There's an overwhelming amount of talent on the internet that you won't be able to find anywhere near iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, or Pandora. That's because that talent comes from underground artists:independent, unsigned people who put their work out there but have limited reach.
ContentsSoundCloud is the go-toSupport artists on BandcampNew kid on the block:BitTorrent nowStay active underground
Last year, Khamosh Pathak wrote on Guiding Tech about the downfall of Grooveshark, a now-defunct service that was once a breeding ground for underground music. The legality of the site was highly questionable since users also uploaded copyrighted music and this is what ultimately led to its downfall. But as a result, we were left without a decent source of new independent music for years.
Times have changed as always. Savvy businessmen have realized that there will always be a demand for underground music. It's a genre that never goes out of style because it's never been in style. Yet we all have at least one friend who swears by unknown talents.
The best, but certainly not the only, way to find indie artists right now is through SoundCloud. SoundCloud is a must-have for anyone looking to not only discover underground music, but also upload their own creative sounds and songs.
When you sign up to SoundCloud and start playing and liking various songs, the Discover tab will start to intelligently recommend other songs to you. You can also follow the artists you like so you're always up to date with their new content when it appears in your feed, save songs, and create playlists.
For $9.99 a month, SoundCloud Go ditches ads, lets you listen offline, and also unlocks access to music from signed artists, though not as much as Spotify or Apple Music. It's the perfect streaming service for underground fans who still appreciate the freedom to listen to more recognizable artists.
Bandcamp takes the love of independent artists to the next level. Here, artists can upload their work and even full albums. Fans around the world can directly support artists by paying for this music through Bandcamp, just like buying an album released by a record label. Bandcamp claims to have paid artists more than $167 million in total since its launch.
You can discover artists on Bandcamp simply by checking out the new notable section, browsing genres, or following people you want to follow. You get a customizable page to showcase your music collection as it builds over time.
To create a fan account on Bandcamp, you must first purchase something from the site – anything – to show your interest in directly supporting independent artists. After that, you will receive an invitation to register.
One last terrific alternative is BitTorrent Now and it's fairly new to the scene. BitTorrent itself exists, but the "Now" part of it forms a terrific web and mobile app focused on discovering underground music.
Like everything else, you can browse to discover artists, get recommendations, and follow your favorites. BitTorrent has a fantastic user interface and unique options to support artists. Rather than just buying albums, you can instead subscribe or buy "bundles" of content which can be artist videos, audio, text, etc.
An artist may want to release two songs for free, but to access the rest of the pack you will either have to pay or, more generally, subscribe for free with your email address to receive updates.
The best way to experience the most underground music is to stay really active and stay involved. Join SoundCloud, Bandcamp, BitTorrent Now, all. Always browse, like and download music to make your recommendations even smarter.
Most importantly, get friends interested in indie music to join these great services so you can share recommendations with each other and become more eclectic with your tastes.
READ ALSO: Best SoundCloud Alternatives to Make Your Music Heard
