6 Great Music Sites to Find New Music

The latest thing in digital tunes is the cloud. This is the technology that allows your songs to be hosted on another user's server. This makes the songs available on various devices rather than being relegated to specific gadgets. However, you still need sources for new music. Here are six great music sites to find some new tunes, regardless of how you listen to them.

Rhapsody

Rhapsody started with the concept that you simply pay a small monthly fee for access. Unfortunately, there was a time when the idea of paying for your music wasn't in vogue. Consequently, the public stayed away in droves. Now that cloud-based music services are being offered by companies such as Google and Apple, the concept of renting your music doesn't seem so far-fetched. The service still offers a wide selection of new music that won't disappoint most subscribers. Spotify, a similar service based in Europe, was launched in 2008.

YouTube

Millions of videos can already be found on YouTube, both professional and amateur. The popular online video service created a spin-off called Vevo specially aimed at those coming to YouTube for music. Reports are that many record labels are happy with the expose the video service gives its artists. The same is true for new and undiscovered artists. Just ask Justin Bieber. The teen star rose to fame thanks to videos posted on YouTube. Many new bands and artists, both signed and unsigned, routinely post videos to the site.

Pandora

The hardest thing for a new artist is get exposure. Terrestrial radio tends to focus on top 40 hits, with new songs coming mostly from established artists. Pandora is a web radio service where listeners choose the songs or artists via the site's music recommendation tool. It's easy for new artists to get some play here, meaning you have a better chance of hearing new music.

iTunes

Leave it to Apple to become the ultimate source when it comes to combining technology and entertainment. More than 10 billion songs have been downloaded since iTunes debuted. The idea is to allow users to pick and chose the music they want without wasting money on entire albums. This is great for new artists looking for exposure. Chances are that if you heard a song you like, you can probably find it on iTunes. The same is true if you hear a new song on the radio or someone mentions a hot new tune to you. You can find plenty of new music simply by browsing the site. The site has become so popular that similar services are being offered by everybody from Amazon to Walmart.

Daytrotter

Daytrotter originates from a recording studio in Illinois. This is definitely a site to visit if you're looking for new music. The goal of the site is to spotlight unreleased songs of various genres. This includes cover versions of popular hits and alternate versions of songs. There are plenty of rare moments that take place in a recording studio. This was evident since the early days of rock. Thanks to technology, the live magic of the recording studio can be captured and shared with others. All live audio recordings are available for free download through this site. The purpose of this site is exposure to artists you may not otherwise get to hear. You can easily spend hours on this site discovering rare gems from music legends such as Carly Simon as well as amazing new music from artists on the rise.

Pitchfork

Pitchfork is an interesting site focusing primarily on independent music. The keyword here is "new," with the site putting the spotlight on new artists, new albums and new songs. You'll definitely find artists out of the mainstream here. You'll also find videos from new artists prominently featured here. Add to that music news and tour info and it's easy to see the appeal of this site for those seeking a new music source.

Technology may have changed, but the desire to hear new music remains as strong as it was in the days of Dick Clark and American Bandstand. Napster put the idea of sharing new music with others into the spotlight. The company may be gone now, but there are still plenty of great places to find new music online.