Tell us how *you* use Spotify * to find new music? ( *And other methods)

[danny la rouge]

I don’t listen to the radio these days. But I’ve found I can still find new music, perhaps even better than in the olden days.

Spotify has several functions to tell me about new releases and other music to explore.

First, I follow artists I like and Spotify tells me about their releases and other releases that may interest me.

This is under my icon:





clicking “what’s new” gives me this:






Then under the “music” tab, are these:




“Discover weekly” is new releases, deep dives, and other stuff I may like. I don’t always like the suggestions. But I do often. Release radar is another reminder of new releases.

The band and song “radios” are also good. You can hear stuff related to a band. Or if you find a song you like you can explore its radio.

When I find a release that interests me, being old and having a bad memory, I put it on a playlist.



This soon becomes unmanageable, so I whittle it down on a list I keep for playability, which I update and change regularly:



I also follow other people’s playlists for ideas. Like:





What do y’all do?

 

[Silas Loom]

I click on specific bands to see which other bands are liked by its fans. That’s my main way of discovering new music.

 

[kalidarkone]

Same as you danny la rouge - rely on discover weekly and release radar on a Friday. I do a kind of round table thing with both and sometimes with my partner.

Other then that - 6 music in the evening while I'm cooking. I shazam the fuck out of everything too.

I've had to unfollow a lot of artists on Spotify as my music tastes have changed quite a lot. I'm not so into the dnb and jungle, more into dub step, hip hop and deep house and some trance stuff and punk.

 

[danny la rouge]

I've had to unfollow a lot of artists on Spotify as my music tastes have changed quite a lot.

Yes, an active approach is required.

 

[skyscraper101]

Generally I don't trust Spotify to know my music taste based on some algorithm so I tend not to use it for anything other than listening to what I want, rather than what it suggests. Also I'm suspicious of how it chooses some artists over others.

It does routinely annoy me how, for example, I'd be listening to some 90s indie track I like only for it to roll over into a selection of overplayed 'Britpop' classics that I have to switch off because it has no imagination to suggest something actually interesting. It's generalization of music playlists almost never reflects my mood.

 

[kalidarkone]

Generally I don't trust Spotify to know my music taste based on some algorithm so I tend not to use it for anything other than listening to what I want, rather than what it suggests. Also I'm suspicious of how it chooses some artists over others.

It does routinely annoy me how, for example, I'd be listening to some 90s indie track I like only for it to roll over into a selection of overplayed 'Britpop' classics that I have to switch off because it has no imagination to suggest something actually interesting. It's generalization of music playlists almost never reflects my mood.

Yes I agree.
Also they do not know what they are talking about regarding genres. So definitely not to be trusted.

 

[rubbershoes]

Yes I agree.
Also they do not know what they are talking about regarding genres. So definitely not to be trusted.

But it can still throw up some gems

 

[Fez909]

I think Spotify's algorithm is actually really good. It 'knows' me quite well, and recommends loads of stuff I've never heard that I end up liking or loving.

But by far my biggest gripe is its tendency towards 'chill'. No matter what I search for, within a few tracks of autoplay or whatever, it's back to playing me laid back music. I'll start with a banging techno tune, and do the song radio thing (this is a great feature I use all the time!) and then it just gets progressively less banging, until I've got noodly jazz house records on.

I do love noodly, laid back jazzy stuff, but if I start with a banger, I want to keep that energy!

I even tried to test the algo a few years ago by finding only full on tunes, and stuck them in a playlist called "no refrain". But I couldn't get enough to fill it, and it kept recommending me chilled stuff, and it even influenced me to start putting some of the more chilled stuff in my playlist!

Fuck off, give me bangers!

 

[danny la rouge]

Generally I don't trust Spotify to know my music taste based on some algorithm so I tend not to use it for anything other than listening to what I want, rather than what it suggests. Also I'm suspicious of how it chooses some artists over others.

It does routinely annoy me how, for example, I'd be listening to some 90s indie track I like only for it to roll over into a selection of overplayed 'Britpop' classics that I have to switch off because it has no imagination to suggest something actually interesting. It's generalization of music playlists almost never reflects my mood.

