What is the best place to discover new music?
Algorithms on one side, a friend with strong opinions on the other.
1SpotifyAlgorithmic playlists that hand you songs you didn't ask for.
2YouTubeWhere a track can surface as a live clip, a lyric video or an autoplay accident.
3TikTokFifteen seconds of a chorus, repeated until it charts.
4RadioA human picking the next song for everyone at once.
5Record storesBrowsing physical racks and asking whoever is behind the counter.
6BandcampDirect-from-artist releases with almost no gatekeeping.
7SoundCloudUnsigned uploads and demos, years before the majors notice.
8FriendsThe recommendation that comes with someone vouching for it.
9ShazamIdentifying the song playing in a bar before it ends.
10Live showsThe support act you had never heard of before the doors opened.
11RedditGenre subreddits arguing about releases the week they drop.
12Film and TV soundtracksA scene that sends everyone searching for the closing-credits track.
13Apple MusicHuman-curated radio stations alongside the algorithmic feeds.
14Video game soundtracksHours spent inside a score until you go looking for the composer.
Comments
Radio, record shops and a friend with strong opinions are on this list too, and none of them run on an algorithm: https://youpick.best/articles/tiktok-vs-instagram-ranked https://youpick.best/articles/where-does-youtube-rank
