Finding new music

Hi Mort2k 

I mostly use the Tidal app to find new music. When I’m listening to something in my collection I can swipe right and ‘similar’ music is suggested there. Also Tidal learns what you like and makes suggestions on the home page. I also find Shazam very useful when I hear something I like. 

Multiple sources...

1. Reviews from music Magazins 

2. Through connections and post of likeminded on this forum but also on Bandcamp 

3. Exploration based on a new artist I explore - breadth of the collection, groups the artist played in and other members of that group

4. Suggestions based on what I like in apps, Amazon etc

5. Suggestions from friends

6. If I am at a music festival like North Sea Jazz a Concert can trigger me to buy

7. Music shows comb8ned with Shazam...

Short cut the whole thing and just follow Bert......

AndyP19 posted:

Short cut the whole thing and just follow Bert......

Ha lol like that 

Bert Schurink posted:

Multiple sources...

1. Reviews from music Magazins 

2. Through connections and post of likeminded on this forum but also on Bandcamp 

3. Exploration based on a new artist I explore - breadth of the collection, groups the artist played in and other members of that group

4. Suggestions based on what I like in apps, Amazon etc

5. Suggestions from friends

6. If I am at a music festival like North Sea Jazz a Concert can trigger me to buy

7. Music shows comb8ned with Shazam...

Thanks Bert. Very helpful. 

Finkfan posted:

Hi Mort2k 

I mostly use the Tidal app to find new music. When I’m listening to something in my collection I can swipe right and ‘similar’ music is suggested there. Also Tidal learns what you like and makes suggestions on the home page. I also find Shazam very useful when I hear something I like. 

Hi

does the tidal swipe right thing work from local media as well or just contained within tidal ?

Just follow the "What are you listening to and Why might anyone be interested?" thread, it is a great way to find music. Combine artists/albums your unfamiliar with Tidal, Spotify, or name your streaming service and give them a spin.

I have found that to be a top source of being introduced to new music over the past nine months!

Mort2k posted:

Finkfan posted:

Hi Mort2k 

I mostly use the Tidal app to find new music. When I’m listening to something in my collection I can swipe right and ‘similar’ music is suggested there. Also Tidal learns what you like and makes suggestions on the home page. I also find Shazam very useful when I hear something I like. 

Hi

 

does the tidal swipe right thing work from local media as well or just contained within tidal ?

It’s just what’s contained within Tidal. Found a lot of good stuff this way  

Two things:

1) I subscribe to Rolling Stone magazine and take note of the up-and-coming rock artists they highlight, followed by sampling their songs on YouTube. (Gretta Van Fleet was a recent positive discovery for me).

2) I listen to FM rock stations driving to and from work. College radio stations in particular are an objective source of new music as they aren't bound by commercial formatting or having to target a derivative market.

Also try ‘6 Music Recommends’ on BBC iPlayer Radio. Various presenters have their own playlist and there’s a weekly cumulative one as well.

In addition to this forum I find Radio Paradise a great source of new music both young and old.

Also HIfi Choice and record review is great, both in its formal album reviews and the tracks they try out on equipment reviews.

It’s a shame Bob Harris Sunday show ceased earlier in the year as I got some great recommendations from him...... I occasionally listen to 6 music but it’s a bit hit and mis. 

For new stuff from artists I know a reguarly read the SH forum.

Gary

Thanks Everyone. Really helpful. Guess I’m final biting the bullet and subscribing to tidal. 

Rob

The car radio is tuned to BBC Radio Six Music, and I find the wide mix of choons played a great source for new music.

Going to record shops! :-)

BBC Radio 3, especially the In Tune programme at 5pm each evening, Record Rediew at 9am each Saturday and most other programmes in between, including the excellent jazz programmes.

Then there are the genre specific programmes on BBC Radio 2 each evening at 7pm - I'll often listen to these in the car.

If you can possibly manage the time, please listen to the (many) podcasts at numerous meetings...

The Epileptic Gibbon podcast music show has been running for 10 years. I have been a listener for 5+ and made many new & old discoveries. There have been many interviews with musicians, which provides added insight to their own music & tastes. 

http://epilepticgibbon.co.uk/ - The shows are available as a download . Handily, you’ll find track lists, plus weblinks from where you can find more information about each artist. 

The shows are also available on Mixcloud - https://www.mixcloud.com/ianfa...best-of-2017-top-10/ 

I find the Tidal subscription well worth it.

Also, having a teenage daughter can be useful when it comes to discovering new music, I'm the coolest forty something in the office.

There is a downside as according to her most of the music I listen to is c**p.

Largely I have little interest in finding new music, having my collection of around 1200 albums being more than I have time to play, particularly given tgat there is a core that I like so much that I play them often (and some of those have remained in that group for 40 years!)

