The way we listen to music is constantly changing. There have been albums, 8-tracks, tapes and CDs. Now we have MP3, streaming music channels online and other forms of digital music. The ease with which we can now get music is amazing. While CDs are still available, and it looks like LPs are making somewhat of a comeback, most people are turning to the internet to get their music fix. And while the radio and top-ten shows were once how people were introduced to new music, free streaming music online is fast becoming the way to discover new musical acts and genres.

We all have our favorite musical acts that we love to listen to. When they come out with a new CD, it’s usually a no-brainer that we’re going to go out and buy it. But most of us crave something different every once in a while; waiting to discover a new favorite singer or band. Sure, you could go out and buy a bunch of CDs of artists you think you’ll like, but what happens if you get them home and they aren’t all they were cracked up to be? You’re out of cash and are left with a pretty collection of coasters.

With free streaming music you can listen to all kinds of music without having to invest the money before you know if you’re going to like it or not. If your usual fair tends towards easy listening, but you’d like to give something heavier a try, you can listen to an online music station that plays only hard rock or heavy metal. On the flip side, if you want to experiment with classical, there are plenty of stations that play just classical music.

And that’s the main difference between radio and on line streaming music: while radio stations tend to play only rock or jazz or pop, online you can actually tune into a feed that narrows it down even more. You can listen to European techno-pop, 70’s disco or 80’s hair bands, just to name a few. Any subgenre of music that exists can be experienced with streaming music. In fact, odds are you’ll discover subgenres of music you didn’t even know existed!

Even if you don’t want to listen to new kinds of music, preferring to stick to what you already know and love, streaming music can introduce you to artists within loved genres that you haven’t yet had the chance to experience. Or you can listen to artists that you are already a fan of. For example, if you love 50’s and 60’s rock, but don’t want to have to buy all kinds of CDs and songs to get your fix, you can listen to an online station that streams only music from that era. It’s a great way to reconnect with old faves and can even help you compile a list of songs and CDs to purchase.

Free streaming music is a super way to expand your musical horizons without busting the bank. By listening to new artists and musical genres for free, you will be better equipped to know which CDs you’ll enjoy. This way you will have not only a killer personal collection of music, but fewer CDs that end up only collecting dust. And you never know: you just might have an ambient-trance or Celtic punk fan buried inside of you.