Do you hate it when your Spotify is boxed? 8 Ways to Find New Music

How do you feel about your Spotify Wrapped? If you don’t like what it has to say, the best way to keep it varied and interesting is to take control of your listening habits now. At the end of 2025 you will thank yourself.

There are many ways to use the streaming music service to discover new songs and find your next favorite artist or genre. Spotify values ​​discovery, but the app itself can sometimes be overwhelming, so we’ll show you some ways to expand your library. This guide focuses on the mobile app, but the same functionality is also present in the desktop app.

(Source: PCMag/Spotify)

Spotify’s scrollable feeds let you swipe through songs like you do on TikTok. A small, animated preview window shaped like a phone appears in playlists that contain them. Tap it, then swipe up through each song to get a short snippet. Or, on the Spotify app’s main home page, scroll down to the animated cards, unmute, and tap the arrows to preview each song.

2. Spotify DJ: Let the AI ​​do the work

(Source: Spotify)

Listening to the radio is a proven method of discovery, but listening to FM radio can be a dud. Spotify introduced an artificial intelligence DJ last year that offers new and popular songs without your input. Not only are the results personalized, but the voice and complete throwback experience to terrestrial radio is strangely satisfying. Just look for the glowing green circle on a blue background on your home screen and press play or search for “DJ.” New to Wrapped for 2024 are stats on how long you listened to the DJ and what genres of music you explored.

3. Smart Shuffle: Shuffle new songs into your playlists

(Source: PCMag/Spotify)

Too shy to try new music? Spotify’s Smart Shuffle is a perfect way to bring new music into your life by adding new songs to existing playlists with the touch of a button. Smart Shuffle attempts to adjust the style of the songs in your playlist so that the new jams aren’t too intrusive. To activate Smart Shuffle, open a playlist in your library and double-tap the shuffle icon. It turns green and adds sparkling symbols. Press play and new songs will be mixed in. Tap it again to remove it.

4. Release Radar: Check out Spotify’s recommendations

If you want to get started in familiar territory, check out the auto-generated one Release radar Playlist consisting of artists already in your Spotify library. It updates every Friday and as you add more music to your library, the number of songs in the Release Radar also increases. Find your Release Radar playlist in the “Made For (Your Name)” section of the app’s Home tab. It should move up each week, but you can also add it to your favorites so it also appears in the library.

5. Made for you: Listen to old favorites and similar music

(Source: Spotify)

Navigate to find new music based on your listening history Search > Made for youthat offers custom mixes based on genre, artists, decades, mood and more.

To revisit old favorites, search Unique to youwhich includes playlists like Your Summer Rewind and Time Capsule. The latter brings out tunes that were probably heard in your boombox, CD player or iPod decades ago.

There is also an interesting playlist there called Daily drivethat combines news programs and music for daily commuters.

6. Discover Weekly: An easy way to find new music

(Source: Spotify)

Note that Spotify is constantly experimenting with how content is displayed. This means your home screen will change depending on the time of day or what is currently being viewed.

However, there are some constants you can rely on. Discover Weekly is one of Spotify’s most popular features and does a good job of surfacing new songs. Updated every Monday, this playlist uses your listening habits to curate a collection you’ll love, filled with music you’ve probably never heard before.

The more you use Spotify throughout the week, the better the compilation of songs becomes. However, it can also do surprisingly good work with small amounts of data.

You can also rely on it Friday with new music Playlist that contains several hours of brand new songs from all genres every Friday. Although it is not tailored to your taste, it will introduce you to the latest hits. Look for it or search for it on your home screen every week.

7. Spotify Radio: Turn a song into a radio station

(Source: Spotify/PCMag)

Do you love a particular song and want more of it? Open the song, tap the three-dot menu next to the title and select “Off.” Go to the radio. Spotify creates a song stream based on your favorite melody. Tap the plus icon to save it to your library.

8. Unique Categories: Browse songs from Netflix and Disney favorites

(Source: Spotify/PCMag)

When you search for music on Spotify, you don’t necessarily need to know what you’re looking for. There are plenty of opportunities to dive into something unique in the search section of the app. Beyond things like charts, music styles, and new releases, there are some unique categories. For example, Spotify has curated sections for Disney and Netflix. The Netflix section has soundtracks, podcasts and playlists. I liked the songs that were played Nobody wants that? You can find them all there.

Do you like what you’re reading?

Sign in Tips & Tricks Newsletter for expert advice on getting the most from your technology.

This newsletter may contain advertising, offers or affiliate links. By subscribing to a newsletter, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time.

About Tyler Hayes

Contributor

I’ve been contributing to PCMag since 2019, covering all types of consumer electronics. As a confident early adopter of technology, I’ve stumbled across changing devices over the years and usually end up writing about how they work, why they’re great, or how they could be better.

Read Tyler’s full bio

Read the latest from Tyler Hayes