Today, there are more ways than ever for artists to get music into their fans' ears. However, the vast array of services can also be problematichow do you stay abreast of new music releases when they could pop up in lots of different places? A couple of decades ago, all you needed to do was subscribe to a music magazine and listen to the radio every day, but these days it's not so simple. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to keep up-to-date with new songs and new albums from your favorite artists.
Sasha Frere-Jones
What Are Your Favorite New Music Websites?
The Internet has mutated the way we hear about new artists and songs. There are reviews, a plethora of apps, and algorithms upon algorithms—meaning that discovering your favorite new bop is as overwhelming as ever. So we asked the people who know best about their strategies: people who write about music for a living, music execs, and of course, high schoolers. Discovering music does not frustrate me or cause me to have takes. I don't listen to Pandora, which might make that happen.
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In the pre-internet dark ages, finding a new band or singer to obsess over required time and effort. But as streaming and other technological gifts have disrupted everything in our culture, the way we discover new music and artists has become easier. Streaming For artists, playlists are paramount. Tei Shi recommends checking out playlists on Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal created by musicians you like, since, chances are, your tastes will align. That way your friend could potentially introduce you to a new song or artist on your own playlist.
As music listening habits become more specialized, it's easier than ever to miss a new song. Unless it gets put in constant rotation on the radio, earns a coveted spot on your favorite playlist , or pops up on the soundtrack to that hot new TV show, most tracks -- even from big artists -- fly under the radar for the casual music fan. Thankfully, we've got you covered. Below, you'll find five new songs of the moment that are worth taking time out of your busy day for. It doesn't matter what genre the song comes from or how popular the artist is. If it's good, we want you to hear it -- and then listen again. Lil Baby is not backing down. After taking to the streets with Atlanta city councilman Antonio Brown to protest the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, the year-old rap sensation has released a mournful track that channels his pain, frustration, and anger into a song that attempts to capture the emotional complexity of the moment. Appropriately titled "The Bigger Picture," the song opens with a piano loop and snippets of newscasters describing the recent demonstrations before switching to a more personal, confessional mode. Sister duo Chloe x Halle are young phenoms.
