Issue #65: New Music is at Your Fingertips
How to best use Spotify, connecting over music & a book that explains the relationship between your brain and music
I had the pleasure of attending a concert recently for a recently viral TikTok band. We got tickets with friends who knew the drummer in the band, and they were $12. Tons were still available, but a week or so before the show, they went viral on TikTok.
Even though they were the opener that night, there was a line down the street before they went on stage. It was wild. They played their top song last, and immediately, every single phone in the room seemed to be out. The song was short, and most people left as soon as it finished. I’ve never seen anything like it. It was like they all wanted to be part of this blow-up moment. Even the band joked about it and was surprised. If you’re wondering who it was, it’s in the last section.
The song is super catchy, and I find myself singing it all the time now, but it blew my mind to see how quickly something became wildly popular on TikTok. It got me thinking about how people find new music these days, and I wanted to share some of my tricks to branch out beyond John Mayer and Taylor Swift (although those two still cling to the top of my list most years.)
What’s the Deal with the Algorithm?
Don’t get me wrong, I love Chappell Roan, but Spotify really became obsessed with shoving Good Luck Babe down my throat in 2024. It made my top 5 songs list of the year, but I don’t think I turned it on myself once. I’d rather listen to Red Wine Supernova or Casual. But this song would automatically play after finishing any Taylor Swift album, any of my favorite playlists, and really any time I turned on Spotify.
I went down a Reddit thread recently about this phenomenon and it turns out this happens to most people. But what I thought was interesting were the nasty comments about using a “computer DJ” to determine what music I’m listening to. Everyone is welcome to listen to music however they please, but are we really shaming people for using Spotify?
It inspired this post because I think Spotify (and other streaming services) are the best option now unless you listen to the same 20 albums on repeat. I know there are issues, just like any other tech company, but it allows me to listen to what I want when I want. I’ve gotten better in the last few months of maximizing this platform and find way fewer situations where I’m getting fed the same things. I wanted to share my findings and help you discover some new music.
My Tips for Discovering New Music
Start Making “Mixtapes” Again
Don’t rely on the auto-populated playlists on Spotify. Pick a vibe and spend some free time putting together a playlist. I get incredibly specific with playlists, but I also have a running collection of songs I love at the moment but might not have a specific playlist that they fit into yet.
Here are some examples of playlists on my Spotify (click on the link to see them in the app):
brisk walk, cool morning, fresh air - perfect for those early morning walks where you can see your breath, but a quick pace warms you up
sittin on the front porch - a little bluegrass vibe that I picture listening to in a rocking chair on my favorite Montana porch
a blizzard warning - you need a playlist when you know the city is about to shut down
those first moments of spring - it’s where we are at this moment, and I’ve been playing this a lot recently
Those are just a few examples, but you can follow me on Spotify to see more. I also take requests. I’m currently working on playlists titled sometimes you’re the villain and the club but make it cozy. When you make playlists, you can actually find a “radio station” based on that playlist that will stick with similar vibes and bands while introducing you to new music.
Collab with Friends using Blend
The Create section in the app has an option for a blend. This will pop up the option to invite up to 10 friends and create a shared playlist. It pulls top songs from each person and recommends new music based on your shared interests.
Make Spotify’s AI Work For You
I know I said that Spotify will automatically feed you some songs over and over, but there are some great newish features that AI is behind. The search feature is pretty strong, and you can be specific, but I turn to these other two more often.
The DJ will give you music in groups of five songs that have something in common, and it bounces around, similar to a radio station. You might get your top five songs currently followed by artists similar to someone you listen to, followed by a throwback to songs you liked in 2021. When I can’t decide on a playlist, I’ll throw on the DJ.
The other is the Daylist, which is hilariously weird but often wildly enjoyable. Spotify will change your Daylist every few hours and give it a name. The one pictured above is my current Daylist - yearning coastal grandmother afternoon. While the descriptions are bizarre, I find myself loving these collections more often than not.
Never Miss a “Discover Weekly”
I have used automation from the free tool IFTTT, for years as a blogger. The name stands for If This, Then That, and it connects to different apps and sets up automated functions you can set and forget. I love seeing the Discover Weekly playlists each week, but sometimes, I don’t listen to them before they reset. I created a function that dumps those into a bigger stockpile playlist on Spotify, so I can dive in whenever I’ve got a long drive or want to try some new music on a walk.
I made the function public if you want to try it out. You just need to create an account and then connect your Spotify account. It’s pretty easy.
Follow this link to give it a try.
A Few Non-Spotify Tips
Crowdsource Music Suggestions
In my opinion, the best way to find new music is to shoot off random texts to your friends to see what they’ve been loving lately. I have the coolest friends who share music on Instagram or text when they find a song they think I might like. My dad and I even swap songs when we chat on the phone. Try it out, but be ready to send something back.
See Live Music in Small Venues
Every city/town has a music venue. I used to wait until I saw my favorite bands come through town, but now I search the calendar of our local venue and pick some random bands to listen to a song or two. Live music changes everything. You get backstory and see them play their instruments live, and I find myself loving songs in a different way than just hearing them through headphones.
Go check out live music, and maybe you’ll be someone who sees the next Noah Kahan before tickets are $1000. Also, Spotify will show you upcoming concerts when you listen, so I find some concerts that way too.
Use Shazam
The final tip I have is to download Shazam. This little app has been around for years, and I use it often. When you’re in a restaurant or watching a TV show, and you find yourself liking what you hear, just tap the little circle on the app, and it will listen to the song and give you the title and artist. I always screenshot that and then add it to playlists later.
Happy Listening!
Here are a few other music-related things you might find interesting:
I just started this fascinating book and it’s perfect to go along with this post. The author was a sound engineer for Prince and she looks at the way we enjoy music and collabs with a neuroscientist to break down some cool information. (Here’s the Kindle link if that’s your jam.)
Maybe podcasts are your preferred method to learn new things, this podcast dives into the making and meaning behind popular music and I’ve recently added it to my rotation.
The Music League app looks intriguing to me and I just signed up to participate in my first one. This might be something fun in the future to do with readers here, so comment if you’d be interested.
I will not get back into cassette tapes, but I love hearing people click through them at the record store near my house. It turns out people are struggling to find a way to play them.
We have owned this record player for years and I love how small, but mighty it is. Each season, we swap out which records are on up on these holders and I love how it changes the look of the room a little bit.
This isn’t my first helpful how-to guide. I shared info about what I do with photos on my phone and how to start a book club.
If you’re wondering what the song I mentioned in the intro was, this is the band’s submission for NPR’s Tiny Desk. Just adorable.
Comment and let me know what you’re listening to lately. Thanks for reading and sharing and hearting and subscribing. I’ll be back on Monday to share my month-end favorites.
Cheers!
Steph
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