When BBC Radio 6 was saved from the chop after an impressive campaign by fans and presenters, one of the key reasons was cited as the station’s reputation for playing the best new music around. Less constrained by the larger stations adherence to playlists that require certain songs to be flogged to death, at last there was a station that really did concentrate on the best new music.

But what is best in this context?

Music is highly subjective and therefore it is almost impossible to determinebest. 'Most popular' ends up with such classics as Bob the Builder/ Britney Spears/ Cheryl Cole and the like, none of which ever make it into any respected music aficionado's top 1000, let alone their top ten. X Factor rules the charts immediately after the programme’s run has finished but then most of the ‘artists’ disappear from view quicker than a dewdrop in the desert. The Brits, with the benefit of a music industry panel, has also come up with some strange choices when choosing the best. Paul Weller is nominated as best male year after year, even if his output is one average song that doesn’t trouble the top 20 charts.

The truth is that music preference is as individual as fingerprints. At the same time, people are constantly on the lookout for music they like, even if it is something they have never heard before. Radio stations tend to play the most popular choices as defined by an increasingly small pool of buyers, so unless you listen to the specialist shows, are rarely that useful for adding new classics to your collection.

That’s why it is useful to know someone who is passionate about music and has similar tastes to you. That way you will find the best new music without having to do the extensive research that your music mad friend has probably (willingly) done.

Sharing playlists on Spotify is great but also wouldn’t it be good if you could have access to all the best new music as recommended for by your friends?

That’s what Lovethis provides. How else would you be able to discover tracks like “Total control” by the Motels (admittedly not that new)?

Because the other thing about the phrase ‘best new music’ is that ‘new’ really means music you have never heard before rather than music that has only just been released.

James.

P.S. - The rest of the LoveThis team share their thoughts on the social recommendations space at blog.lovethis.com