As music fans, we’re spoilt for choice today like never before. Whether using our app here at Scope or one of the dozens of others on the net, the library of available music boggles the mind. There are cases with older music, however, where it can seem impossible to track down what we want.
Looking at a few options that have served us well over the years, we want to explore some solutions that can help you find older or more niche albums and tracks. You might not be able to find everything, but there’s still more out there than we might imagine.
Classics as New Experiences
The first step to tracking down older bands is to understand that fans of classics are always looking to translate existing entertainment to new mediums. A perfect example of this outside of music is illustrated in the free bingo play at Paddy’s. Physical bingo is a game that dates back over a century, and it’s still widely loved today. Thanks to this enthusiasm, online platforms like this let players check out online and free versions of the game for six hours every day. Available on desktop and mobile systems, similar availability can be found by searches for old music on contemporary platforms outside of those that are musically focused.
A great place to search for music is YouTube, which can is a repository for older and otherwise forgotten music. While this might seem obvious, searches here can be tricky thanks to how YouTube tends to bias results. This site will often flood recommendations with newer clips, and if the music you’re searching for has a common name, this can be problematic. Fortunately, there are guides like this one at WikiHow that can help you better organise search results by date via Google. Set the search parameters back to a time when YouTube wasn’t as flooded with fluff as it is today, and you’ll be more likely to find what you want.
Embrace Second-Hand Stores
The other best suggestion we have is to check for websites dedicated to selling physical copies of older music. This isn’t as convenient as digital-only methods, but it can be a great resource for any bands who have ever released CDs, vinyl, or tapes. The Standard has a great list of websites in the UK you can use for this, and other countries will have similar stores. Just be sure to check the reputation of one of these stores before buying, to avoid shady deals.
Back Up What You Find
If you had a difficult time tracking down older music, then odds are others have had the same issue. To keep a band’s legacy alive, consider backing up any old music you find into a digital format. If the record is no longer for sale, then you’re not costing anyone any money, so legally it’s not an issue.
From here, you might want to make this music available online on a free service like YouTube. This can help keep the legacy of older bands alive, while also introducing new listeners to classic tunes. Remember, preservation in music is important, and it’s a great thing to share the joy that old bands gave you with others.
