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Instagram Is Packed With New Music Suggestions. Here's How To Find Them.
There are endless ways to use hashtags on Instagram: you may throw one in your caption, add some to help your post get more attention, or use them to scope out the best destinations in the city you're visiting next. And while Instagram isn't a music app, it doesn't mean you can't use it to search for the latest songs too. It just takes knowing what hashtags to follow to find new music on Instagram.
Just to give you an idea, the hashtag #music has more than 299 million posts on Instagram, though not all those posts will include new songs. And while you can't go wrong searching this hashtag, there are tons of other ones that'll point you toward fresh, recently released music your friends don't even know about yet. The same goes for if you're looking for new songs or albums from a specific group or artist. Regardless, following popular hashtags that have to do with "new music" and "songs" is a surefire plan. If you're not convinced, just remember that plenty of artists like Kehlani, Drake, and The Weeknd post new songs to their Instagram all the time.
Here are 13 hashtags you can follow on Instagram to discover new music.
1#NewMusic
This one is obvious, but can get the job done. With over 19 million posts, this hashtag helps you find new songs by underground artists and more popular ones.
2#FreshBeats
While you might think #FreshBeats would be something a producer looks for, you can actually find some new music under this hashtag. It has more than 25,000 posts so it's a lot less overwhelming than other options, but you'll still be able to find new jams (you just probably have to sort through a lot of makeup looks).
3#NewRelease
#NewRelease has more than 2.2 million posts, so there's a lot to sort through. But that also means you'll probably find a lot to listen to as well. You might even stumble upon new book, show, and movie releases too.
4#NowPlaying
You might assume that the hashtag #NowPlaying will lead you to posts about movies, but it's good to look through if you're on the hunt for some new tunes. Throughout the 7.6 million posts you'll find under this hashtag, you'll see pictures of people with vinyl records or screenshots of music on their phone with a caption describing what they're listening to.
5#NewMusicFriday
Some artists and accounts have designated Friday to posting new music. With more than 632,000 posts, this hashtag can not only help you find new music, but you'll probably even uncover a new artist that you can keep a lookout for every Friday.
6#New[Artist]
If you have a specific artist in mind, sometimes using hashtags like #NewHarryStyles, #NewArianaGrande, or #NewRihanna (I wish) can help you find releases faster. Artists don't always post their own new music to Instagram, but once their fans get a whiff of it, they'll do it instead. You can stay up to date with your favorite artists by checking up on these hashtags from time to time.
7#NewSong
This one's pretty simple and straightforward — people use it if they're trying to get their music out there. #NewSong has 6.9 million posts and can show you music from famous artists as well as Insta users trying to make it in the music industry.
8#MusicVideo
Although music videos usually come a while after songs are released, that's not always the case. Sometimes, if an artist is trying to garner a lot of hype, they'll release a song along with a music video. The hashtag has 14.4 million posts, so you have a lot of options.
9#InstaMusic
#InstaMusic is a little more tailored to less famous artists on Instagram, but it's still a solid way to discover new music. The hashtag has 19.9 million posts and features everything from acoustic videos and produced music to sheet music. You can use #InstaMusic to take a deeper dive into the Instagram world of music and find new things to listen to along the way.
10#SoundCloud
SoundCloud is a great platform for rising artists and people trying to update their playlists. Using #SoundCloud on Instagram can help you find the users who are promoting their SoundCloud music on their Instagram accounts. The hashtag has 13.9 million posts and features some very cool artists you might have not heard of before.
11#AppleMusic
In the same way you'd use #SoundCloud to find new music, you can search #AppleMusic, which has a whole 3.8 million posts. Even better, you'll know where to go to hear the full song.
12#NewMusicAlert
In a very DJ Khaled-esque fashion, people sometimes use #NewMusicAlert to announce their latest musical releases. The hashtag has 1.4 million posts and features artists of all different sizes of followings. You'll get to listen to music that's not only new to you, but new to the world as well.
13#ListeningParty
If you want to hear new music that's a little more mainstream, following #ListeningParty might be your best bet. When artists have a huge fandom (think Arianators, the Bey Hive, and Stylers), they'll have virtual listening parties where they stream albums or songs by artists to boost their ratings on charts. You can join in on these listening parties and listen to bonus tracks you might have not heard of otherwise.