I don’t generally  listen to music on the radio, though I sometimes put on a classical channel when driving, which very occasionally throws up something I’ll look into. Occasionally a friend will play something that catches my interest, or one of my sons may play me something they’ve come across that they think I might lime. And when looking up something on the internet a reference to something else may pique my interest leading to me Looking it up. Occasionally a gig in a local venue attended just for the enjoyment of live music proves interesting enough for me to buy a CD in support. And very occasionally an artist I know I like releases something new. Lots of ‘occasionally’ here, but overall this all brings in maybe a dozen new things a year, which for me is ample (sometimes more, if it is discovery of a ‘new’ artist and thry have multiple albums I find I like).

To assess something that I think might be of interest I variously use Spotify (basic free version plenty good enough for the purpose), uTube, sample tracks or exerpts on artists’ websites or Qobuz, etc. I don’t need high quality to decide if I like the music enough to buy, and to me no online subscription streaming service is justified.

Whilst this answers the original question, I’m afraid it mau not do much to help with what may have been the underlying desire to receive suggestions for how to find more music! 

seakayaker posted:

Just follow the "What are you listening to and Why might anyone be interested?" thread, it is a great way to find music. Combine artists/albums your unfamiliar with Tidal, Spotify, or name your streaming service and give them a spin.

I have found that to be a top source of being introduced to new music over the past nine months!

This is my primary source of new music too. If you take time on this thread, posters will emerge who apparently share similar tastes in music to yourself. Others prove to be more inspirational and move you onto artists and genres you might have previously overlooked. So you then start to look out for certain contributors to this thread where, from experience, there is often 'rich pickings' of stuff that is new to you, or even reminders of artists you like who have released a new album you were unaware of. If something looks interesting, I listen to it on Tidal first and if I really like it I buy the CD. This has actually improved the desirability (to me) of my music collection and saved me from spending money on those 'what was I thinking' CD purchases.

I must say that since Seakayaker has started posting on this thread, I have found some great new music, that has cost me rather a lot but the big river often produces some bargain CDs. Following Ewemon has been an equally expensive exploit. And there are a few other regular posters that have unearthed some real gems on the WAYLTAWMABI thread. I try also to do my bit on this thread, but can end up reposting the recommendations of others. Having said this, viewing repostings of the same album can serve to highlight music you might overlook so reposting is a good idea IMV.

Over recent months I have bought dozens of CDs, many at bargain prices pre-loved from the big river, but all belters in their own way. I have a few albums tee'd up in Tidal to sample and currently have 4 or 5 CDs winging their way to me, that I can't wait to rip and enjoy. I must say, I am loving my music and it has become a great way of relaxing, taking up a larger proportion my spare time. It is all good!

Slightly different routes for me, but I don't have, or want, Tidal/Spotify. Probably 80% of my music purchases are new releases.

Unless I'm buying a new album from an artist I already know well I really like to read a review as well as listen to a sample. So for me the best sources are Pitchfork, the NPR All Songs Considered podcast and webpage and NPR First listen. I also look at The Guardian and Independent newspaper webpages and other review sites. I love the year-end summaries from these sources and the other music mags which always lead to new discoveries.

I flick through new releases each week on Qobuz and 7Digital (my main download providers), and occasionally the Amazon recommendations come up with something, but getting out of date as I don't buy much this way now.

The best sources for me in the Forum are ones that are more than just a list of album covers, so I find the 'What am I listening to'... and the recent purchase threads of little interest. The best advice is on those threads that include something along the lines of 'try x if you like y' which I don't think happens enough in the Music Room.

I wish people would post more about albums with a bit of context and write a little about them and why they like it. Many people seem all too happy to write chapter and verse on black boxes but are apparently shy enthusing about musical choices. Posting a sample is less likely to catch my attention than some interesting writing. I realise the same is true about films; I'm more likely to go after an interesting review than watching a trailer. I must be odd!

Bruce

Bruce Woodhouse posted:

Slightly different routes for me, but I don't have, or want, Tidal/Spotify. Probably 80% of my music purchases are new releases.

Unless I'm buying a new album from an artist I already know well I really like to read a review as well as listen to a sample. So for me the best sources are Pitchfork, the NPR All Songs Considered podcast and webpage and NPR First listen. I also look at The Guardian and Independent newspaper webpages and other review sites. I love the year-end summaries from these sources and the other music mags which always lead to new discoveries.

I flick through new releases each week on Qobuz and 7Digital (my main download providers), and occasionally the Amazon recommendations come up with something, but getting out of date as I don't buy much this way now.

The best sources for me in the Forum are ones that are more than just a list of album covers, so I find the 'What am I listening to'... and the recent purchase threads of little interest. The best advice is on those threads that include something along the lines of 'try x if you like y' which I don't think happens enough in the Music Room.

I wish people would post more about albums with a bit of context and write a little about them and why they like it. Many people seem all too happy to write chapter and verse on black boxes but are apparently shy enthusing about musical choices. Posting a sample is less likely to catch my attention than some interesting writing. I realise the same is true about films; I'm more likely to go after an interesting review than watching a trailer. I must be odd!

