10 Music Search Engines to Discover New Music & Artists

The Vast Landscape of Online Music Discovery

The internet functions as a readily accessible platform for music enthusiasts, offering a wealth of opportunities to explore new artists and genres. The popularity of music search is undeniable, evidenced by Google’s forthcoming music service.

Currently, this Google service is restricted to users within the United States. However, Google’s entry into this market is somewhat belated, as numerous music web services already exist.

A Continuing Demand for Music

Despite the abundance of options, the demand for musical content remains strong. Even a technology-focused website like ours recognizes this, as demonstrated by our weekly Sound Sunday feature.

This feature serves as a curated space for discovering free and emerging music.

Exploring the Options

Sound Sunday represents just a small portion of the extensive resources available for music discovery. Countless avenues exist, each click potentially leading to new sonic experiences.

For those seeking to navigate this musical landscape, utilizing dedicated music search engines and exploring music blogs can be highly beneficial.

A Starting Point for Your Journey

The tools and resources highlighted here are not exhaustive, but they provide valuable starting points for finding music, musicians, and bands. Consider them a guide to begin your exploration.

Let's delve into the possibilities and uncover the sounds that await.

Fimusy

Fimusy, currently in its beta phase, represents a novel approach to music discovery. This search engine is designed to consolidate information regarding musical artists and their discographies.

All relevant data concerning a band or musician is presented on a unified page. Users are able to access concise artist biographies, visual content like video clips and photographs – including wallpapers and album artwork – and streaming audio tracks.

Key Features

• Comprehensive Artist Profiles: Fimusy delivers succinct overviews of artists and their backgrounds.
• Multimedia Integration: The platform incorporates both video and photographic content for a richer user experience.
• Direct Music Access: Tracks and full albums can be purchased directly through links to established retailers like iTunes and Amazon.

A community-driven aspect is incorporated through a user voting mechanism. This system allows users to contribute to the ranking of their preferred artists and bands, prominently displayed on the homepage.

The platform also features curated “Top Lists” accessible on the right-hand side of the interface, showcasing popular and highly-rated musicians.

BandFreaks

BandFreaks functions as a specialized search engine dedicated to discovering new and unsigned musical acts. It presents a valuable resource for exploring and previewing the work of up-and-coming artists.

Functionality and Search Refinement

Locating specific, lesser-known musicians through standard keyword searches can often prove challenging. To address this, BandFreaks incorporates three helpful dropdown menus.

These menus allow users to refine their searches and pinpoint the genres of music they are most interested in hearing.

Search Results and Artist Profiles

The search results displayed by BandFreaks typically consist of concise artist introductions.

Alongside these introductions, a direct link is provided, directing users to platforms where they can listen to the artist’s music and learn more about their background.

This facilitates a deeper engagement with emerging talent and provides a pathway for discovering new favorites.

SongBoxx [No Longer Available]

SongBoxx functioned as a music meta-search engine, cataloging an extensive library of 7,000,000 tracks.

It's important to note that the platform did not provide direct hosting or streaming of musical content.

Instead, SongBoxx aggregated search results with notable speed.

Key Features

• When available, previews of tracks – in either mp3 or video format – could be accessed.
• The quality of these audio previews was generally low.
• Users were directed to authorized retailers for full song purchases.

Future development plans for the music website included the implementation of an advanced search functionality.

This enhancement was anticipated to provide users with more refined and targeted search capabilities.

The service aimed to connect listeners with music available through legitimate channels.

LivePlasma

LivePlasma, initially known as MusicPlasma, presents an engaging method for music – and film – discovery.

The platform’s distinctive feature lies in its use of dynamically appearing bubbles.

These bubbles visually represent the connections between your search and related artists or bands.

How LivePlasma Functions

The site leverages the Amazon API to compile and display this interconnected data.

This integration allows for a comprehensive mapping of musical relationships.

Functionality and Observations

While offering a playful user experience, some functionality issues were noted.

Specifically, links directing users to artist discographies on Amazon were found to be non-functional.

Conversely, the links associated with movie searches operated as expected.

Despite this limitation, LivePlasma remains a unique tool for exploring new music and films.

Mix Turtle: A Music Discovery Platform

Mix Turtle is a music search engine previously reviewed on our site. It offers a significantly improved user experience, operating at a much faster speed than its namesake suggests.

Key Features and Functionality

The platform centers around a streamlined, single search bar. An auto-suggest function assists users in initiating their search for both songs and artists.

Users have the ability to compile personalized playlists by adding desired tracks. Short audio previews are also available for immediate listening.

Source Flexibility and Real-Time Playback

Should a particular music source prove unavailable, Mix Turtle seamlessly directs users to alternative options. This ensures uninterrupted music discovery.

A prominent red "Live" button located at the top of the interface displays currently playing songs across the platform. This provides insight into popular listening choices.

Mix Turtle provides a dynamic and versatile approach to online music exploration.

Audiobaba [No Longer Available]

Audiobaba, currently in beta, is a tool designed to locate songs possessing sonic similarities to a user-provided query track.

The core concept driving Audiobaba’s search functionality is acoustic matching. This allows users to uncover new music based on their existing preferences.

How Audiobaba Works

By inputting a song you enjoy, the engine identifies tracks with comparable acoustic characteristics.

Short audio previews are available for listening. If a preview resonates with you, purchasing options are provided through Amazon or iTunes.

Songs that appeal to the listener can be saved to bookmarks or a favorites list for future access.

Filtering Search Results

Audiobaba offers a filtering mechanism utilizing a slider.

• This slider enables users to refine results based on a track’s mainstream appeal.
• Options include displaying tracks categorized as mainstream, normal, or independent.

This feature allows for a more tailored music discovery experience, catering to diverse tastes.

The service aims to facilitate the discovery of new music by leveraging the acoustic properties of songs.

A Platform for Music Discovery: The Hype Machine

The Hype Machine stands as a leading musical blog aggregator, highly regarded for its comprehensive indexing capabilities.

It catalogs blogs and the music files they provide, enabling both reading and listening experiences for users.

Key Features and Functionality

A prominent and user-friendly toolbar located at the bottom of the interface allows for effortless navigation and control.

Users can explore a variety of sections, including the zeitgeist, which showcases current trends, and a curated collection of visual artwork alongside popular tracks.

Real-Time Music Trends

The Spy section functions as a dynamic, real-time feed, displaying songs that are actively being voted upon by the community.

Beyond its functionality, the platform is also notable for its aesthetically pleasing and well-executed design.

This combination of features makes The Hype Machine a valuable resource for discovering new music and staying informed about emerging artists.

Elbows [No Longer Available]

This resource offers a complementary experience to your musical exploration and discovery. Elbows was a thoughtfully curated blog dedicated to music.

Readers could stay informed about music through regular blog posts. The platform facilitated the uncovering of both established and lesser-known artists, alongside their respective musical recordings.

Key Features

• The blog regularly highlighted noteworthy tracks in a section titled "Hot Tracks."
• A "Hot Videos" list showcased compelling music videos.

Like many music blogs, Elbows provided a space for enthusiasts to connect with new and rediscovered music. It served as a valuable resource for expanding one's musical horizons.

The site allowed users to follow music-related content and find new or previously unknown artists and their music.

Elbows is no longer available, but it previously offered a unique perspective on the music landscape.

AllMusic

AllMusic.com functions not as a traditional music search engine, but rather as a comprehensive music guide. It serves as an excellent resource for anyone seeking detailed information about music.

The platform meticulously catalogues artists and their respective musical works. A detailed overview of available search methods is readily accessible to users.