25 Best and Surprising Ways To Experience Music

Posted by , Updated on November 23, 2023

“Music is powerful. It speaks to a primal pit in our brains. It makes anyone wanna get up and get their knees going’. A good song can really wrap people up in a mood, better than any words alone could.”

~ Jake the Dog & Music Hole (Adventure Time)

It’s true. Music might be the most powerful force on the planet, and it’s one of the few things in life that’s absolutely free. There’s not a single person on Earth who can’t get some sort of emotional thrill from it and yes, before anyone says anything smart, even deaf people can enjoy music. (It’s done through vibrations and studying musical patterns differently). But I digress. 

Music has been around since the prehistoric ages and since that time, humanity has thought of more and more ways to explore the art-form. There are so many different ways to enjoy your select favorite songs than just by listening to them on your phone. Today, we’ll be opening your eyes (and ears) to some amazing ways that you can expand upon your melodic adventures. Here are 25 Best and Surprising Ways To Experience Music!

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25

Concerts

Crowd of people enjoying concert in night club

Concerts are a great way to enjoy the music you like with others who share your passion for the artists. Dedicating a night out to go see a performance might just lead to a few new friends, or perhaps you can go with a friend you already have; maybe a date. 

Concerts allow you to really feel the emotion and the vulnerability of performing musicians. The power of the night can stick with you for a lifetime if you find the right event. 

Plus, I’m sure we all have a favorite artist or band that we listen to on loop. Take a moment to see if they have any upcoming live performances in the near future. If so, that’s definitely not an experience you’ll wanna miss out on!

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Songkick App

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Remember all the great things we just said about concerts? Well, if you want to take that advice to heart, then you definitely need to check out the Songkick App! This app allows you to keep a constant eye on all of your favorite artists to discover when they might be touring in your area. You’ll get immediate alerts so you can purchase tickets before they sell out. 

Not only that, but you’ll also learn about all concerts that are playing near you; ones that are selected based on personalized recommendations. If this isn’t cool enough, Songkick also organized free concerts all over the world that are put together just for you to attend. If you want to make a habit of enjoying more live performances, this app is a must-have!

23

YouTube

CHIANG MAI, THAILAND - OCTOBER 03, 2014: Youtube application close up on Apple iPad Air device.

We all know that YouTube is a very common way to listen to music. If a song exists, chances are you can find it and give it a free listen through their website. YouTube itself even has some paid options that allow you to stream and download tunes, but I’m thinking more along the lines of music videos

Music videos are essentially short films that allow artists to tell their songs’ stories in highly cinematic ways. Dating back to the 1920s, this type of music experience has only heightened in popularity as the years have gone on, mainly thanks to YouTube. On YouTube, not only will you find music videos for the biggest working musicians, but you can also support independent creators as they quite literally attempt to get their voices out there!

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Spotify

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Spotify is classic at this point. It’s one of the few music softwares that is truly 100% “cross-platform” and has revolutionized the way that music is shared and organized. Spotify allows you to enjoy music you’ve already fallen in love with and can help you expand your search by finding other artists that match your tastes. You can create your own playlists and share them with your friends and family… or you can have Spotify generate a completely new playlist based on what it learns about you. 

Spotify itself is free but does have a Premium option that may be worth it to some listeners. With Premium, your experience will be ad-free, there’s no wait for new releases, and you can even listen off-line!

21

Road Trip Jams

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“It’s about the journey; not the destination.” This quote comes up a lot when it comes to road trips… but let’s face it; we’d all like to be at the destination a whole lot sooner. Still, there’s no trip that can’t be both sped up and made more enjoyable through music! Music is the saving grace of every trip, no matter how long it might be. 

There’s nothing you need to worry about watching (other than the road) and with the road being the only other thing to focus on, you can find yourself lost to the music and experience all that it truly has to offer. Let it guide your journey and give you things to think about. Let it shape your emotions and ideas to prepare you for wherever your stop may be. 