Bruce

Bruce, your post is spot on, particularly the last paragraph I couldn't agree more with your comment "Many people seem all too happy to write chapter and verse on black boxes..."

For what it's worth I spend circa £50 a week (and try to source at circa £7.50 per item) mainly now on downloads (minimum 16bit) checking out Qobuz, 7digital, Boomkat and Bandcamp. Still buy Mojo and Uncut and cross reference both making a short list which I then try to catch a snippet of since I'm just not interested in Tidal, Spotify etc. Or pick up a good deal in the New & Used section on Amazon.

I'll follow a record label and used to believe there was never a duff release on 'Island Records' or certainly when Chris Blackwell was running the show. Or I'll follow a producer like Glyn Johns which will take me on to his brother Andy Johns or to Glyn's son Ethan John's. Or the lost art of checking out the sleeve notes to find the Engineer is Trina Shoemaker or Phill Brown. Or a guitarist and arrive at say Les Dudek, Buckethead or Adrian Belew. 

Once a month I'll check out what BGO records and Cherry Red (particularly Esoteric) are releasing.

I do miss the record shop browse when I was working in London visting at least once a week Rough Trade East - with their listening post and for the bargain Fopp or the old top floor of Foyles with Ray's Jazz and the golden age when Farringdon Records had that massive shop in Leadenhall Market.

Oh and finally I'll have a moan as to why the two albums by Druid mentioned by Danny Baker on the recent Old Grey Whistle Test special are so expensive on Qobuz.... but I always remember what the philiosopher John Miles said "Music is my first love and it'll be my last music of the future and music of the past. To live without my music would be impossible to do......."

Interesting. I have tended to avoid the “What are you listening to” thread for a number of reasons: countless album covers with nothing explaining anything is meaningless (and some members posting numerous ones at the same time), and when first on this forum I made the mistake of politely requesting on that  thread that people follow the title and state why others might be interested - and got my head bitten off for the trouble, and told off for not posting there myself.

I don’t post albums there myself for a number of reasons:: the hassle with making a picture appear is too much for me (time-consuming, and seems to have only a 10% success rate) and a solitary post containing a line or two of prose amongst the voluminous images is just going to go unnoticed; Also, given people’s different tastes in music it is not easy to think of an explanation as to why someone may be interested, except perhaps when I am playing something that I think may be a bit unusual in some way. When I have posted there it has simply been in response to something someone else has posted, when that has caught my eye.

All that said, when I have looked there and someone has discussed an album unfamilar to me, with references to things I know, it can indeed prompt a curiousity to hear - which presumably is the purpose if the thread, and is welcome, and that indeed fits the context of this current thread. Perhaps posts in the “What are you listening to” thread without commentary should be removed automatically (and deducted from the poster’s ‘score’, as I get the impression some people, presumably who have a streamlined means of posting pictures, post there simply to raise their forum ratings).

Innocent Bystander posted:

Interesting. I have tended to avoid the “What are you listening to” thread for a number of reasons: countless album covers with nothing explaining anything is meaningless (and some members posting numerous ones at the same time), and when first on this forum I made the mistake of politely requesting on that  thread that people follow the title and state why others might be interested - and got my head bitten off for the trouble, and told off for not posting there myself.

I don’t post albums there myself for a number of reasons:: the hassle with making a picture appear is too much for me (time-consuming, and seems to have only a 10% success rate) and a solitary post containing a line or two of prose amongst the voluminous images is just going to go unnoticed; Also, given people’s different tastes in music it is not easy to think of an explanation as to why someone may be interested, except perhaps when I am playing something that I think may be a bit unusual in some way. When I have posted there it has simply been in response to something someone else has posted, when that has caught my eye.

All that said, when I have looked there and someone has discussed an album unfamilar to me, with references to things I know, it can indeed prompt a curiousity to hear - which presumably is the purpose if the thread, and is welcome, and that indeed fits the context of this current thread. Perhaps posts in the “What are you listening to” thread without commentary should be removed automatically (and deducted from the poster’s ‘score’, as I get the impression some people, presumably who have a streamlined means of posting pictures, post there simply to raise their forum ratings).

Another bullseye. Well said indeed. The thread you are referring to is like watching cars flash by at high speed. Really no use to anyone unless your driving the car.

Innocent Bystander posted:

Interesting. I have tended to avoid the “What are you listening to” thread for a number of reasons: countless album covers with nothing explaining anything is meaningless (and some members posting numerous ones at the same time), 

While its not a regular source of new music ... sometimes I will hop into the thread, randomly choose something from the last page or two, find it on Tidal and play it ... sometimes listen through and forget, sometimes listen to a track and turn it off ... but sometimes you find a gem or it can also trigger forgotten artists.