How Music Discovery Works Today, and What Artists Can Do To Stand Out

Social media, tastemakers, playlists, media, and more music than ever before—we tried to make sense of it all and how it relates to discovering new artists.

music discovery
P&P Original

Image by Sho Hanafusa

music discovery

There are a million ways to be heard, and for a new artist, that sounds promising. In some ways, it is—but it can also be confusing. We see overnight success stories exploding from new social media platforms, increasingly loud voices parading as tastemakers and influencers, and good old-fashioned marketing being drowned out by viral antics. After they've made a song, where is a new artist supposed to focus their attention?

The combination of streaming and social media turned the music industry upside down, and one thing is for certain: there's no right way to do things. A thousand other acts could try to replicate Lil Nas X's come-up or follow Dominic Fike's path, and it almost certainly wouldn't work. At the end of the day, every artist has to figure out their own path, but it can't hurt to be armed with some guiding principles. 

With that in mind, we talked to some professionals in the music and media worlds about how they discover music today, and what a new artist can do to cut through the noise and give their music the best shot to be heard by the right people.

How Music Discovery Has Changed

Lil Nas X

There's more music than ever before.

"There is so much music out and so much access to it all that I think the biggest change has been the fact that everyone can essentially act as a plug for new music, whether you like what they're posting or not. We've all become, seemingly, more tapped in than our favorite music sites, allowing friends and community to become the blogs, playlist curators, and writers in an unfiltered way. Experts are now sharing the music they're listening to on Instagram stories, posting artwork on their feeds with reasons why they like what they're listening to, and telling their followers about it on Twitter. You can easily scroll down any social media feed and come across half a dozen artists that you may not have been familiar with prior." – Brandon Payano, A&R and curator for Colors

Social media is replacing blogs as the source for discovery. 

"The biggest thing I can say that has changed for me is my relationships with blogs. Back in 2011-2015, an artist would probably break on a blog if it was a reputable site. I know personally, I heard GoldLink and Brockhampton on Pigeons & Planes first, which directly led to me reaching out and trying to sign them. Obviously other sites had similar effects for me or other A&Rs in that time period. Now I can still find a new artist on blogs, but I tend to find them via word of mouth or social media before it gets to blogs only because the discovery of new artists at the grassroots level is faster than ever before." – Derrick Aroh, VP of A&R at RCA Records



"We've all become, seemingly, more tapped in than our favorite music sites, allowing your friends/community to become the blogs, the playlist curators, and writers in an unfiltered way." – Brandon Payano, A&R and curator for Colors


"Social media has also become a huge resource for me in discovery. Between artists reaching out, or me stumbling across really fly album or single artwork that's intrigued me enough to check out their music, I’ve found a good number of artists that I love right now through socials." – Brandon Payano, A&R and curator for Colors

"Five years ago I would surf around the blogs I liked. 90% of those have died off now so it's changed the game for me a little." – Phil Taggart, BBC Radio 1 Presenter, Hometown Records co-owner 

"I read the temperature—like the relevance or energy—of an artist or a project via social media, but early discovery of new talent still comes via word of mouth from people within the music industry. For example, I started paying attention Lil Nas X when a high profile manager asked me for his contact back when his video had a couple thousand views." – Miss Info, founder of MissInfo.TV and Style Director at Stadium Goods

"I discover a lot of new music and new artists via IG Stories. Ears that I trust often post a video screen cap of what they’re listening to on Stories, and I do the same with stuff that I’m playing. It’s the new word of mouth." - TheDynamics, music journalist at MissInfo.TV

Personal connections lead to the most reliable recommendations.

