Sick of Your Spotify Wrapped Results? Here’s How to Give Your Musical Taste a Refresh
Discover new genres, artists, and songs with these tactics for shaking up your playlists and expanding your musical horizons.
If you’re bored of your Spotify Wrapped results and music taste, it’s time for a refresh. Learn tips like taking quizzes, exploring decades and genres, following critics, talking to friends, and more ways to discover new artists and albums.
Spotify Wrapped has become an annual music tradition, giving listeners insight into their most-streamed artists, songs, genres and more each year. But if your Wrapped results felt repetitive or uninspiring, perhaps it’s time to shake up your music taste and discover some new tunes.
Refreshing your music taste has plenty of benefits. It exposes you to new artists and genres, keeps your playlists feeling fresh, and allows you to evolve as a music listener. Plus, who doesn’t love that feeling when you discover an amazing new song or band?
Here are 10 tips to give your musical taste a complete refresh:
Step Outside Your Comfort Zone
The best way to discover new music is by stepping outside your usual genres and listening habits.
If you typically only listen to top 40 pop, make an effort to explore indie pop/rock, jazz, country, hip-hop, metal and other genres. Open your mind, get out of your comfort zone and you’ll be amazed at the high-quality music you’ve been missing out on.
Some ways to expand your genre boundaries include:
- Searching Spotify playlists like “Acoustic Covers” or “Alt Country Classics”
- Tuning into genre-specific radio stations on Spotify
- Googling “best [x] albums of all time” and giving them a listen
- Following music critics on Twitter or YouTube who expose you to new sounds
The goal is to break your autopilot listening habits and not write off entire genres just because they sound unfamiliar. Give new music a fair chance before deciding if it’s for you.
Take Music Recommendation Quizzes
To get custom song and playlist recommendations, try taking some music quizzes.
Sites like MusicMatch, Musicovery and Gnoosic ask you questions about favorite bands, moods and instruments to generate playlists tailored to your taste. This introduces you to artists and songs its algorithms believe you’ll like.
Music suggestion apps such as Discovr Music, Soundtrack Your Brand and Otto Radio also offer playlists based on your artist picks and listening data.
Essentially these quizzes act like a music-savvy friend, thinking “If you like X, you’ll probably also like Y.” The more input you give, the better and more unique the recommendations become over time.
Explore by Decade
Diving into music from a specific decade can expose you to timeless artists that shaped the sounds of that era. Plus, understanding music’s evolution will make you a more well-rounded listener.
Try exploring essential albums list or Spotify playlists from the:
- 1920s jazz and blues
- 1930s big band/swing
- 1940s bebop
- 1950s rock n roll and R&B
- 1960s folk, motown, British invasion
- 1970s disco, punk, classic rock
- 1980s new wave, pop, hip hop
- 1990s grunge, alt-rock, rap
- 2000s garage rock revival, pop punk
Once you find a decade you enjoy, Google search for terms like “best 1930s jazz songs” to find hidden gems.
Follow Music Critics, Bloggers and DJs
Experts like music critics, bloggers and radio DJs are great resources for expanding your music taste since they constantly listen to and review new releases.
Find critics who seem to share your taste by searching sites like Pitchfork, Rolling Stone and Stereogum. Follow their social accounts to get music recommendations and reviews.
You can also follow influential DJs like George Ezra or popular music YouTubers who suggest albums weekly. Their deep knowledge and access to advance music helps you stay ahead of the curve.
Explore Record Labels
Record labels like Sub Pop, Domino Recording Company and Matador Records have reputations for signing cool indie artists across genres.
Once you find a label you like, browse their full roster of artists — you might discover your new favorite band. You can also search Spotify for playlists of popular compilation albums they released.
Check the “signed to” section on artists’ Wikipedia pages to find more record labels that feature sounds you enjoy.
Learn an Instrument
Learning to play an instrument like guitar, piano, drums or ukulele provides an appreciation for the craft and theory behind music. Understanding melody, rhythm, chords and arrangement gives you a better ear for quality songwriting.
You’ll gain exposure to techniques and compositions you may have overlooked just listening casually. Plus, covering songs allows you to connect more deeply with the material.
Attend Live Music Events
Seeing artists perform live exposes you to passionate musicians who put on shows tailored to true fans rather than mainstream crowds. The live energy makes you experience familiar songs in a completely new way.
Attend concerts at small local venues featuring lesser-known bands. Check free local music guides for upcoming shows and discover your city’s underground scene.
For major touring artists, festivals like Lollapalooza and Coachella boast diverse lineups across genres. You’ll get a music sampler and may find new favorite acts.
Talk to Friends About Music
Your friends and family likely have different musical tastes than you. Ask what they’ve been listening to lately, and offer to share new artists with each other.
Creating collaborative playlists on Spotify where you each add songs can expand each other’s horizons. Discuss what you enjoy or don’t enjoy about recommended tracks.
Not only does this two-way exchange help you discover new music, it’s also a great conversation starter and way to bond over your different tastes.
Listen to Radio Stations From Around the World
Tuning into international radio on apps like Radio Garden gives you access to music scenes worldwide. You’ll hear traditional folk, pop, electronic dance music and more unique to different cultures.
Hearing what’s popular abroad in countries like France, India, Lebanon or South Africa exposes you to sounds rarely heard in western charts.
Even exploring stations in different North American cities like Nashville or Montreal provides a taste of different regional talent. This gives refreshing variety from your usual rotation.
Let Spotify’s Algorithm Recommend
Don’t underestimate Spotify’s “Made For You” sections like Daily Mixes, Discover Weekly and Release Radar. The sophisticated algorithms suggest tracks and artists you may like based on your listening data.
Be sure to follow artists you enjoy so Spotify gathers more signals. Listen to your Discover Weekly playlist every week and save songs you enjoy to train the algorithm.
The more you clearly signal tastes through likes, follows and listening, the better Spotify gets at recommending relevant new music and playlists to expand your taste.
Go Down YouTube Rabbit Holes
YouTube’s recommender algorithm automatically queues up related music on the sidebar when you listen to songs. Click on an interesting recommended video, and go down that rabbit hole to discover new genres and artists.
You can also search broad terms like “best protest songs” or “summer beach music” and click on various videos to let YouTube suggest music related to those themes.
Subscribing to music channels like Colors, NPR Music and Vevo also boosts new music in your YouTube feed.
Refreshing your music taste opens doors to a diverse world of high-quality music. The key mindsets are openness to discovery and not rejecting songs or artists immediately if they sound unfamiliar. Allow yourself time to absorb and appreciate new genres.
Integrating a few of these tactics into your regular listening will keep your playlists feeling fresh and engaging. Don’t get stuck in a rut just listening to the same old favorite songs and artists. Broaden your horizons and boost your mood with the thrill of discovering your next musical obsession.
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