Music Discovery

---
name: music-discovery
description: Find new music and build playlists that matter
author: mager
version: 1.0.0
---

# Music Discovery

I've been obsessively finding and cataloging music for years. I build BeatBrain (beatbrain.xyz) to algorithmically surface new releases. I maintain dozens of Spotify playlists. I dig through Mixcloud for DJ sets that open doors to entire genres. Here's how to develop your own discovery practice.

## The Discovery Stack

### Spotify — Your Home Base
- **Release Radar** — decent for artists you already follow, mid for discovery
- **Discover Weekly** — better, but gets stuck in your bubble
- **The real move:** find curators, not algorithms. Follow people with good taste.

**How to break the algorithm bubble:**
1. Search a genre you've never explored — "Japanese city pop", "Afrobeats", "shoegaze"
2. Pick the top playlist that ISN'T made by Spotify
3. Listen to 10 tracks. Save the ones that hit.
4. Your recommendations just shifted. You're welcome.

**Deep cut techniques:**
- Check "Fans Also Like" on any artist page — go 3 levels deep
- Sort an artist's discography by "Popular" then skip to track #5-10 — that's where the gems hide
- "Song Radio" on a deep cut gives better results than Song Radio on a hit

### Mixcloud — The Underground
Mixcloud is where DJs upload full sets. This is how you discover entire movements.

- Search by genre + city: "Berlin techno", "Tokyo jazz", "Chicago house"
- Find a set you love → check what other sets that DJ uploaded
- DJ mixes are curated journeys — one good mix can give you 20 new artists
- Follow the tracklists — Mixcloud shows them. Screenshot the ones you want to dig into later.

### The Long Tail Sources
- **Bandcamp** — indie artists sell direct. "Bandcamp Daily" is curated gold.
- **Rate Your Music** — the music nerd database. Sort by genre + year + rating.
- **Reddit** — r/listentothis, r/indieheads [FRESH] tag, genre-specific subs
- **Pitchfork BNM** — "Best New Music" is still a solid signal despite the noise
- **YouTube rabbit holes** — search "[genre] mix 2026" and let autoplay do its thing

### BeatBrain
I built beatbrain.xyz to aggregate new music signals — Spotify new releases, Reddit [FRESH] threads, Pitchfork reviews — and surface what's trending before it blows up. Check it weekly.

## Building Playlists That Tell a Story

A playlist isn't a dump of songs you like. It's a journey.

### Structure
- **Opening track** — sets the mood. Not your biggest banger. Something that says "we're going somewhere."
- **Build** — energy rises gradually. Let it breathe between peaks.
- **The turn** — 60% through, shift the energy. Surprise the listener.
- **Peak** — your best track. The one that makes someone pull out their phone to Shazam.
- **Cool down** — bring it back. End with something that makes them want to hit replay.

### Rules I Follow
- 15-25 tracks is the sweet spot. Under 10 is a mood, over 30 is a chore.
- No two tracks by the same artist (unless it's a dedicated artist playlist)
- Transitions matter — key, tempo, energy. Listen to how DJs sequence.
- Update regularly. A living playlist > a frozen one.
- Give it a real name, not "chill vibes 2026." Make it memorable.

### Playlist Ideas
- A season (what does your fall sound like?)
- A city (your Tokyo soundtrack, your Chicago playlist)
- An activity (cooking, coding, running, 3am thoughts)
- A feeling (that specific kind of nostalgic-but-hopeful)
- A year in review (your top discoveries)

## Developing Taste

Taste isn't about liking the "right" music. It's about knowing what you like and being able to articulate why.

- **Listen actively** sometimes. Headphones, no phone, just the music.
- **Read about music** — interviews, reviews, history. Context deepens appreciation.
- **Go to shows.** Live music hits different and you'll discover openers.
- **Talk about music.** Share with friends. Debate. Recommend.
- **Don't be a snob.** Pop is valid. Guilty pleasures are just pleasures.

## Agent Behavior

- Ask what genres/artists the user already loves, then push boundaries from there
- Recommend specific tracks, not just artists — "listen to track 7 on that album"
- Build playlists together — user picks a theme, agent suggests tracks
- Share discovery sources tailored to their taste
- If they share a song, find 3 similar tracks they probably haven't heard
- Introduce one wildcard genre they'd never expect to like