SUNSETTER

‘New Music’ what even is it? Most people would say music that’s hot off the press, that’s just been dropped and has never been heard before. I can sign on with that, but I also believe when we look for new music we should at all music – regardless of its release date, a solid tune will remain great for a long time.

               So where do you find new music? There are loads of outlets, and my quick little guide will only cover a few of them. So here it is - my snapshot guide to being first on the scene and unearthing lost treasures. There’s a lot of juicy info here, but worry not I’ll be sharing some great music you can listen to at the bottom – so hang in there buddy.

 Keep Up to Date with New Releases

There are plenty of websites which document known release dates for upcoming singles and albums – these are incredibly useful just for knowing what’s about to drop. Many of these will only be official releases, meaning the material may have been out for ages – as is often the case with singles, but albums will nearly always have unheard content worth a listen.

My fave sites for keeping up to date include:

Metacritic – this is pretty standard, a great shout for all your major upcoming album releases.

TTT – like Metacritic except for singles – most of this will be available online, but it’s still a useful tool for making sure nothing slips through your musical net.

The 405 – another album list, between the two you won’t miss anything (plus it has a cooler name).

Hype Machine – literally a god-send in new music, they document new releases on their increasing popularity. This is how you find future hits, as well as others which are at least noteworthy. You can also customize your search results to include or exclude remixes and more.             

Know Where to Look

As well as knowing when new stuff is going to land it’s important to know where to find it yourself. The internet is absolutely full of ways of finding new tracks, regardless of their age. It’s all about finding people/artists with strong tastes, and knowing what online realms to search – and it’s easier than you think, once you start you’ll find yourself stumbling across more and more gems. Here’s my top tips:

Soundcloud – Get an account, follow your favorite artists and check out their related artists or anyone they share. Through your own tastes you will then be exposed to similar music, and it’s a great way to discover new music, simply sailing through what artists like. What’s more its ‘related songs’ feature actually works. Following artists also means you know the moment they release new and (in some cases) experimental tunes.

Spotify – Again this seems like a no-brainer but there are plenty of ways to make the most out of the obvious. ‘Spotify Radio’ can be a great way of finding new music, that said more often than not I find myself frustrated at its failure to understand that launching a chilled radio does not mean I want dance music. However what may go unnoticed is Spotify’s tailored ‘Discover Weekly’ playlist. ‘Discover Weekly’ is amazing, it uses your complete music taste to pick songs you most likely haven’t heard and it works wonders, I now look forward to Mondays because they bring a whole batch of insane music. Artist playlists are also ones to look out for – nothing bad can come from listening to the same stuff as the artists you like.

HasItLeaked - Aside from having a gorgeous layout, HIL provides around-the-clock info on leaked music. They also have a great taste in music and write insightful blog posts on new music and new releases. There's no better way to know what's fire then to know before its out.

YouTube Curators – YouTube is full of channels curating new music, I’d be surprised if you didn’t follow some already. Some worth mentioning include MrSuicideSheep (and his secondary channel), Majestic Casual,MrRevillz, La Belle Musique, Electro Pose, Proximity, TheSoundYouNeed and Monstercat. The majority of these are all similar genres, so have some fun finding people who love what you love!

RADIO – I can’t stress the importance of radio. BBC Radio 1 & 2 are perhaps the most obvious choices, but their reliance on popular music means you can miss out new or underground bangers – their later shows can be a bit more alternative, but Radio 1Xtra and Radio 6 are great sources for great songs just outside the charts. Perhaps my fave station is TripleJ – it’s just perfect, they play great music and give unknown artists a chance – and who doesn’t love the Aussie accent? Their ‘Like A Version’ is the spiritual counterpart to Radio 1’s ‘Live Lounge’ but gives small and big artists equal exposure and produces some phenomenal covers while doing so.

STUDENT RADIO – Dear god use it. While they may not always be the best presenters student radio is one of the best places to find new music. Student Radio stations are filled with young people searching for new music – their specialist shows (focusing on certain genres/vibes) can be great stops to explore specific types of music. I can’t not put a cheeky plug for my own station, Livewire1350, here – because these guys are good, but wherever you are try and search your local station online and give them a try, you’ll be spoon-fed new songs simply by finding shows that fit your tastes. Often these guys have record labels sending them music before it’s even available to generate hype – student radio can literally be the freshest source.

So there you have it, plenty of ways to get stuck into finding new music. It’s easy to get overwhelmed but calm down, and just pick whichever outlet you want to get into – as long as you keep an eye out you’re bound to be the hottest kid on the music block.

Now here’s for a tasty playlist I'll be updating using the aforementioned tricks: