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It's the Village Voice that has the most engaging, challenging, and non-glitz coverage of rock and pop music. Don't miss Christgau's "Consumer Guide" every month, and the "Pazz & Jop" annual critics ' poll for possibilities. Be prepared to expand your boundaries of taste. Album-oriented artists. If you want singles, the radio is forever a direct audition.

Sampler CDs allow me to hear new stuff and are an interesting mix for casual listening. When I hear something I like, I buy it.

I use reviews in quality newspapers - ie the Guardian and the Observer (Great Britain!).

A combination of factors. Usually by word of mouth or listening to the radio and maybe just stepping into a cd shop and listening to whats available!

Listening is the best test, and although the compression is a little high, my DSS music channels have been wonderful ways to hear more and more diverse music. YAY SATELLITE!

Through various avenues, mainly Internet reviews, radio, and word of mouth.

Doesn't everyone just rush right out and buy the Stereophile "Recording of the Month"?

i always discuss music with friends, but it doesn't always influence my purchases.

The main sources are Stereophile and BBC Music magazines. My main interest is in Classical music. Our local classical station, KDFC, just went to a "Classical Music's Greatest Hits" format, so that means even more reliance on magazines.

Q magazine is the best source to find out about new and old records.

I am always exploring for music I have not heard. A music lover from High School I have collected records known and unknown since 14 years of age. The fun of finding the Greatful Dead and Cream out of a record bin was as much fun as listening to a new Beethoven String Quartet colection; although the second is what drove me into the high end of audio only to find the effects of a sound system on the first. I am willing to purchase a jazz cd of a known artist unheard or unreviewed its just like the night I wandered into a Tim Buckley concert in NYC and first heard the Mothers of Invention.

Stereophile's Recording of the Month and other reviews play an instrumental role (pardon the pun) in music that I purchase.

I listen mostly to classical and jazz music, with some rock thrown in for good measure. We don't have a classical radio station in this city, or a station that plays light jazz or "jazzy" songs, so I rely on magazine reviews (Stereophile in particular), then look for those CDs (if the record stores sell them) and listen. I'll buy it if like it and look for another if I don't like it.

Despite criticisms to the contrary, I think most of us audiophiles have a great deal in common in regard to our musical tastes. We have eclectic likings; we have high standards within each musical genre; we have our fair share of guilty pleasures. Therefore I find that Stereophile and other high-end publications are the most consistent sources of tips for good music to buy.

I use a combination of the Penguin Guide (classical), reviews, knowledgeable friends, and a music store (Planet Music, Virginia Beach) that lets you audition recordings.

I listen to a local jazz station to hear some of the latest cd's. Otherwise I scan some of the local stores, which seems to be limited or the internet!

CMJ New Music Monthly is a great source of new music. It has reviews and comes with a CD of new songs every month. It is probably the single most influential source of music for me.

All of the above and more. It's so difficult to find good music will all the blah mainstream out there. Probably the most reliable for me is college stations (you have to find the right program though), and college newspapers.

iT IS NOT OR, BUT AND !. iT IS ALSO RADIO AND TV.

Since moving away from Boston a few years ago, I have not found a radio station with a good selection of new music that is appealing.

I have been getting my music info from non-commercial radio for over 20 years. More recently, I have been getting that info from various micropower stations in my area. Hopefully we can maintain free and independent voices so new artists can get needed exposure.

There are mamy opportunities to find new music. Collegues, magazines, concerts, record stores. The limitations are more self imposed than anything. We live ina big world there's lots to explore. Isn't this the reason we are in this thing to begin with.

One choice just isn't enough. I get info on music from several sources. Stereophile leads the list as far as printed materials go. I also get quite a bit of info and samples off the internet these days. I also have several friends who turn me on to new and interesting material.

I really enjoy "Quarter Notes" and the like, where the review is for the sound as much as the music (à la MoFi, DCC, etc.). But between yourselves (Stereophile), Fi, Audio, Jazziz, and Jazztimes, I hardly ever listen to the radio for my selection---unless it is a popular song with lots of airplay that I can pick up in the car.

I get information about music from everywhere but the highest % of 'hits' (i.e. recommendations which I like) come from knowledgeable staff (normally someone in his 30s-40s) or recommendations from fellow audiophiles.

Often you find out what's hot, but it's not necessarily available. The advantage of having a few audiophile friends around is that you get to know about what's hot and available right at that moment! This applies particularly to LPs.

Radio & Magazine reviews

Actually, I use most of these sources to gain information. I really appreciate magazine reviews because they tend to stretch my comfort zone. While I believe my tastes are eclectic, I don't have the ability to expose myself to many styles of music. Often, magazine reviews pique my curiosity and open my world to new and exciting forms/styles of music that I would probably not discover on my own. I believe that it's really important to find reviewers who spin you up (was that a pun?). As you discover reviewers who speak to your "being" musically, then you might discover some truly fantastic music that speaks to your soul.

Most Indi bands ect, I find out about, are mostly from friends, live gigs, and reviews from different sources..

There are still plenty of radio stations out there that still play music. Talk radio still hasn't taken over all of the radio waves. My smooth jazz station continually introduces my to new tunes. Then I'll go to a Blockbuster Music where I can listen to anything on the shelf.