If friends are tagging along, make a party of it. Pass the aux cable around and let everyone contribute to the music. Or, turn on the radio and enjoy a few random selections together!

20

Street Performers

Folk musician playing gusli at Moscow Historical Festival Times and Epoch in Kolomenskoe

Sometimes you’re in a hurry, especially if you live in a big city. And the busier the city, the more street performers you’re bound to see. We don’t always have time to give them what they want; attention and a moment to appreciate their talents. But what happens when you do?

Well, you might just find yourself captured by a unique style and take on music, whether it be through dance or an instrument or simply through song… or, maybe all three. Remember, these performers are out there putting everything on the line because a lot of the time, their bills depend on it. You should take the time and see what they have to offer; maybe leave a small tip as well.

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While Exercising

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Music, headphones and the gym pretty much go hand in hand and there are scientific reasons for this. To name a few, listening to your favorite songs will instantly put you in a better mood, motivating you to actually go through with your workout and keep yourself excited for the action. Try working out on a stationary Bike or during a jog, all to the beat of your top hits. Keeping in rhythm will bring about satisfaction unlike any other! Not only that but the better the workout, the better you’ll feel mentally. When it comes to anxiety and depression, medication and therapy are great. Use them if you can, but there’s no substitute for a good regular physical activity!

Of course, it’s worth mentioning that working out is simply a lot more fun when you have a great playlist to inspire your journey towards a better you. 

18

Chores

Young hispanic woman at home, doing chores and housekeeping, collecting clothes and dresses from laundry tumble dryer, drying machine

Chores aren’t always fun but the satisfaction of completion outweigh the bore of doing them. Still, why not do everything you can to have fun on the job? One of the best ways to do that is through music. 

Despite the physical labor, chores are often a time of mindless work when you’re free to be alone with your thoughts. You can enhance these thoughts by listening to your top hits or maybe something entirely new. Perhaps you’ll get a spark of inspiration for an activity you can do later or think up some ideas for that novel you’ve been wanting to write. The point is that mixing music with chores can lead to a mental clean up rather than just a physical clean up.

17

While You Sleep or Nap

Man in sleeping bed, morning time

Sleep can lead to some very interesting experiences, most notably dreams. Yes, dreams are amazing because reality means nothing. The mind is capable of generating all sorts of different crazy circumstances that might be nonsense or dug deeply from your subconscious. 

Listening to music while you sleep can further enhance this experience. For one, choosing the right song can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep for longer. But research has also proven that music playing in the real world, can affect what happens in our dreams. 

Try going to sleep with music of your choice playing or use a device like an Amazon Alexa to start playing music at a predetermined time when you’re already fast asleep. It’s worth experimenting with for sure!

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Apply Music to Your Own Life Story or Thought Process

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Music has been used for thousands of years to enhance stories and enhance what’s passed onto us through different types of media, but there’s no reason we can’t apply it to the story we live every day; our own. Find songs that don’t necessarily fit your tastes, but rather speak to you or help relate to a certain situation; past, present, or a hopeful future. Use music when you reflect upon yourself; mistakes you’ve made and where you hope to see yourself go in life.

I admit that this point comes from a little bit of bias. It was inspired by the now wrapped television series, How I Met Your Mother. While the series itself has led to some controversial opinions, something everyone agreed on was that music was used brilliantly, as a tool for shaping big plot points and big moments for characters. Even when the lyrics didn’t match a scene, the tune and overall feeling did. This is a technique all of can learn from when it comes to reflecting upon our own life stories.

15

Listen to Instrumental Tracks

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The lack of lyrics in a song can really provide something special to your musical experiences. These pieces don’t have words to tell you exactly what you’re supposed to feel, therefore giving your brain more room to develop different emotions. As an example, one person might find a slow song very sad while another might experience a sense of calm and relaxing happiness. 

