How to listen to music in 2026

In the age of social media, a plethora of creators and comment section enthusiasts have collectively decided that there is one true way to listen to music, and that is to be as critical of the project as possible. The unfortunate side effect of this is that the criticism usually overshadows the actual project and boils it down to its “loud negatives,” which in turn makes listeners less likely to give the music a shot. So the question is formed for those who choose to seek it: how do I listen to music properly? And in this blog I will be giving some tips and tricks that I’ve learned as an Artist who has been creating for almost a decade and an Audio Engineer who is about to get his degree in the Audio Technology and Industry Major at Austin Community College.

Step 1: Have a look for yourself.

The first step in this musical journey is a simple one, and that is to listen to the project yourself. Many opinions are found on the internet, some with positive critiques and others with negative connotations; this can lead someone to have a biased opinion on a project due to what they’ve already heard about it. The best thing listeners can do is to give the project a listen!

Step 2: Comparison leads to complaining.

Nowadays, it is common critique etiquette to compare a project to another to find what the other ones lack; for example, in Pitchfork’s review of J. Cole’s The Fall Off, you will find that a lot of their criticisms lead back to 2 people, them being Kendrick Lamar and Drake, even though they weren’t on the album! This comparison can’t be seen as valid because J. Cole is not Kendrick Lamar or Drake! Therefore, he won’t make a Kendrick Lamar or Drake song. In music, interpolations and/or samples will always be there, but that doesn’t mean we have to compare the art we are currently listening to to the art that made the piece possible. Remember, each artist is different and will not always do what another artist does.

Step 3: Look for your element

Every song or project is an accumulation of multiple different things, such as its instrumentation, which can be comprised of as little as 1 instrument up to as many as possible! Melodies, Tempo, Mixing, and Mastering. Possibilities are endless in music; therefore, in a single song you can find at least one thing that catches your ear! Try to close your eyes and focus on these different elements; you might find that even though the melody isn’t your cup of tea, the mixing could be very well done to where the artist and the track could be heard clearly! Or not clearly! It all depends on what you like, and in music, there’s always something deeper than meets the eye. Cause you’re using your ears! According to a thesis made by Hannah B. Turner from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Social media has changed the game to where apps such as TikTok can use a 15-second clip of a song and make it go viral; this is due to its ability to catch the listener’s attention whether it works with the clip or not. Makes you think: what about this song makes others want to use it for their videos? It’s the elements!

Step 4: Good music is everywhere

Have you ever heard from your friends or family that they just “Can’t believe this artist isn’t as big as the others!” Well, they have a point! Good music can be found anywhere and everywhere, whether that be the busker on the street covering songs by Bruno Mars, or the guy writing this blog! Music is a universal language humans use to communicate themes and stories to others. “Professionalism” has found its place in music to separate ideas made by small independent artists from artists who have the luxury to have more tools and experience; granted, “professional music” can sometimes be easier to digest for listeners because that’s literally what these artists go to school for, and yet we cannot let this discount the efforts made by the small artist, because remember, every artist started off small! In a paper by Aaron Pergram on how music, technology, and Global influences impact the culture of college listeners, it states that a trend now in the music-listening space is the rise of passivity due to algorithmic suggestions and playlists being readily available to the listener; people have stopped actively searching for music, so go out there and look! You’ll never know what you’ll find!

Step 5: Form your own opinion.

Now that you’ve opened your perspective, here’s everyone’s favorite part that they always skip out on! Forming your own opinion! Always remember, however, that an opinion is just that, an opinion. You might like something about a piece of art, but that doesn’t mean everybody else will, and that’s completely fine! Which leads to the next step.

Step 6: Don’t hate.

As simple as that, it is very easy to post opinions online, but what people forget to notice when they post is how that affects the artist and their work. Try to remember that at the end of the day, an artist is just a human who wants to be seen or heard through their artwork; all the criticism nonsense is just that- nonsense, popularized to separate artists from one another. It all goes back to the age old quote, “if you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all”. Which leads to the last and most important step.

Step 7: Just Love

When you find some art online that you do like, show it some Love by supporting the artist in any way you can; that “could’ve been” could be! If you help them out a bit, a share, comment, or like goes a long way for these artists and means more than you could ever believe. Take it from me, a rapper going to school for a degree in audio engineering; we work hard for listeners to hear our message, and it keeps us going when we see that we were actually able to connect.

Conclusion

Music in the present is a present to be appreciated and not hated on and there’s so much music to be heard! Look for it, and you might find that the one song that you hated at first you later on learned to appreciate; who knows, it might even grow to be your favorite.