Comment by squigz
9 hours ago
Check out KEXP and SomaFM. KEXP in particular is a great way to discover new music that you might not normally listen to.
9 hours ago
Check out KEXP and SomaFM. KEXP in particular is a great way to discover new music that you might not normally listen to.
I'd say streaming radio in general is low profile in how it lets you discover new things. I use the search/directory built into foobar2000 or apps like radiodroid, but there are sites like https://www.radio-browser.info/ for the web. It's an interesting and low cost way to find things you wouldn't otherwise be exposed to and likely curated by whoever is running the station. What really stood out to me is how different countries or regions have their own tastes, or at least are likely to be playing something different to local broadcasts.
The problem I have with streaming radio is that it seems to be caught rehashing rather than discovering.
For example, I like SOMA's Underground 80s, but I also want to hear new artists in the same vein. I haven't found any streaming stations that are actively good at curating like this.
Where are the streaming stations that play Smiths and Smithereens but also play Blossoms and Johnny Marr's new stuff, for example?
Yeah, that's why I specifically called out KEXP for this, as they do lots of live shows, themed segments, etc, that really do enable discovery.
Unfortunately you're quite right about Soma (and probably other streaming radio) - but I imagine licensing new music can be difficult/expensive.