big names in the pop industry. It will also include an upcoming artist who may have a lower percentage of monthly listeners than the mainstream ones.
Friend Activity
Spotify’s Friend Activity panel can only be found on the desktop app. It creates a social platform where you can follow your friends, celebrities, or anyone of interest and see what they are listening to. This also goes both ways and your friends can also see what you are listening to. If you don’t want to broadcast your listening activities on Spotify, you can disable ‘Share my listening activity on Spotify’ in the Spotify settings.
How to Find New Music on YouTube Music
YouTube Music is a relatively new streaming service that was announced in 2018, and has come to replace Google Play Music. You can use either the mobile app or web player to access a rich catalog of official song audios, official videos, remixes, live versions, albums, playlists, and artist radios. It uses a music discovery algorithm that first supplies you with an almost endless playlist of different types of music. The algorithm then learns your preferences as you take time to skip or like songs. With time, it will recommend better playlists based on your listening behavior. Here’s a rundown of the features you can use to discover new music:
“Explore” tab Playlist recommendations Mixed for you Fans might also like
“Explore” tab
The Explore tab is the initial stage where you discover all that YouTube Music has to offer. The tab is divided into two sections. The top section is titled New Albums & Singles, and highlights new singles, albums, and music videos you can stream. The bottom section is titled Mood & Genres, and features a selection of playlists based on your listening history. Here, you can find recommendations based on New releases, Charts, and Moods & genres:
New releases
The New releases section is curated by YouTube and is updated on a daily basis. It features new releases from some of the best international artists and can have over 3,500 videos on the playlist. Sadly, it may not be the best place to find less popular artists.
The Charts
This is the best place to find songs, music videos, and artists that are trending globally. You can filter down the result to find content from a specific region, and you get 57 different regions to choose from.
Moods & genres
If you want to diversify your taste in music, then head over to the Mood & genres section. You can find a playlist that works for the general mood that you are in, be it chilled, workout, or a party mood. The genres include blues, dance, classical, and more.
Playlist recommendations/ Related playlists/ Suggestions
YouTube Music’s algorithm creates a list of song recommendations based on your previously created playlists. On the desktop app, the recommendations will appear as Related playlists, while the mobile app will have them as Suggestions.
Mixed for you
The Mixed for you section offers another great way to find new music. You can find up to five playlists, including a Discover Mix, New Release Mix, and even a familiar mix based on your liked songs. The Discover Mix can have up to 50 songs from artists that you aren’t familiar with. The New Release Mix will include new songs from some of your favorite artists.
Fans might also like
If you are looking for other artists that may have the same style as your favorite artists, then you can head over to the Fans might also like section to discover new talent. This section can be found at the bottom of your favorite artist’s profile page.
How to Find New Music on Apple Music
Apple Music came to replace iTunes and is currently the default music app for iOS devices. It can also be used by other operating systems since the experience is almost the same. It’s available in 168 countries and offers a large music library of more than 60 million songs. Just like most apex streaming services, Apple Music uses algorithms to recommend similar songs, artists, and curate playlists based on your past listening habits. The Algorithm isn’t perfect as you may only get limited song and artist recommendations. This stems from the fact that Apple Music asks you to provide a list of artists and genres you like when you first sign up. The algorithm then keeps on recommending limited songs following what you said you liked at the beginning. This means that you have to keep updating the list by adding new artists to your library to get better song recommendations. Despite that, you can still rely on Apple Music’s extensive music library coupled with user-friendly features to find new music. Let’s have a look at a few of these features:
Listen now Must-have music Similar artists Base:Line
Listen Now
Previously known as the For You section prior to the iOS 14 update, Listen Now appears on your home screen and highlights top music picks based on your recent listening activity. You can improve the suggestions here by being more active with the “Love” and “Dislike” functions whenever you are active on the app.
Must-have music / New music
Head over to the Browse page and you will find the Must-have music section. Here you will find popular tracks that are trending globally. You will also find a curated playlist of new songs across almost all genres.
Similar artists
When you click on your favorite artist’s profile and scroll to the bottom, you will find a Similar artists section. This section features recommendations of artists whose works revolve around the same genre or musical style as your favorite artists. You can get up to 8 recommendations, and they include popular artists who you probably know but have never included in your library.
Base:Line
Lastly, the Base:Line results from a collaboration between Apple, NBA, and United Masters to produce playlists that can be used on the NBA website and on different social media platforms. You will find new songs from upcoming independent hip-hop artists who create unique content.
How to Find New Music on Pandora
Pandora offers high-quality, internet radio streaming service. It has a user-friendly thumbs up or thumbs down approach to sorting through music. With time, Pandora’s Music Discovery feature will be able to accurately pick songs that you like. This is done with the help of music analysts and data stored in the Music Genome Project. The song recommendations will sound similar because they match a musical genetic profile. For this reason, you will always have a personalized listening experience. This is what makes Pandora’s music discovery feature one of the best in the industry. Now let’s take a look at how you can find new music on Pandora:
“Browse” tab
On the browse tab, you will see all of Pandora’s music stations, including New Music and Trendsetters. New Music features newly created stations and some of the best-released music. The Trendsetters include emerging artists that have gained a significant following in the industry.
Modes
Pandora Modes let both free and premium users customize their listening experience by limiting the type of songs that can play on their stations. Each mode responds to your liked or disliked songs in a different way. The different modes available include:
My Station: This is the default station mode for Pandora. Crowd Faves: Offers a compilation of the most liked songs by other Pandora users Discovery: Highlights upcoming artists. Deep Cuts: Highlights the least popular songs from station artists. Newly Released: Offers the newest song releases. Artist Only: Only features songs from your station artists.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the features that can help you find new music:
Songs for You New releases Related artists
Songs for You
The homepage includes music recommendations based on your past listening habits. This section is divided into Songs for You, Albums for You, Stations for You, and Playlists for you.
