Ask A Detroit Expert: Best Ways To Discover New Music
Music Composer and Theater Performer
Zach Neithercut attended the respectable Albion College to study theater. He took piano lessons as a child and self-taught himself how to play guitar. He's taken voice lessons to improve his smooth vocal tone and is further pursuing his aspirations. Productions he has been a part of include "Snow White" and "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee." Along with musical theater and instruments, he also composes music. Here are Zach's tips for discovering some great new music.
Digital services are the easiest way to get lost looking for new gems to add to collections. The iTunes store gives recommendations relating to purchases, while streaming service Spotify also gives similar artists and songs to those being played. One click on a suggested artist can lead to another, with the potential of finding a handful of artists looking for new fans. Pandora radio is also a suitable service since it relies on one's own personal likes. Over time, Pandora becomes more personalized, adding in songs similar to that playlist station. Digital services are the most accessible platforms to discover new music.
Periodically, digital retailers switch out batches of songs they offer for free. Amazon and Google both promote upcoming artists and sounds from all genres and give away songs to users for a taste of new music. Conveniently, any songs acquired using Amazon or Google do not count towards account limits. There may be an alternative hit waiting to be discovered or an international vibe that gives flavor to collections.
The music streaming service Last.fm has been around since 2002. It's a favorite for music enthusiasts who like to keep track of what music is being played. Connecting platforms like Windows Media Player and iTunes to Last.fm, called "scrobbling," uploads music data and gives recommendations based on what you're already listening to. On the go, Last.fm has an app for smartphone users that works with both the stock music app along with others like Google Music. The Google Chrome browser even has an extension that works while you're using Google Music.
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A great way to find new music is through word of mouth. Post on social media like Facebook asking for recommendations. Friends chime in, and suggestions could lead to a new favorite. Networking is a fun way to create a discussion on your friends' music they're enjoying.
As noted, the Internet has changed the way we acquire and listen to music. Another digital helper is Musicroamer, a platform that lets you type in a name of an artist, and a web appears with eight artists similar to the one typed in the field. It also gives top tracks by the artist to provide some idea of what is in their catalog. Clips are provided via iTunes.