Research has also shown that instrumental music helps to repair damaged parts of the brain and keep it healthier for longer in life. It also aids in the release of endorphins that can ease pain and breathing.

14

Listen to Covers of Your Favorite Songs

young beautiful blonde hipster woman in the city playing ukulele

Covers can be tricky. For those few who don’t know, a cover is a remake of an already existing song, this time performed by a new artist in their own personal style. They can be faster or slower versions of the song. Different instruments might be used or only a single instrument might be used to recreate the song. Perhaps it’ll just be a single instrumental version without any lyrics whatsoever. 

What’s special about covers is that you get to rediscover a song that you love through someone else who’s also found meaning in it. You might even develop a new bit of joy or sadness that you hadn’t originally heard from the artist who first performed the music. Many artists are able to make covers their own in magical new ways.

13

Listen to Movie Scores

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You might think this the same as simply listening to Instrumental Tracks, but movie scores have tons of extra layers to them. For one, Movie Scores were designed specifically to fit the scenes they accompany. In other words, there’s a predetermined emotion that’s meant to go along with each track; emotion that you can throw yourself into. Movie tracks allow you to feel what the artist was feeling when he or she wrote a piece and even more impressively, you can feel what fictional characters felt without having to actually see what they were experiencing. You’re not tied down by the scene itself. Instead, you generate your own process and let your imagination dance its way to new stories. 

Or, perhaps you want to throw yourself into certain scenes; perhaps you wish to put yourself in your favorite characters’ shoes; launch an attack on the Death Star, fight Captain Hook and his gang of pirates, Save Gotham City, or maybe even Assemble the Avengers! (Shout out to “Portals” from the Avengers: Endgame Soundtrack.)

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Listen to Gaming Scores

Man and young boy with video game controllers smiling

So we’ve discussed instrumental music itself and then dug a little deeper with movie scores. So what about gaming scores? Well, what you need to remember is that music in video games isn’t meant to distract. It’s designed to do the opposite in fact; breathe extra life into the game while still allowing a player to concentrate on the task at hand. Try listening to this type of music when all your concentration is required but you also don’t want the day or night to feel empty. Add a sense of wonder to studying for an exam, or reading a new book, or putting together new furniture for your home.

A few personal favorites that come to mind are “Legend of Zelda,” “God of War,” or “Kingdom Hearts”

11

USB DAC Amplifier

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Discovering music is one thing, but what are some great ways to ensure you’re getting the best sound quality delivered right into your ears? Well, let’s start with a USB DAC Amplifier. This is a small device that further enhances the speakers inside of your headphones. In other words, you’ll be getting the full potential of whichever headphones you’re using, and we’ll even give you some great suggestions for headphones before getting into our Top 5 Best Ways to Experience Music!

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Sony MDR7506 Professional Large Diaphragm Headphone

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These headphones provide you with very powerful and very detailed sound, which is exactly what you’re looking for when listening to music. The ear design provides a high level of comfort and does a great job of canceling out any external noises. 

As far as pricing goes, these headphones are actually on the cheaper side; at least, cheaper than you might expect, starting at around $90.00.

You can purchase these headphones yourself here:

https://amzn.to/2LAfJEM

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Sony WH-1000XM3

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These headphones lead the industry of digital noise cancelation. Not only that, but they’re also wireless and Alexa Enabled. A single charge provides up to thirty hours of battery life and the headphones themselves are extremely portable. 

Starting at $278.00, you can get yours here: https://amzn.to/35fD9qR

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HiFiMan Ananda. MSRP

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Not everyone’s going to jump to buy these headphones, especially when you hear that the lowest they start at is $700.00. Still, they have a lot of benefits. You’ll find these headphones are very lightweight and quite soft on the ears. 

Many reviews suggest that these headphones are a great way to experience rock music and have great bass! One Amazon Reviewer even claimed that “If audio is an addictive drug, [then] welcome to the hard stuff!”