New releases
Head to Find and search for New releases. Here, you will find all the recently released songs, albums, and playlists, which you can sort by genre. You can check this page at least once a day to find something new.
Related artists
If you scroll down the profile page of your favorite artist, you will see a Related Artist section that helps you discover new artists. It displays other artists that have the same musical style as the one you selected.
How to Find New Music on Deezer
Founded in 2007, Deezer is a French music streaming service that’s available in more than 180 countries globally. Some of its best features include CD-quality audio and MP3 audio support. Deezer has a catalog of more than 70 million songs. It uses an algorithm known as Flow to offer a blend of your favorite songs and new tracks. Flow learns your listening habits by monitoring your activity across the app. It records all data whether it’s from an artist, album, or a single track. It also takes into account your location to provide the best recommendations. This makes it easier to find some of the best songs that match your taste even without having to go through an extended playlist. However, you need to stream more music so that Flow can learn what you like. Let’s look at some of Deezer’s music discovery features:
New releases Made for you Mixes Radar weekly Charts
New releases
Deezer’s Browse tab features a New releases section that gives you a compilation of new songs across all genres. While most of the selections may be geared towards your preferences, you can also expect to discover some new tracks that are not specific to your taste.
Made for you
Under the main Music feed, you will find a section with Flow and Daily playlists that are tailored for you. The Flow playlist is more of a lengthy playlist that includes a blend of different music genres. In contrast, the Daily playlist is more genre-specific, and features new songs you would like that follow your favorite genre.
Mixes
Just like Spotify’s random playlists, Mixes offer an extended playlist of songs covering multiple genres, eras, and even moods. The best part is that you get new songs besides the “liked” or saved songs in your library.
Radar weekly
If you want to keep up with fresh music releases, then head over to the Radar Weekly section. The playlist is updated every Friday, and can include up to 50 new tracks that have been released globally.
Charts
Deezer’s Charts feature a compilation of songs that are trending in more than 68 territories. This makes the Charts the best resource for finding unique music that you have never been exposed to.
How to Find New Music on Tidal
Tidal may be a relatively expensive streaming app, but it makes up for it with ultra hi-res audio and exclusive content. It also offers an extensive music library equipped with more than 70 million songs. The music discovery feature may not be the best, since it relies on human-curated playlists. This means that you have to be active on the app to discover new music. However, you will still get a few personal mixes that are based on your listening habits. That aside, here are a few ways to discover new music on Tidal:
Tidal Rising “New” and “The Charts” Recommended songs Fans also like
Tidal Rising
The Tidal Rising section is a great place to discover emerging artists. It’s divided into playlists, new releases, and artist recommendations. Just like Pandora’s Music Genome Project, this section is curated by a team of music experts to ensure you only get the best in every genre.
“New” and “The Charts”
Tidal’s New section features new music, which is also trending globally. To add, it includes The Charts that display a list of tracks that have topped the charts in other countries. Tidal is available in 61 countries so you can expect to find unique content.
Recommended songs
After you create a playlist, Tidal will offer new song recommendations at the bottom of your playlist. The suggested tracks will follow your current playlist’s theme to help you maintain the mood.
Fans also like
Similar to other streaming services, Tidal has a Fans Also Like section that comes up when you click on an artist’s profile page. It offers an easy way of discovering new artists whose music revolves around your preferred genre.
Which Streaming Platform Has the Best Music Discovery Feature?
Hands down, Spotify is the best when it comes to music discovery. That’s because Spotify’s music discovery feature utilizes an effective algorithm (BaRT) that exposes the listener to every imaginable artist and music genre. It also includes a Discover Weekly playlist so you can look forward to something new every week. You also get alerts whenever an artist you follow releases new music or announces an upcoming show. On top of that, it sets itself apart from the competition by offering features such as RADAR and Tastebreakers, which introduce you to emerging artists and new genres, you may not typically listen to unless prompted. This, in turn, helps expand your horizon and playlist and help you discover new music, genre, and artists in an automated way, beyond what other platforms can offer. Apple Music comes close with an extensive song catalog and a user-friendly interface. The algorithm also helps you find music that you may want to hear based on your listening habits. Unfortunately, out of other platforms, Tidal’s music discovery feature may need the most improvement. The users need to spend more time on the app to discover new content. However, if all you seek is the best audio quality and lots of video content, then Tidal is one of your best bets.
Other Ways to Find New Music
While music streaming services may be the top option nowadays in finding new music, they’re not the only one. In fact, trying out other ways can help you find more music that may be outside what you’d normally listen to. With that in mind, here are a few other ways to find new music:
Social media
You could discover new music on your timeline. Pay attention to artists that have a huge following on platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook. They are likely to have gone viral for their talent. You can also check out the type of songs that your friends are sharing or recommending.
Live shows
Go to live shows or concerts where you don’t recognize the artists on the bill, or at least have one familiar artist so you can be drawn to the show. Look out for opening acts for your favorite band since there may be a good reason why they were included in the show.
Conclusion
After going through the aforementioned digital streaming services, you may discover a new music genre or find more artists in your favorite genre. You can also discover a new playlist that works for almost every mood you are in. All you have to do is start searching. Do you feel like digital streaming services are a game-changer in the music industry? Do they help you develop an interest in new genres of music? If yes, then let us know your favorite streaming service and share the song titles you have on replay.