"There are a million different ways to find new music. I wouldn't say that I discover it mainly from one source. Some music that I've played on my radio show recently I found from respected music fans on Twitter pushing some links. A lot of it is word of mouth and sharing on emails from people in the industry. When I started at Radio 1 in 2012 all the premieres would go to Zane Lowe so I built up a network of DJs and tastemakers from different countries were we would trade music from our regions and that way I'd be on stuff way before anyone else. Having a record label as well as working on radio means I am around people in the industry quite a lot and that helps a lot in terms of finding new music. Someone is always buzzing about something." – Phil Taggart, BBC Radio 1 Presenter, Hometown Records co-owner



"my most reliable source for artists has been other artists I work with or follow. There's a level of discernment I find that artists have and an excitement they get from another artist who truly excites them." – Dominique Maldonado, director of A&R at Warner Bros. Records and Founder of Leaders of the New Cool


"There's not a formula to this stuff. A big source for me is Twitter. I follow journalists and tastemakers whose taste I respect, so if they're talking about someone I give them a shot. The older I've gotten, the more I've leaned on tastemakers, like Alphonse Pierre on Twitter saying, 'This is dope.' That could be word of mouth too, I've got different group chats where people share music, and if someone says, 'You gotta check out this rapper or this new band,' I will. If I can distill it down, the most successful way from my perspective is recommendations from people I trust... anyone from close friends to managers I've worked with who have a good track record, to publicists who know what they're doing." – Eric Sundermann, head of content at The Fader

"I think it's still all about relationships in the right places: media, labels, those that work at streaming platforms. That TOBi artist from Toronto is a perfect example. I didn't know anything about him, but he has the right squad backing him (Alex Cicamarro), and through that he's gotten a lot of looks over the past few weeks leading up to his new project. That’s made a difference." – TheDynamics, music journalist at MissInfo.TV

Good artists can lead to other good artists.

I've come to realize that my most reliable source for artists I pay attention to has been other artists I hang/work with or follow in some way—artists and DJs. There's just a level of discernment I find that artists have and an excitement they get from another artist who truly excites them that's always worth paying attention to. I just realized through looking back in hindsight that some of my favorite artists and artists I'd added to my shows, I most often heard of via another artist. – Dominique Maldonado, director of A&R at Warner Bros. Records and Founder of Leaders of the New Cool

Algorithms amplify anything that's already making noise.



"there still isn't an algorithm that can find artists before there is data, so until that changes, the true roots of discovering artists will come from a human." – Chad Hillard, founder of HillyDilly


I just do a 7-days-a-week daily routine of searching through the SoundCloud Stream page, email submissions to our site, Spotify (Discover Weekly, Fresh Finds), other blogs and curators, radio station sites like Triple J Unearthed, Bandcamp discover page, SubmitHub and others. For me, it's about turning over every rock possible, sifting through hundreds of songs daily. Overall, the way I discover artists has not really changed. The only difference is the aid of algorithms in Spotify and YouTube. However, there still isn't an algorithm that can find artists before there is data, so until that changes, the true roots of discovering artists will come from a human and the majority of stuff I find these days comes from digging outside of DSPs. – Chad Hillard, founder of Hillydilly

Youth drives culture.

"My promo email is so disgustingly stocked at the moment I wish someone would throw a grenade into it and I could start again, so sometimes it can feel daunting just logging in. Also, always listen to your younger siblings, cousins, friends of friends, their fingers are on the pulse of whats happening in their generation more so than anyone else so always hold their opinions to high regard." – Phil Taggart, BBC Radio 1 Presenter, Hometown Records co-owner

What New Artists Can Do To Stand Out

tierra whack mumbo jumbo

Find creative ways to present the music.

"Find new and unique ways to deliver your music to your fans and followers in experiential ways. Tierra Whack is having the breakout moment she deserves because she packaged her already great music with a really unique, multilayered experience and has used it as a launch pad for even better full length content to follow." – Brandon Payano, A&R and curator for Colors

"I think artists who think about their work holistically and with purpose really stand out. Every action taken or decision made should be consistent with and be connected to the larger picture. Thoughtfulness and intent is surprisingly underrated these days." – Juliana Salazar, creative consultant

"A clear and consistent package helps. Even if you're on a shoestring budget or no budget, come up with a way to present yourself in all areas (including socials) that gives potential listeners a way to understand your worldview. I actually think there can often be a lot more creativity where resources are slim, so never feel that budget is holding you back." – Dominique Maldonado, director of A&R at Warner Bros. Records and Founder of Leaders of the New Cool

Video can set you apart.



