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How come you didn't list "attending live concerts/recitals"?
Let's forget about buying re-releases or back-filling an artist's catalog for a moment, what is the <I>primary</I> way you discover brand-new music to buy?
I go to my local record, as in vinyl, store and audition new (I'm allowed to open any record I wish, since a close friend owns the store). Some albums hit the store a few weeks after they're mass produced on tin; nevertheless, it's certainly worth the small wait in order to hear new songs that are, for the most part, well recorded and produced. I'm sure that I will be in the minority as a "record store listener," but in this case, being in the minority is indeed a good place to be.
I used to spend hours flipping through the racks and discoverd a lot of great stuff that way, but these days I haven't got the time, and find I don't like a lot of today's popular music. So now I'm going on the referral of a friend, a magazine review, or buying by association (artist was a guest on an artist I like's album or vice versa). I don't listen the radio anymore.
In addition to reviews in Stereophile and The Absolute Sound, I receive regular emails from Acoustic Sounds and Music Direct. I am most interested in brand new music released on vinyl, especially 180 & 200g. If a review or email piques my interest I usually listen to 30-second samples on the Internet before purchasing the record or CD.
There are many fine stations on satellite radio. That said, I am able to hone in on those titles/artists I might have otherwise never heard of. Because the title/artist is displayed on the radio's LCD readout, it's no sweat to go out and buy those CDs which captured my attention on satellite. Technology is good!
Streaming music through my Squeezebox has made finding new music fun again. I live in an area where the radio environment in pretty sterile, nothing but Clear Channel and its clones, but, through the Squeezebox, I can listen to both quality terrestrial stations from other areas and Internet-only streaming music services. Hurray!
Nothing against new artists, but new music is pretty much aimed at listeners half of my age or under (gasp). But unlike my parents, I don't feel that they stopped making good music just around the time I hit adulthood, so I tell my kids to enjoy whatever they like, and I listen along with them a bit.
I listen to the radio a lot more now than I did a few years ago. I hear almost all of my new music that way. I still occasionally go to a concert by a new band and end up leaving with their latest release. I'm going to subscribe to one of those subscription music download services just so I can listen to fresh music before buying the CD of the new artists. I hear there is a lot of great music that doesn't get a lot of air play time on most radio stations these days.
In Columbus, we have a classical music station, a progressive music station, an alternative public radio station, metal stations, a Christian metal station, and some live music. Jazz is scarce but if I keep my radio on, I'm always hearing new music.
I am exposed to new music primarily through terrestrial radio with magazine reviews coming in a close second. I've rarely been steered wrong when a reviewer of either music or equipment speaks passionately about a particular recording.
Mostly magazine reviews. Terrestrial radio would be next. I first heard Joanna Newsom a couple of weeks ago on radio. My musical tastes have often been broadened by wanting to try our recordings that have featured in hi-fi magazine reviews. Ken Kessler: your tastes and mine have little in common, but thanks for introducing me to Louis Prima!