Sometimes being a music fan can be exhausting. It seems like every day – or more like every hour – there’s a new artist, new band, new hit song or new genre blowing up the music world. How do you keep up?
With the exhaustive list of options for discovering new music these days, we were intrigued by the latest findings from media research firm Nielsen – as it turns out, more teens are listening to music on YouTube (64%) than radio (56%), iTunes (53%) and CDs (50%). But while teens are favoring YouTube for listening to music, most still rely on the radio when it comes to finding new music.
What do you think? Where do you turn to find new music? Will radio continue to be the go-to resource, or will online methods eventually catch up? If you lean toward online discovery, you’re probably well-versed in apps like Spotify and Pandora. Back in January we featured 5 great ways to find free music online, but as we all know, music – and technology – moves fast. Here are 4 more ways to share and find music, to ensure you’re ahead of the pack:
1. viinyl
Ready to share your music with the world? The viinyl platform lets you upload a song and turn it into a solitary, interactive website, complete with artwork and videos. The website is currently in beta form, so artists can create sites for free – all you need is an mp3 (or Soundcloud) version of your original song, and a jpeg background image. From there, share your URL as much as you’d like, and promote away!
2. Google+ Hangouts On Air
Are you on Google+? Earlier this week, the social network introduced “Studio Mode,” a musically-evolved version of Google Hangouts. In the official announcement, Google’s product manager Matthew Leske spoke about the trends of artists and bands using Hangouts to stream live performances for fans worldwide. The updated platform allows users to switch from “Voice” to “Studio Mode,” which optimizes the audio for an even better sound. Moreover, fans can interact with the band directly, see who else is in the virtual audience, and share with Google+ circles quickly and easily.
4. Songza
Working on a specific activity, and want to find the perfect song? Whether you’re doing housework, cooking breakfast or working out, Songza’s Music Concierge is on a mission to play the right music, at the right time. Select the day of the week, time of day and your activity of choice, and you’ll receive a customized playlist that is sure to get you going. The program is also available for iPad, iPhone and Android, so you’ll always have the right tunes.
– Suzy S., TakeLessons staff member and blogger
Are we missing any other cool websites or apps? How do YOU find new music? Leave us a comment below!
Photo by Sleeping Sun.
Suzy S.