Oh, god, yeah. Don’t let it keep playing at the end of a playlist. Make sure you have this green recycle icon selected:



It requires quite an active approach. You can’t just passively accept what’s played. It’s not like the John Peel show.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Here's how I use spotify . . . I don't.
The payout to artists is non existent unless you are HUGE. The payment model has moved on to youtube and is now pretty much mirrored in all streaming services (big names or not). Previously I may have got a decent payout from say ITV streaming, but what was once maybe a £500 pay out will be between 5p and 50p. It's all thanks to the shit that started with spotify.
I'll find my own music thanks. Fuck those cunts.

 

[kalidarkone]

Oh, god, yeah. Don’t let it keep playing at the end of a playlist. Make sure you have this green recycle icon selected:

View attachment 444168

It requires quite an active approach. You can’t just passively accept what’s played. It’s not like the John Peel show.

Can you explain more about the icon? Like what is its purpose?

 

[Fez909]

Apparently there's a new AI playlist generator coming (I don't have it yet)

 

[girasol]

Through my granddaugher Also there's a podcast on pop culture/gossip I listen to which will regularly talk about new music, it's through there that I heard of Charlie xcx just before she exploded...

I use YouTube music purely bc I have YouTube video subscription but I ignore anything it recommends, and have turned off the 'keep on playing once album/playlist is done' feature.

Soundcloud is great for "unsigned" artists (i.e. people who don't publish on Spotify as this involves a few more steps and third party record publishers getting involved). I put my stuff there way I before I figured out how to publish on Spotify Lelé London (not that I expect to make any money out of anything I've created)

 

[mx wcfc]

Here's how I use spotify . . . I don't.
The payout to artists is non existent unless you are HUGE. The payment model has moved on to youtube and is now pretty much mirrored in all streaming services (big names or not). Previously I may have got a decent payout from say ITV streaming, but what was once maybe a £500 pay out will be between 5p and 50p. It's all thanks to the shit that started with spotify.
I'll find my own music thanks. Fuck those cunts.

Yeah, this^, but combined with hopeless computer skills, and an antipathy to having a computer telling me what to do.

Generally, I find new music through gigs, festivals and the radio.

This year at Naughty Corner I picked up two "new favourite bands". I bought a Split Dogs' CD, but Meat Sweats didn't have a CD, so I bought a t-shirt off them.

 

[danny la rouge]

Can you explain more about the icon? Like what is its purpose?

When a playlist or album is finished, Spotify goes back to the beginning of the playlist or album instead of ad-libbing

 

[ddraig]

Don't use it unless no way to listen to something
Use bandcamp and go to record shops! And mates recommendations etc

 

[skyscraper101]

I discovered a new band the other day through a bizarre rabbit hole which started with watching an old clip of 90s band Sleeper on 'MTV's Most Wanted' from 1996-ish hosted by Ray Cokes, and then googling to see what Cokes was upto these days (working at Radioeins in Germany) , and then watching a video of him hosting a live radio event for Radioeins, which had this German electro-pop duo called ÄTNA, who I quite enjoyed (and Chili Gonzalez), which let to me googling them, and then seeing they had their only UK gig on in Shoreditch next week, which then led to me getting tickets. So now I'm going to see ÄTNA thanks in part to Sleeper, Ray Cokes, Radioeins, and the youtube rabbit hole.

 

[danny la rouge]

The payout to artists is non existent unless you are HUGE.

Yes, this is true. It’s terrible for artists. And during the MP3 era I didn’t download free illegal music because I want artists to be paid. However, I don’t find YouTube a useful way to listen to music. So if the market changes and brings me a useable format that is equitable to artists, I will use that.

And indeed I do still listen to and buy CDs. But my current car didn’t come with a CD player. Computers don’t have CD drives. And so on. So unless I’m at home with my stereo at hand, I stream, and do it via Spotify since my experience of Apple Music was shite and YouTube doesn’t work with my neurology.

 

[danny la rouge]

Yes I agree.
Also they do not know what they are talking about regarding genres. So definitely not to be trusted.

Oh god, their own genre playlists are awful. Don’t go there. If you want to hear a genre, use “The Sound of …”. They’re much better. Also, Spotify’s micro genres are just bizarre. I apparently like “POV indie”, which sounds like indie to me, and “Scottish hush”. Hush? Wtf? Well, OK. But I don’t need my hush broken down geographically, cheers.

