On the daily, many people come to me about music and how to find stimulating tunes that align with their own specific taste. As a lover of all types of music, I have cultivated an understanding for a variety of different genres. Learning to define your music taste is like learning a new skill — you must work at it consistently until you reach a level of mastery. Here are ways to work towards defining your music taste.
Review your current musical library
Whether you use Spotify, Apple Music or other streaming services, go ahead and take some time to review the music that you currently have. This is pretty self-explanatory, but from this, you’ll be able to get an accurate picture of the type of music that you vibe with.
Note your favorite and most listened to artists
If you look at your music streaming app, there should be a list of all the artists that you currently have saved within your library. Your streaming service then generates other artists’ music that are similar to them. Take a listen and stay open. Check the artists out, even if you haven’t heard of them before.
Browse new music
Almost every week, artists from all types of backgrounds release music. If you check the regularly updated section of new music, you’ll catch singles, EP’s and albums that have just been released. I usually just look through by genre and see if anything catches my eye. Reading the synopsis of the records -- if it’s available -- also gives a good look into the project as a whole. It’ll describe how the record performs sonically, and might even touch on the meaning behind the lyrics as well.
Follow your favorites on social media
If you have any form of social media, you can stay super updated with artists and discover new ones. The music industry is vast, and you will likely find your favorite artists engaging and connecting with other musicians through social media. The majority of the time they’ll collaborate and make music that you’re bound to enjoy. Closely following their accounts also allows you to know what they’re working on, and even potentially hear some leaked music. Many of the artists that I follow have gone on a live stream and played records and given a behind the scenes look into their lives as well.
Connect with friends
Connecting with friends is a great way to find music you may personally like. Follow your friends on streaming services and share playlists. Every month, a friend and I will make a playlist so that we can share it with each other. Through each other, we have found many new artists. It’s a great way to bond and learn about music in general.
There’s so much you can learn about yourself, others and the world by listening to music, and pinpointing your style makes it that much more satisfying. With these tips, you’ll be bound to define your music taste.
Chance Allen ‘22 is a journalism student at Mercer who has been working for The Cluster under various roles for the past three years. Allen is a multi-hyphenate but works primarily with photo and writing. He has been working with NBC Entertainment for the entirety of this year and since becoming a journalism student he has received multiple honors and awards from the Georgia Collegiate Press Association as well as DASHBOARD. Allen spends his free time writing, creating, and being.