Get yours here: https://amzn.to/2RKLu1R

7

Definitive Technology BP9080x

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Sometimes you don’t want to be restricted by headphones when listening to music, and on those occasions, you’ll want some great speakers to fall back on. Enter, Definitive Technology BP9080x. Their patented Forward-Focused Bipolar Technology will let you hear your music like never before! Keep in mind, that these speakers aren’t meant for small areas. The sounds is… well, potentially deafening if not used properly. 

Of course, these speakers are nearly $2,000 so maybe you already have a bigger area of you’re purchasing them: 

https://amzn.to/357PH3s

6

Raycon Wireless Earbuds

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Ending our mini list of Musical tools are Raycon’s E-25 True Wireless Earbuds! The company was founded by Ray J and celebrities like Snoop Dogg and Melissa Etheridge are obsessed with them. 

RayCon offers their wireless earbuds in a variety of fun colors and patterns. They’re super comfortable and come with a variety of fit options! Unlike some of your other wireless earbud options, RayCon Earbuds are both stylish and discreet with no dangling wires or stems. 

RayCon Earbuds start at about half the price of any other wireless earbuds on the market. They sound just as amazing as the other top audio brands that you know. 

The E-25 True Wireless are their best ones yet! With six hours of playtime, seamless bluetooth pairing, more bass and a more compact design that gives you a nice noise isolating fit! 

Get yours over at https://buyraycon.com/List25 for 15% off your order! Brought to you by Raycon.

5

Musicals

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Some might say that musicals aren’t for them but I would respond by saying they just haven’t found the right musical. Musicals might be a genre all their own but they have sub-genres just like any other form of media; adventure, coming of age, mystery/horror, drama, slice of life, etc. 

What kind of music do you like? Try finding a show that fits that vibe. 

Musicals are stories that are told through song and dance, making them one of the most unique and exciting ways to experience music, but also nothing new. Telling tales this way dates all the way back to the prehistoric era. When you think about it, it’s actually incredible that we still do this today.

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Happy young people enjoying themselves singing karaoke in the bar
3

Really Pay Attention to The Lyrics of Your Favorite Songs

A surreal image of a woman balancing on strings of a guitarKaraoke

It’s not hard to find a new favorite song. Listen to the radio enough or random spotify playlists and sooner or later, you’ll find a song that’s so catchy or beautiful that you can’t live without it… but what is it trying to say? Is there more to the songs you love rather than just an impressive rhythm? Of course there is! That’s what the songwriters want you to hear. 

Choose a song to listen to on loop or look up the lyrics online. You might discover a new appreciation for music that was affecting you only half as strong as it could’ve been…. Or, you might realize that a sick beat was actually distracting you from some really messed up lyrics… we’re looking at you, “Pumped Up Kicks.”

2

Have Each of Your Friends Donate Songs to a Playlist

three beautiful friends authentic in urban contest listening to music

This can be a really fun experience. Use Facebook, Twitter or another social media platform and ask friends to suggest a song or two for a brand new playlist. Once the playlist is done, shuffle up the songs, sit back, and enjoy. 

This has tons of benefits. For one, you might of course be introduced to artists that were previously unknown to you. You might also discover that you and certain friends have similar tastes that you weren’t aware of. But the greatest thing about this activity is that from this moment on, you have a little piece of all your friends that you can take with you everywhere you go.

1

Learn an Instrument

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Choosing this path will allow you to understand music better than ever and trace it back to its source. By learning to play an instrument, you and music become one and unlocks a new level of respect and understanding for one of the most important art forms in history. 

Plus, there are tons of benefits. Learning an instrument can help to relieve stress, increase confidence and brain power. You’ll also see improvements in your memory and sense of discipline, as well as time management. But most importantly, it’ll give you a sense of achievement, and that’s something everyone can use in life.



Photo: 1. Tristan Frower, Emma with Guitar