I’ve been meaning to stop my Spotify sub because saving more money how ever small it may be. But I kind of like the discovery part of it.

Been using YouTube (Music) again for music listening honestly because it does have YouTube only artists and songs (not in an official partnership or similar, just that that’s where people only upload there to share kind of thing), as well as live versions and in general the tons of covers, remixes and such.

Truth be told I like what YTM algorithm gives me recently.

Having said that, I am open to hear suggestions that further divorces from big tech.

I don’t mind for anime/movies/shows as I rely on word of mouth in the various chat groups I’m already in. Maybe I should extend to music focused groups too?

  • Swordgeek@lemmy.ca
    1·
    3 hours ago

    I ask my friends. Well, friend.

    Honestly, the recommendations from Spotify are often terrible, but occasionally give me something I like. I believe that free Spotify still has recommendations, does it not?

    The other thing is radio. Yes, radio! Find a station you like and stream it, since they’re all streaming now as well as broadcasting.

    Our local station is awesome.

  • AlphaOmega@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    17 hours ago

    I buy CDs 5 for a dollar at a thrift store, and check out YT if I’m looking for something different.

  • weremacaque@sh.itjust.works
    2·
    1 day ago

    I go to the record store with my friends and we just grab cheap CDs that look cool and then listen to them in the car after. We’ve found some interesting things by doing that.

  • silly goose meekah@lemmy.world
    40·
    2 days ago

    I like to listen to internet radio. There are plenty of stations for different genres.

    If you’re on Linux, shortwave even allows you to immediately save a local recording if you like a track.

  • morbidcactus@lemmy.ca
    212·
    2 days ago

    Bandcamp, I follow a bunch of labels that’ve done releases I like and have set up a bunch of genre tags, I’ll go through every so often and go through releases, see what jumps out at me.

    Otherwise, there’s a few reviewers I’ve come to trust over the years, my partner likes angrymetalguy and both follow Rez Metal Podcast. Otherwise it’s forums, Lemmy, reddit or other online community.

  • cam_i_am@lemmy.world
    28·
    2 days ago

    Gigs. Either just buying tickets to random local venues. Our go see your favourite artists live, but make sure you get there early enough to see the openers.

    I’ve discovered so many amazing bands because they opened for bands I already knew I liked.

    If you can’t physically get to gigs then you can even just look up who your favourite artists are touring with, that will give you a pretty good sense of them being similar.

    • JayGray91🐉🍕@piefed.socialOPEnglish
      4·
      2 days ago

      I wish the bigger international bands i listen to would come to my country often. But then it would cost a lot.

      But I get you though. I am friends with a weekend band that also has friends with other more “serious” underground bands. Been going to more and more gigs and helping out and actually discovered more songs and bands like this.

  • eezeebee@lemmy.caEnglish
    19·
    2 days ago

    Cancelling Spotify will not only save you money, it will help to save music. They’re shafting smaller artists, paying peanuts to the rest, and flooding the platform with AI slop so they don’t have to pay as much to real artists. Fuck Spotify.

    Bandcamp and Soundcloud are what I mainly use.

    • JayGray91🐉🍕@piefed.socialOPEnglish
      3·
      2 days ago

      Bandcamp and SoundCloud does sound better for smaller artists as I understand. Alas I still listen to big artists.

      Edit: I do still let in newsletters from an artist on bandcamp, Jim Guthrie. I think he did the OST for FTL game. Should check him again. And go from there for discovering new artists on bandcamp

  • HowlsSophie@lemmy.world
    11·
    2 days ago

    https://www.music-map.com/

    Graphical way of searching by a given artist and the results are shown based on who is most similar (closer to center) and who is least similar (farthest from center). Love searching this way.

    I’ve also used YouTube to search for a familar artist and then I’ll go through the suggestions to see if I find anything interesting.

  • algorithmae@lemmy.sdf.org
    14·
    1 day ago

    Welp. Spotify. Lol. I don’t listen to anything mainstream, so I eventually get recommended new things I like.

    Other than that, I sometimes listen to Twitch DJ streams, and there’s occasionally songs that really catch my attention that way.

  • janonymous@lemmy.world
    15·
    2 days ago

    I recommend Radio Paradise! It’s an independent online radio stream with a great, eclectic selection and no ads, except the occasional reminder that they are donation financed. It’s honestly one if not the best radio stream there is.

  • Whooping_Seal@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    5·
    2 days ago

    There is also last.fm. I would have suggested libre.fm but they are no longer open to registrations it seems

    This would replace the “algorithmic” component of spotify, I would still suggest some other options (sharing stuff in your social circle, seeing who opens for your favourite groups etc.)