What is the primary way you discover brand-new music to buy?

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?

What is the <I>primary</I> way you discover brand-new music to buy?
Terrestrial radio
53% (126 votes)
Satellite radio
4% (10 votes)
Online radio/streaming
5% (12 votes)
Magazine Reviews
13% (31 votes)
Browsing Record Store
3% (7 votes)
Browsing online
11% (27 votes)
Friend's suggestion
1% (3 votes)
Movie/TV
1% (2 votes)
Other
5% (12 votes)
I don't buy new music
4% (9 votes)
Total votes: 239

COMMENTS
Matt W.'s picture

How come you didn't list "attending live concerts/recitals"?

DAB, Pacific Palisades, CA's picture

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.

roundmoundofsound's picture

I seek out music samples on such sites as verve, but try to purchase as much as possible at record/book brick-and-mortar stores. If not available, I buy online. I will not buy downloads.

dforzano's picture

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.

Laura in Spokane's picture

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.

Al Earz's picture

Seems like the most common for me is at audio stores. You get to hear a great variety of new music when you are just listening to the music.

Rich, Chicago Il's picture

Online: The sound quality is bad, but the content is unbeatable.

CB in NJ's picture

Most of the new artists I find out about are from the Internet. Sites like All Music Guide, NPR, KCRW( Sounds Eclectric & Morning Becomes Eclectric), Music Angle, XM Radio, and many Best of 2006 polls.

M.  Bater, Bloomington, IL.'s picture

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!

S.  Chapman's picture

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!

Jim S.  Place's picture

Don't count on broadcast radio. Unless you're under 20 years old, new music is just not available there. And if you're 55+, forget it...you're automatically religated to oldies and forever locked in nostalgia.

Joe Hartmann's picture

Gramophone gives me the information that Stereophile and The Absolute Sound used to provide. There are no music store to browse.

Lee's picture

I like browsing record stores. If I hear something on the radio I like, I'll buy it. but I mostly rely on magazine reviews.

Chris McGrath's picture

Please cover more new music in Stereophile!

audio-sleuth@comcast.net's picture

High school and college student stations for rock. For new jazz, I go to concerts of people I've not heard or are recommended by the jazz mags. Classical is easy, when Mozart or Bach do something new, I'm all over it!

Louis P.'s picture

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.

Donald N.'s picture

eMusic is my new BMG—tons of jazz that is hard to find elsewhere!

Chris V's picture

Of course, it used to be radio. But now almost all of the new stuff I've bought in the last five years, I read about first in a print or online magazine.

Chris S.'s picture

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.

Mike Wilson's picture

Buying second-hand vinyl at charity shops.

G.S.  White's picture

Long sessions exploring iTunes.

Doug McCall's picture

Music reviews in Stereophile and other audio and music publications may be my number one way of discovering new music, but every way you listed has introduced me to great new music at some time or another.

David L.  Wyatt jr.'s picture

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.

JoeL's picture

Archive.org has a lot of great new/old talent. All legal and all free. Some very good live recordings. I have gone to see several of the bands live and purchased their CD's.

Jared Gerlach's picture

For me, friends and internet radio are the two primary sources of learning about/hearing new music.

Allan Stock's picture

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.

bubba's picture

Pandora has been just what the doctor ordered; it's an incredible project that consistently brings new artists like Regina Spektor and Jeffrey Burr to my attention. Can't say enough about these guys!

Frank Mason's picture

I read the reviews in Mojo, Uncut, Q, Hi Fi+, Paste, etc, then I sample the cuts on Red Dot. If I like it, I buy it on CD & LP.

russell finnemore's picture

For new classical, primarily Gramophone, although I've become quite disillusioned with their current "life-style" format. I quite like audio magazine reviews, also reviews contributed on amazon.com

Andrew Maher's picture

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!

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