6 Ways to Enhance Your Music Listening Experience

Everyone knows THAT feeling when it comes to music. You’re in a horrible or depressed mood and you put on your favorite album and it completely transforms not just your day but your outlook. It might sound cheesy, but we truly do believe that music can be that powerful. That’s why if it means as much to you as it probably does (you’re reading this article after all!), then you’re probably looking for ways to heighten the experience just that much more. Read on for five ways to enhance your musical listening experience.

1. Learn an Instrument

There are plenty of people out there who live and breathe music but don’t know how to play a single note. That doesn’t make you any less of a music fan. However, you wouldn’t believe how much learning an instrument will change the listening experience for you. All of a sudden, the songs you love become that much better, and you’re hearing the instrument you play as if it’s a solo. Many musicians recommend learning on the piano and going from there. And don’t worry about your age as, when it comes to music, it is absolutely possible to teach an old dog new tricks.

2. Dive Into the Deep End

As far as apps that make music listening that much more amazing go, the possibilities are seemingly endless. Mix tapes were great and all but the apps of today make accessing music a seamless experience. Use Spotify and/or Pandora to dive head first into the tunes you love. Discovering new music can be one of the most exciting experiences for the true musicphile. So why stop there? Use the related artists feature on these apps to find more musicians in this genre and expand your listening experience that much more.

3. Create an Audio Visualizer

If you fancy yourself an aspiring DJ or even just one that dabbles for fun, it’s time to create audio visualizers. These create 3D images move and “dance” in time with the beat of the music, taking any party to the next level. If you adore your creation or had a friend that missed the fete, you can download your presentation and share it via sites like YouTube and Vimeo.

4. Get Inside Your Own Head

Have you ever seen a person jamming to music in their headphones while on the subway, walking to work, or just in everyday life? They seem happy, right? Oblivious to the chaos around them? A lot of us forget about connecting in this way as we get older, but it’s time to get back to listening to music with headphones. Not only that, but this is the day and age to do it, as the music quality in headphones now is top notch. Or take a scene right from the movie Begin Again and give a partner a headphone using a splitter and enjoy a dual listen as you walk around New York City. We know it’s oddly specific but, man, that was iconic. Another way to make music mobile is to buy portable speakers. Taking music with you wherever you go is the perfect way to enhance the music listening experience.

5. See it Live

There is nothing better than when you’re skeptical about a band but a friend convinces you that seeing this band live will change your life and you go and, yep, it really did. This has happened to all of us at one point or another. Some bands have sounds that don’t move us when they’re on the radio or on an album for one reason or another. But set one foot in their concert and your soul is forever changed.

6. Create Playlists

A great Spotify app feature is the ability to create playlists. There is nothing better than listening to music that is perfect for the mood you are in at that moment. Reminiscing about the 90s? In a romantic mood? Wanna hear what’s trending? Need some mellow music while you cook dinner with a glass of wine? Choose your music based on the way you’re feeling and the experience will be so much more elevated. You can even ask your friends to share their playlists to broaden your own horizons.

————————
Music on its own is life-changing but apply these ways to heighten your musical experiences and watch your happiness soar.