"If you have enough creativity to write an amazing song then you have enough creativity to create an eye-catching video. Sending that video along with a track stream is going to help your chances." – Phil Taggart, BBC Radio 1 Presenter


"At any given time there are hundreds of thousands of people slinging music at tastemakers. The one thing that probably makes an artist stand out is some really original video content. If you have enough creativity to write an amazing song then you have enough creativity to create an eye-catching video. Sending that video along with a track stream is going to help your chances." – Phil Taggart, BBC Radio 1 Presenter, Hometown Records co-owner

Look at what's popular... then do something completely different.

"Listen to as much music as you can. Pay attention to what sounds and artists are popping and ask yourself what will make you stand out against them. So often I hear new artists making similar music, and if you're trying to create your own wave and sustain longevity, making music that sounds like everything else, is going to make your life a lot harder." – Chad Hillard, founder of Hillydilly 

Overnight success is possible, but don't count on it.

"We live in a viral society. It can be confusing to see someone like The Boyboy West Coast go viral over a snippet, and that can happen, but its not the norm. Look at Megan Thee Stallion, who's been building a career by working at her craft, and shes probably one of the best rappers out, technically. Her rise may feel out of nowhere, but she's been pushing at it for years. Overnight success isn't always what it seems. The internet provides a viral opportunity, but you'll only have success if you're putting in the work, and I think that's something we should be reminding people of. Look at Post Malone. 'White Iverson' came out in 2015, and he worked that record. Or even someone like Billie Eilish. Her debut went crazy, she's headlining festivals, but shes been working her career for two years. If we're thinking about young artists and how to make an impact: you gotta bust your ass." – Eric Sundermann, head of content at The Fader

"My advice would be to stop trying so hard to create viral moments and trollish stunts. If your music is unique and engaging enough, it will be found by the Internet gatekeepers." – Mikey Fresh, journalist at Genius/Miss Info

Build a small but strong following before you aim for the masses.



"Overnight success isn't always what it seems. The internet provides a viral opportunity, but you'll only have success if you're putting in the work." – Eric Sundermann, head of content at The Fader


"If you do get lucky and go viral, you're at an immediate disadvantage. How many viral acts stick around? The artists who do last are usually the ones who have a built-in support system of real fans that are ride or die. In the early stages of your career, the most valuable thing you can do is foster a sense of community among everyone who really likes your music. Even if it's just 10 people, those are going to be the 10 people that tell all their friends about you, who can feel ownership over finding you early, and who will want to go to your shows, buy your merch, and do whatever they can to help you achieve your goals. Those 10 people are going to be way more powerful than a thousand people who see a meme, laugh for a minute, and then move on to the next." – Jacob Moore, founder of Pigeons & Planes

Connect with other artists.

"Without this sounding like I am encouraging social climbing, I do think there's real power in community and connecting as much as possible with other like-minded artists to grow and support each other's efforts. This might end up sparking some of the first real word of mouth you ever receive. I'm not saying you have to work with everyone, definitely not, but those genuine connections do matter. The more generous you are with your resources and connections, the more that potentially comes back to you. Rising tide lifts all boats." – Dominique Maldonado, director of A&R at Warner Bros. Records and Founder of Leaders of the New Cool

Authenticity is key.

"You gotta make real authentic, quality content that not only is authentic to your fans but authentic to you. The content—whether it’s some left-field music, some real gangsta, trap music, some goofy, lighthearted music—needs to feel so authentic and real that people can’t help but share it and talk about it amongst their friends. That happens once, twice, three times… now it becomes a game of consistency. You do this enough times, you’re gonna get the attention of the industry: blogs, labels, booking agents, DSPs. It begins with your tribe. Feed them and keep feeding them with quality, authentic content and you’ll never go wrong." – Derrick Aroh, VP of A&R at RCA Records



"It begins with your tribe. Feed them and keep feeding them with quality, authentic content and you’ll never go wrong." – Derrick Aroh, VP of A&R at RCA Records


"Especially today, fans are not just consuming the music, they're connecting with the person or the people who made it. For better or worse, that's how it is, and that's how consumers engage with artists. Unless you want to be stuck in an act for your whole career, being genuine is the only way to make that strong connection with fans. Think about what you want to communicate, and then figure out how to get that across in everything you present to the world." – Jacob Moore, founder of Pigeons & Planes

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