Cutline Speaks

Use these tools to stay in the groove

posted by The Cutline Team on April 7, 2008

If you're like me, you're constantly on the lookout for new music. Sometimes this music finds you – listening to the radio, watching MTV, or while you're out at night. For many music enthusiasts, however, finding good music sometimes requires a little extra effort. Fortunately, there are tools on the web which continue to make this search easier and easier. Allmusic.com remains a tried and true reference; a searchable index that I've used for years to research artists, songs, records, genres and music reviews. Archive.org's Live Music Archive hosts an extensive vault of live recordings, ranging from 1920's jug bands, to 1970's funk and soul, to contemporary live electronica. Both the variety and the sheer size of their library are truly impressive.

Perhaps the most exciting development aiding the ongoing search for music has come in the form of interactive internet radio stations and communities, like Pandora and Last.fm. Both use analytical software to generate playlists from personal requests and preferences, and their licenses from the record companies allow them to stream music directly to you so you can check it out immediately. What's more, users can share their created playlists with others to supplement the computer generated recommendations with recommendations from actual people. I expect my musical search to continue indefinitely, so I welcome thoughts from other like-minded audiophiles. Where do you find your music?

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