I would prefer that music not [be] the result of algorithmic computation.
This is the problem with so many playlists, automated DJs, and the like. You get the monotonous "best hits" compendiums or ham-handed, jarring mixes with no sense of flow.
This is one of the reasons why I ditched Amazon Music. Many of them seem to be programmed by algorithm ... or by people who have no idea what they are doing.
I've been pleasantly surprised to find that there are a number of music podcasts that satisfy my music needs on a weekly basis. A number of artists I like have weekly "radio" broadcasts that curate music that's caught their ear. (I listen to mostly electronic music though, so YMMV for other genres.)
Yes, me too. If you're interested, my current list is:
- A State of Trance with Armin Van Buuren (though recently he's started adding much more talking so I'm close to dropping it)
- Club Life with Tiësto
- Hardwell on Air
- Corsten's Countdown
- Afrojack: Jacked Radio (this one is really hit-or-miss for me. I skip maybe half the episodes)
As an aside:
- the "Song Exploder" podcast is a fascinating view into what goes into making music though that one falls into the "Talk" category
- I love the old "Timeless Mixes" by the (now defunct) DJ River. Which are helpfully all available as a podcast, so once in a while I'll mark a few of them as unplayed so my player will download them and add them to the playlist.
I'm a big fan of "Vocal Vibes" by Richiere, "Mellomania Vocal Trance Anthems" by Pedro del Mar, and "Uplifting Only" by Original Uplift. Found all of them through the Digitally Imported / DI.FM streaming service.
DI.FM doesn't get enough attention. I subscribe, and have found so much music I love through the service. I'll even occasionally buy individual tracks, through other channels - I think I read somewhere DI.FM was going to start offering music sales but only to US customers initially.
Yeah, it's a great service. Used to be $50/yr, and they recently bumped it to $70. Given that I listen to it anywhere from 5-15 hours a day, I'd say I'm still getting my money's worth :)
That subscription also gives you the same higher streaming quality for DI.fm's sister services for Jazz Radio, Rock Radio, and RadioTunes (which has a great assortment of channels ranging from jazz to decades music to world and ambient).
The app and site let you mark songs as favorites and review a list of songs you've favorited, but there's no obvious way to purchase those. If they added direct purchases, I'd happily go pick up a bunch of my favorite tracks through them.
It's all original. I create songs with lots of variations for myself in Ableton to help me focus, then hit record and let it run for ~20 minutes. People seem to like the results.
This is the problem with so many playlists, automated DJs, and the like. You get the monotonous "best hits" compendiums or ham-handed, jarring mixes with no sense of flow.
This is one of the reasons why I ditched Amazon Music. Many of them seem to be programmed by algorithm ... or by people who have no idea what they are doing.