An example of “the sound of…”:

 

[Lotte]

I still buy music. There are plenty of artists whose stuff I'll buy if I like it enough and/or want to support them. Spotify is like a try-before-you-buy for me. The algorithm's thrown up some interesting stuff when it doesn't play bloody Cast at me again, or someone will mention a band who sound interesting and I'll listen to their stuff. I use Bandcamp as well, but then I got told elsewhere that Bandcamp was problematic because IDK something capitalism, even though it's a really good way to keep up to date with bands (Bob Vylan and The Anchoress are two artists I follow on there).

I'm disabled so going to festivals is difficult - I can't camp anymore. Primavera and Rebellion are the ones I usually go to.

 

[danny la rouge]

I still buy music. There are plenty of artists whose stuff I'll buy if I like it enough and/or want to support them. Spotify is like a try-before-you-buy for me.

Agreed.

I'm disabled so going to festivals is difficult - I can't camp anymore.

No, nor I. I can’t even do standing gigs. I need seated, and it isn’t always clear when buying tickets whether there will be seating, so mostly I just don’t now.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I very rarely listen to music so don't use any of these services.

 

[danny la rouge]

I very rarely listen to music so don't use any of these services.

Do you have amusia, or are you just weird? (I suspect I know the answer, but prefer not to be offensive).

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

I use Bandcamp as well, but then I got told elsewhere that Bandcamp was problematic because IDK something capitalism,

Bandcamp seems fairly kind to artists from my point of view. I don't know where the evil kicks in but they take far less of a but than anything else and make it really easy to host digital and physical merchandise. They also do Bandcamp Fridays once a month where all sales go to bands. A great day to promote yourself (and the use of band camp).

No idea if there is a band camp 'radio' but I do use it to sell.
Spotify offers me nothing but grief and contracts.

You tube is not much better than Spotify . . . except that I do see actual payouts from it. Not huge ones, but it does register. Spotify doesn't. You tube is also a good one to link to promote a new video.
Using Spotify for whatever reason just fuels the model and feeds the company.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Do you have amusia, or are you just weird? (I suspect I know the answer, but prefer not to be offensive).

I just prefer silence - always have I think.

I might also be weird...

 

[danny la rouge]

I just prefer silence - always have I think.

I might also be weird...

Silence is good. I don’t think it’s good to have input all the time. But I also can’t imagine going without music for extended periods.

I went for months not being able to listen to music when my Long Covid was at its worst. That was horrible. I still can’t really read books the same as I could. And those were my two favourite pastimes in the past. Long Covid is shite.

 

[Silas Loom]

Silence is good. I don’t think it’s good to have input all the time. But I also can’t imagine going without music for extended periods.

I went for months not being able to listen to music when my Long Covid was at its worst. That was horrible. I still can’t really read books the same as I could. And those were my two favourite pastimes in the past. Long Covid is shite.

I had a weird thing with ME and reading where I could cope with anything set in the UK, especially London, but speculative or historical fiction imposed unsustainable cognitive demands. Although I don’t consciously try and picture every scene in a novel, I must have been doing so subconsciously.

That’s improved since, either because I stopped working or because I learned to read without superfluous spatial worldbuilding.

So perhaps it will improve over time for you too.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

I use Bandcamp as well, but then I got told elsewhere that Bandcamp was problematic because IDK something capitalism,

They were bought out (and subsequently resold on I think) by companies that do all the usual shit treatment of staff stuff and with links to various other dodgy stuff - just fairly standard multinational sort of stuff I think. I don't think they're more evil than any number of other companies we all deal with particularly, and they're probably still the best for artists, but I think they have lost a bit of that 'independent and righteous' vibe they had once upon a time.

 

[hash tag]

I'm yet another who never uses Spotify. I read reviews on line and buy music in shops. I can get recommendations from people in shops and also from strangers at gigs.

 

[braindancer]

I use Spotify a lot but not to discover new music. I get my new music tips from various blogs - TrebleZine, BrooklynVegan and Everything is Noise are my best source - they all have weekly recommendation posts covering a wide range of genres. I add anything I like the sound of to a 'check it out' playlist and if it's a winner I move it one of my genre playlists and if it's not a winner I delete it.

I'm ashamed to say I rarely buy any music these days but I buy a lot of gig tickets - and gigs often involve buying a t shirt so I don't feel like a complete bastard about it....