05 September 2011

5 Great Online Music Resources

Since the days of Napster and dial-up, online music sharing and browsing have progressed to a more technologically advanced level. With a multitude of music aggregators, torrents and video-sharing sites, music can now be accessed from almost every online vantage point and for zero costs too. Here we review five of the most unique online music resources




RCRD LBL (http://rcrdlbl.com/)


Created by tech-mogul Peter Rojas, RCRD LBL is an independent online record label meets music blog dedicated to showcasing current and emerging artists, spanning genres from rock to electronica. Boasting an extensive library of songs from over 275 different artists, all featured tracks and podcasts can be downloaded for free. Overall, the site is editorially organised like a web magazine, and its music-for-free approach gives the site a sort of independent music blog vibe.


Shuffler FM (http://shuffler.fm/)






A sort-of online radio station meets magazine, if you will, Shuffler FM aggregates music from around the web, powered primarily by music blogs. The different channels are divided by genre, covering all sorts of music from electronic to folk. The site is easy to use; a simple shuffle bar at the top of the page, which will direct you to a specific blog post, according to what song is playing. Instead of browsing through countless music blogs, Shuffler FM simplifies the process, allowing users to sift through a large number of blogs and music in a short amount of time.




The Hype Machine (http://hypem.com/)




Similarly to Shuffler FM, Hype Machine is a MP3 aggregator that sources the best songs on the music blogosphere and presents it in a simple layout for easy browsing. The site keeps tabs on the latest “most-hyped” songs, accompanied by a short description, the original blog source of the track and a rating feature. Content is very carefully curated by the site’s editors, so it’s likely that you will discover new tracks of all genres, which may take significantly longer if you were going through blog by blog.


Aurgasm (http://aurgasm.us/)




Offering an alternative to mainstream junk, Aurgasm pays homage to eclectic and obscure music which will probably never make it to the radio. The site was profiled on The Boston Globe and mentioned on MSNBC.com for its largely unique musical content. According to the site, they describe their songs as “curiously different, yet simply enjoyable”. The site specialises in everything eclectic from downtempo to Scandinavia to Cuban.






We Are Hunted (http://wearehunted.com)



Tracking the 99 most popular emerging songs each day, We Are Hunted is an online music chart that delivers new music according to what is popular. The genre charts are updated in real-time and reflect the activity on blogs, social media platforms and forums. The site is centered on visuals, and is neither wordy nor complex. The founder of the site said he wanted the site to be digestible in three seconds, a unique selling point which sets it apart from the multitude of music aggregator sites on the web.







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