Although decades have passed since music lovers shouted — along with LL Cool J — “I Can’t Live Without My Radio,” the results of a recent Nielsen report reveal that radio is still the best way millions discover new songs. However, it should come as no surprise in our highly digital society that the second most popular method of discovery comes from online sources.
Ways to Discover New Music
While music videos remain at the top of the YouTube viewing preferences, there are many other ways to find music online. The Internet experts at www.Internetserviceproviders.com assist consumers every day in both understanding the technologies available and in locating the services right for them. They contend that the world of search engines is dominated by two major players — Google and Bing. And while you will find lots of relevant information using either of these two industry giants, music lovers everywhere will be pleased to know that there are alternative search engines dedicated simply to helping you find and enjoy more of the music you love, all day and every day.
Search Engines for Music
The following are just a few of the top search engines for the music available today.
- Last.FM: Last.FM has the largest music catalog available. The service simply plays music from the artists you select in their search engine. The page that pulls up not only plays music but also tells you a bit more of the artists background, whether or not the artist is on tour and lists recommendations for other artists whose music is closely related to the genre.
- LyricsnMusic: At LyricsnMusic, their tagline says it best: “A lyric and music search engine for music people by music people.” Indeed, you can find nearly everything you want about the artists/genre you love, including tour dates, lyrics to the songs you love, a history of YouTube videos, links to iTunes and a section wherein you can create a playlist to enjoy again and again. Not to worry, indie lovers, alternative and indie music is definitely represented on this website, and LyricsnMusic includes a social element as well, so you can easily share the sounds you discover.
- Music-Map: Music-Map calls itself the “tourist map of music.” The site shows the relationship between various musicians and groups; the more closely related, the closer they show up on the website (and, of course, vice-versa). The site is a great way to find other, perhaps lesser-known artists, whose musical style is close to an artist or band you have already grown to love.
- Stumble Audio: As the name implies, Stumble Audio allows users to simply “stumble” upon new songs or artists in the genre of music you prefer. Unlike the popular social media site from which the makers of this site found their name, there are no toolbars to install. Instead, users simply log on to the Stumble Audio site, choose your favorite music genre, then click on the appropriate button. When a song or album appears, the site allows a person to listen to the song entirely before deciding to purchase through Amazon Music, iTunes or via CD. Don’t care for a suggested selection. Simply press the button again and another option appears. The site is a great way to discover and sample new songs or albums and a great way for users to learn whether or not they really like the song before purchasing.
Availability
The search engines above represent only a tiny sample of the music-based search engines available. However, for anyone desiring to find new music (including independent artists and alternative music), these sites should easily become “music to your ears.”
Image by Esparta Palma pursuant to the terms of Creative Commons license.
The post Treading the Web for Tunes: Music Search Engines appeared first on Verry Technical.