In a world where the music landscape is constantly flooded with new releases, and the specter of AI looms over artistic creation, discovering and appreciating quality music has become both a challenge and an adventure. As real diggers of melodic dance music, we thrive on uncovering tracks that resonate on a deeper emotional level, often nestled within niche genres. This blog will guide you through some of the best sources to explore and identify exceptional music, and how to incorporate these hidden gems into your own playlists or DJ sets.

Where to explore great (niche) music:

Bandcamp

Bandcamp is a haven for independent artists, bands, and labels, offering a platform where they can showcase their productions, control pricing, and sell merchandise. With a vast array of electronic music genres such as House, Electronica, Breaks, and Indie Dance, Bandcamp allows listeners to preview full tracks before purchasing, often at very reasonable prices.

Spotify Release List

Everyone knows Spotify’s Release Radar. It’s a personal playlist of new releases that updates every Friday, featuring new music from artists you follow, artists you often listen to, or artists Spotify thinks you’ll like. But what if you were on holiday and didn’t check this playlist for a while? The independently developed Spotify Release List tool is invaluable for staying up-to-date with new releases from your favourite artists. This free tool compiles daily updates, ensuring you never miss a track. Explore it here.

Do you mostly listen to music and follow artists on SoundCloud? Then Daily Drops might be the more optimally personalized playlist for you. This discovery playlist brings you a list of music recently uploaded to SoundCloud, personalized to your taste. Daily Drops is refreshed on a daily basis.

Musical Soulmates

One of the most effective ways to discover music is by following musicians and individuals whose tastes align with your own. This can include tracking their likes and reposts on SoundCloud, their curated Spotify playlists, or even their DJ mixes. Here are some key platforms and influencers that we consider as our musical soulmates:

Instagram channels

First of all, we’re not thrilled about how crucial social media has become for artists to stand out. We prefer genuine artists over influencers. However, Instagram channels have become a valuable resource for staying updated on the latest hot releases in your favourite musical styles. While we strongly advocate for keeping phones off the dance floor, Instagram can still be a great way to discover fresh tunes you’ll love.

Some channels we can recommend:

Youtube

In recent years, YouTube has emerged as a major hub for music consumption. Nowadays, many artists upload their recorded DJ sets on YouTube, providing a full visual experience. This makes it an excellent platform for discovering hidden gems within the sets of your favourite artists.

SoundCloud (mixes)

Since its inception, SoundCloud has played a crucial role in discovering new music. Artists can freely upload their creations without copyright restrictions, making it a treasure trove for exploring fresh sounds. Its algorithm is adept at guiding you to hidden musical gems lurking in the depths of the internet.

We’re particularly fond of SoundCloud’s Radio Shows and Podcast series, as they take listeners on captivating journeys and tell compelling stories. Many labels, collectives, and independent groups host these mixes on a regular basis. We have curated the ones we like the most.

Melodic House & Techno:
Afro/Deep House:
Indie Dance/Nu/Italo Disco/House:

Identify Songs

So, what if you stumble upon a track in a mix that completely captivates you? How do you go about identifying such songs so you can add them to your playlist or play them in your DJ sets? While Shazam is a go-to option, it only identifies tracks released on record labels. If luck isn’t on your side with Shazam, you can try these tricks:

1001Tracklist

This website functions as a community where everyone collaborates to identify the tracklist of a particular DJ set. Simply search for the DJ set where you heard the track you want to identify, and see if the tracklist has been added. Interested in finding other mixes that feature a specific track you enjoy? You can also search for that track specifically, and a list of all DJ sets containing it will appear.

Google Mic

Once you discover this hidden gem on your phone, you’ll surely find yourself using it as your digital pastime. Simply open the latest version of the Google app, tap the microphone icon, and then select the “Search a song” button. You can now utilize it just like you would Shazam. Unlike Shazam, however, it scours the entire internet, increasing the likelihood of finding lesser-known tracks, even those with just a few views on SoundCloud or YouTube.

YouTube has just introduced a similar feature for Android phones. This new function can be accessed by opening the search bar. Next to the microphone icon on the right side of the search bar, you’ll find a new music wave icon. By clicking on it, you can hum, sing, or play a track from a DJ set. The app then compares these sounds to its vast library of music on YouTube to accurately identify the song you’re looking for.

WhoSampled

Maybe you Shazammed a song, but it wasn’t quite the track you were looking for. With the community-built platform WhoSampled, you can discover nearly all the samples used in a track, as well as all the remixes and covers that have been made. With a bit of luck, the remix you’re actually searching for might pop up here as well.

Personal Messaging

If all else fails, why not ask the artist directly? A well-written message to a smaller artist on Instagram or SoundCloud often gets a response, and they might share the track name if they can.

How to Capture This Music to Play to Your Own Audience

Once you’ve unearthed and identified those beloved tracks, be sure to save them in your library if you’re a listener. For DJs, obtaining high-quality versions of tracks is crucial. We advocate for purchasing music whenever feasible, particularly when it comes to niche music from artists within specific genres who may struggle to make a living from their craft. For these artists, revenue from music streams and sales is vital for financial independence. As streaming incomes dwindle, digital sales through platforms like Bandcamp, iTunes, and Beatport can provide significant support in their musical journey.

So what if you have the name of a track, but it will never be released on a big label? If you desperately want to have the track in your collection to play it in your own sets, you can try your luck on SoulSeek.

SoulSeek

SoulSeek is a free peer-to-peer software primarily designed for sharing music files, including MP3s. Users can exchange tracks they’ve made public in their own music collections. In certain instances, users have been able to obtain unreleased tracks in high quality, so you can try your luck to see if you’re able to download the track.

Conclusion

In today’s fast-paced music environment, where everyone can make music and share it within seconds, it’s more important than ever to dig deep for quality music. By leveraging platforms like Bandcamp, YouTube, Spotify, and SoundCloud, and by following your musical soulmates, you can uncover and appreciate tracks that might otherwise be overlooked. Identifying and capturing these gems ensures they can be enjoyed and shared, supporting the artists who create them and enriching the musical landscape for all.

Happy digging!