I’m trying out 8tracks for the first time today. I am enjoying discovering new music through its curated playlists and appreciate the way it brings forward the best aspects of handcrafted radio playlists into the post-radio world. It even scrobbles directly to Last.fm, where I’ve been recording every song I listen to since 2004.
8tracks is handcrafted internet radio. It offers a simple way for people to share and discover music through an online mix, a short playlist containing at least 8 tracks.
8tracks believes handcrafted music programming trumps algorithms. Think radio in the 1970s, mixtapes in the 1980s, and DJ culture of the 1990s through today. DJs share their talent in taste making, providing exposure for artists. Listeners get a unique blend of word-of-mouth sharing and radio programming — long the trusted means for music discovery — on a global scale.
My first mix on the site is Summer Clouds Walking Mix, which has 8 of my favourite songs to have in my head when I walk around. I chose tracks from Grimes, Marit Larsen, Matthew Sweet, Silversun Pickups, Menomena, Sucré, Unwoman and Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling.