All Songs Considered “Upgrade your playlist”

All Songs Considered is as much a music platform as it is one specific podcast. Their offerings include multiple different formats of podcasts, online articles, playlists, Tiny Desk concerts, and a music newsletter. We’ve highlighted some of the most frequent formats of podcast below. You can listen to All Songs Considered anywhere you get your podcasts.

New Music Friday:

New albums are typically released every Friday throughout the year. NPR Music’s team listen through all of the releases each week and recommend 8 to 10 of their favorite songs, playing a 60 second or so sample of each album and then providing an analysis of the arist and their new release. The show features a rotating cast of experts who are able to speak to music across genres, geographies, and cultural influences. The music featured spans from the widely popular to the incredible obscure.

• Hosts: Robin Hilton w/ frequent guest contributors (Stephen Thompson, Ann Powers, Tarik Moody, Nate Chinen, John Morrison, Tom Huizenga, Felix Contreras, and more)

• New Episodses: Every Friday

• Duration: 30 to 45 mins

• Genres: Every single one

• Platform: Anywhere you get your podcasts (+ NPR One)

Fresh Take: If you want to stay up-to-date with new music releases, this is the show for you. New Music Friday was a huge part of the inspiration for Fresh Cut Finds, especially our Unearthed playlist series. The show has broadened my horizons and exposed me to new genres and artists. The entire staff of NPR bring deep knowledge of their craft and listening to the show is a great way to develop your fluency in talking about music. The show provides context on the artist’s story and reason for writing the music, on lyrical significance, and on the musical characterists of the album. If I had to recommend one show to somone who wants to discover new music, this would be it.

Song Exploder “Where musicians take apart their songs, and piece by piece, tell the story of how they were made.”

Song Exploder is a deconstruction of a song as told by the artist that created it. The artist talks through the creative process from the inception of the idea for the song, the sequencing of how different instrumentals or vocals were layered in, and influences that shaped the final song as we hear it today.

• Host: Hrishikesh Hirway

• New Episodes: Wednesdays (every 2 weeks)

• Duration: 15 to 25 mins

• Genres: Broad blend of different genres

Fresh Take: This podcast is incredible for starting to be able to listen to songs differently and hear the different ingredients that lead to the ultimate recipe that makes the song great. As I started listening to Song Exploder, I noticed that I could pick out instruments more easily, and am able to more easily deconstruct the songs and appreciate them through a new lens. It reminds me a lot of the cinematograpy class I took in college. Once I was taught to analyze camera angles and movements, I was able to watch and appreciate movies in completely new ways. Song Exploder does the same for music, while also giving you a behind the scenes look at the artists motivations and the story they are telling with their music.