It is an undebatable idea that music is a key part of people’s lives.

We find ourselves in lyrics we relate to, build relationships with people who share our interests in artists and make music a part of our everyday routine.

With the wide range of genres and artists available to us through streaming platforms, radio, television and more, it is never that hard to branch out with your taste in music. However, if you’re anything like me, discovering new music is a struggle.

Here are some quick and easy ways for you to discover new genres, artists or songs that you can vibe to. Whether you’re already trying to prepare for next year’s Spotify Wrapped or just want a new thing to vibe to, these tips can put you a step in that direction.

1. Listen to television soundtracks

If you find yourself watching your favorite show or movie for the hundredth time in the next few weeks, really pay attention to the music used.

Your appeal to a piece of media is heavily influenced by the soundtrack used. For example, one of my favorite movies primarily uses Green Day songs as its soundtrack, and it is because of that movie that they are one of my all-time favorite bands.

So, if you want to branch out that music taste, pay more attention to the music you would usually ignore in favor of watching the events on screen unfold. If you love the show, you’ll more than likely love the songs.

2. Pay attention to recommended songs

If you’ve ever been streaming your favorite artist and a recommended playlist comes up, you’ve probably never looked too hard at it.

Services like Spotify and Apple Music use your streaming data to compile specialized recommendations based on your listening history. The songs, artists and genres you primarily interact with are used to find similar ones the algorithm thinks you would be interested in.

This is one of the best ways to find new music. Listening to similar artists recommended to you gives you a sound you are comfortable with while also allowing you to branch out.

3. Ask your friends for recommendations

People chose relationships based on compatibility. Your friends usually have shared interests with you; however, their favorite artists may differ from your own.

If you have a friend with a music taste similar to yours, ask them to share some of their favorite artists and songs with you.

This one may seem obvious, but it is still one of the best ways for you to meet a new sound you’ve never heard before.

4. Find fan-made playlists based on your interests

This is one of my favorite ways to find new music.

Maybe you have a character from a show you like, or perhaps a book you read recently resonated with you. There are people out there who have had this same experience with the same media, and somewhere out there, someone has made a playlist inspired by it.

Search your interest on your favorite streaming service and take a few minutes to go through the playlists. This one is especially good if some of your favorite songs are already in the playlists you find.

Using this tactic allows you to see how other people have interpreted the same media and expressed their interest in it through song.

Music is something we all share, and finding new songs to love is always a fun thing to do.

Written by Bailey Storey, Photo Editor. Photo courtesy of The Spectator.