Tired of your music recommendations? Support undiscovered artists and find new tracks for your playlists, expertly handpicked by BBC Introducing. No algorithms, no genres and no personalisation — listen and tune into what sounds good to you now.
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Orbit is a music discovery service that we (BBC R&D) have developed in collaboration with BBC Introducing. Andrew Wood and I have been working on the development and design for the last 6 months and I still can't quite believe we get to make things that are so cool and can help artists and audiences connect. Rob Scott, Tristan Ferne and Clare McAndrew helped shepherd this into existence with so much respect for our idiosyncratic process. And of course, the BBC Introducing team has been so supportive and none of this would have been possible without their tireless work. This project started when we heard from users that personalised algorithms made them feel stuck in a box they hadn't consciously chosen or designed. They said they found music discovery on their own terms difficult: they couldn't find new tunes when they wanted to — it just happened to them, outside of their control. So instead of receiving recommendations, in Orbit you actively make decisions based on what you hear and what resonates with you in the moment. BBC Introducing has been playing new music from unsigned and undiscovered new artists in the UK since 2007. We take the last month's batch of what they've curated and we organise it using data extracted from within the track itself. It doesn’t matter whether other people like it, whether it’s been skipped before etc. It’s simply how it “sounds”. Tracks with a similar vibe are placed close together and each is a potential doorway to something different. You start with 10 samples from different spaces within the collection. There's no metadata visible, no artist name, track title or images. Just choose what sounds good and you’ll get tracks in the same... orbit! If you hear something you like, you can reveal the artist and track title, and that's stored in your collection. You can sample as many tracks as you like, but you only get 5 "reveals" a day. This isn’t about limiting discovery — it’s about making each track count and respecting the user’s time. Find new tracks that you like and get on with your day. Building this, I've already discovered so many new artists, I'm eager to hear if you do too!
Comment highlights
@mathieuloutre I absolutely love this. It is a pre-curated list of songs that I get to explore with just the sound and whether or not I like it. I love that the album/artist is hidden until you want to reveal it. I love that you create this visual map of the audio world I'm exploring. Just love it. Plus, I actually discovered 4 artists I had never heard of before in Apple Music! I'll be using it every day.
This is an amazing product. One improvement can be made by adding an option to delete the songs I have added. I will share this with friends.
BBC Orbit introducing's approach to music discovery is refreshing and exciting. By abandoning algorithms and personalization, they're freeing listeners to explore beyond their usual genres and tastes. The focus on showcasing undiscovered artists and expertly curated playlists allows for a more immersive and authentic music experience. Congratulations on the launch!
I can listen to music that's not just based on my previous preferences! It's refreshing to hear something unexpected and different.
It's exciting to find fresh talent and new sounds to add to my playlist. I love that it focuses on supporting undiscovered artists.
This is a great way to discover new music without relying on the same old algorithms. It feels refreshing to hear tracks handpicked by experts.
Like a fun way to shake up my playlists! Supporting new artists while getting away from algorithm based recommendations is exactly what I needed. 🎶
Handpicked music from BBC Introducing, Count me in! I love finding new artists that haven't hit the mainstream yet.
Cool idea! It's nice to explore music without the pressure of what's trending or what's been recommended by an algorithm.
Thanks for giving us a refreshing way to discover music, and for supporting artists in such a meaningful way.
when i used it a small problem occure .the site runs a bit slow when loading samples, which distrupts the flow. It might be worth looking into optimizing that for a smoother experience.