Why Your Discovery Mix Shouldn't Be the Only Way You Find New Music
Collage by Thamy Vitória on Pinterest
One great thing about music streaming services is how they personalize to your taste. You can find numerous playlists that are algorithmically curated just for you, filled with songs for you to enjoy. Personally, I love YouTube and have found several of my now-favorite artists from its recommendations.
However, now more than ever I think it’s important to step back a little and evaluate the purpose of a service like this. It seems like a good thing: you get a bunch of music you’re probably going to love. However, what is the streaming service’s motivation behind giving you this? Streaming is a business, and businesses, especially large corporate ones run by tech billionaires, rarely do things out of the mere kindness of their hearts.
Nothing is free, and if you’re not paying for something with your money, you’re paying for it with something else — your time, your attention, your data. This is how pretty much every website these days profits–by gathering and selling your data. Music streaming services are certainly no exception and the data they glean can be very informative not only to your musical interests, but even your emotional states.
This isn’t meant to alarm you — at least not too much. If you’re a music lover, it would probably be very difficult to cut out some kind of music streaming service from your life. However, the intense data collection done by freemium companies is not something to be naive about either.
Another reason to get beyond the Discovery Mix is simply the very fact that it’s created so specifically for you. Sure there are probably plenty of tracks on it that you won’t end up liking, some you might even hate. But the entire philosophy of the mix is to be something that matches you and keeps you returning to the platform. Sure you might discover a great new small artist there — and that’s awesome if you do! But the mix doesn’t really care about them either. The whole thing revolves around you and holding your attention. It is not trying to challenge you with something outside of the familiar. It’s not even trying to find the best, most well-crafted music necessarily. It all centers on what it thinks you might like.
But how much can an app really know about who you are?
In a bygone era, people used to make mixtapes for each other. Because of the technology back then, these were crafted a little more thoughtfully and carefully than a mere shared playlist these days. Perhaps you’ve seen a resurgence in this activity as people turn toward more analog activities in the face of our current reality of addictive and mind-numbing social media. Making music is inherently human, and so is the sharing of it. Getting music recommendations from your friends, coworkers, favorite barista or record store employee — these are all great ways to expand your taste and move beyond a self-serving algorithm.
Finding local bands and artists is another great way to discover not only unique music but build relationships with others in your community, including the musicians themselves. Small independent shows are often cheap to attend and might even feature several artists in one night, giving you a sample of different styles and more return on your investment. Music is rooted in community, and sometimes the best musicians are unknown, just living their lives and making music on the side for the people in their hometown. Enjoy the music around you!
A discovery mix is great. It’s easier than ever to find and support new artists. But don’t let ease, convenience, and personalization erode relationships. Having a perfect listening profile is cool and all, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of the community. Indulge in what your local scene has to offer, listen to that album your friend has been nagging you about. After all, music is supposed to bring people together, not send them off listening separately to their own individualized soundtracks every minute of the day.
