Five Easy Ways to Expand Your Music Library

1. Use an Internet DJ service like Pandora.com.
These services are easy to use, helpful, and free. Pandora (the service I use) is based on the Music Genome Project, which tries to classify all music released into certain simple categories. Enter a song or an artist you like and Pandora will make you a radio station based on songs that are similar. Due to licensing issues, you won't be able to request the original song you entered, but with such cool new songs to listen to, you won't care. The best thing about a service like this is that it can transcend the boundaries we put on music - Pandora doesn't care what "genre" your song is. It cares about what you like to hear in your music. Pandora is a great way to break into new artists you never would have considered: you can put in a band as mainstream as Evan & Jaron and come back out with some great indie acts like Pernice Brothers and Belle & Sebastian.

2. Read music magazines.
If you can name the genre of music, you can be sure there's a magazine that exists for it. Do you like more mainstream adult contemporary artists? Try Rolling Stone. Artists on indie labels? Pitchforkmedia.com will be your best friend. Professional music reviewers are paid to know their stuff and to see connections between artists that we lowly mortals may not. Oftentimes, in CD reviews or interviews with bands, reporters will mention similar artists. Take the initiative! Check those out! It can't hurt to try, and even if you don't like them at least you'll have some great reading material to keep you busy until you find something you love.

3. Download music from online music stores.
Whether your drug of choice is Real Rhapsody, iTunes, Napster, or eMusic, these stores can be very useful in a search for new music. Most of them offer preassembled playlists - 'Study Music', for example, or 'The Best of Hip-Hop'. These are a great and relatively cheap way of checking out new artists. Also, these stores can help connect you with people who share the same taste as you do. By seeing what other people who bought Kelly Clarkson's new album also bought, you can discover similar artists. Many online music stores also offer free tracks from bands that are just starting out and want the exposure. When you see these, take the chance and download them. You may find something you really like. (Hint: they tend to be hidden away at the bottom of the page.)

4. Join an online music community (my favorite is Last.fm).
Online music communities can be the most valuable resource you have when trying to discover new bands from different parts of the world. By removing geographic barriers, these sites open you up to a universe of possibilities. Who would have guessed that last year's big hit, O-Zone's 'Dragostea Din Tei', had come from Romania? These global music communities are the wave of the future - explore them!

5. Talk to your friends.
I know, I know, sometimes it can be hard to have an intelligent conversation about music. But if music community sites are the wave of the future, good old-fashioned communication is our present. Ask each of your friends to lend you their favorite CD, and give it a listen. You may very well hate it, but it's a good way to bond with your friends and discover what's important to them. Discover who are the music junkies in your life and ask them for recommendations. Music is one of the greatest unifiers in our world, and nothing can bring more joy. Take advantage of it. You'll be enriching your music library and your life at the same time. Whatever you do, remember that music should always be fun and enjoyable to you, no matter what other people think of it. Good luck and happy listening!