pch.com
Enter your email address below to receive FREE Books, Audio and Video newsletters and get a chance to win.

Books/Audio/Video Tips & Advice

Guides, Tips and more ... powered by


Add Ambience

If you are hosting a dinner party or some other social function and you would like to add a little music to the ambiance, then you may want to consider playing easy listening piano music. The advantage of easy listening music is that it is pleasant without being obtrusive, allowing guests to enjoy the music while also carrying on conversations.

It’s a good idea to find a few easy listening CDs and put them all on the mix setting of your stereo, if your stereo features that function. This way you will have a continuous stream of music for the party without long pauses to change the CD. You can find some great easy listening CDs at music stores and through online retailers. You can even find easy listening CDs that are mixed specifically as background music for social situations. Since great music can make or break a social gathering it's important to take the time to find the perfect music for your party.

Buy Easy Listening CDs

Easy listening hits were once all over the radio, but this genre of music has become less accessible to radio listeners as different types of music dominate the airwaves. Luckily, there is no shortage of easy listening CDs to choose from. There are plenty of compilation CDs made specifically for fans of easy listening music in addition to CDs from specific artists.

To find the best CDs for your tastes, take a look at the artists listed on the various CDs until you find one that contains several artists you enjoy listening to. If you find a CD that contains several of your favorite artists then there is a good chance the entire CD will be something that you really enjoy listening to for a long time. Many music online stores have sound bytes that allow you to listen to part of the CD so you can sample the music before you buy it.

Easy Listening Genres

Easy listening does not refer solely to the music you hear in elevators. Easy listening classics include songs from well-known artists such as Kenny Rogers and Johnny Mathis, among many other popular singers. There are different genres within the category of easy listening, including easy listening jazz, easy listening piano, easy listening Latin music, and many other options.

Since the term "easy listening" can refer to almost any type of music as long as it is light and melodic, you can find many different artists who dabble with easy listening even though their main focus is something completely different. Just because a CD is labeled as "Easy Listening" does not mean that you are guaranteed to encounter jazzy sounds or plenty of strings. Before you make a purchase of an easy listening CD be sure to check out the artists included on the CD to see if they sing the kind of songs you enjoy.

Easy Listening Radio Stations

Have you tried listening to easy listening online radio? Oftentimes these stations will play your favorite easy listening artists, and you can listen to an online radio station while you are working at your computer. If you have a quick Internet connection the sound quality will be comparable to what you would hear on a regular radio station. You may also want to look into purchasing a subscription to a satellite radio service because the easy listening stations rarely have commercial breaks, and only pause for an occasional announcement from a DJ. This means that you can get all your favorite easy listening hits without annoying commercials or extensive chatter from a DJ.

There is a fee for access to satellite radio, but most subscribers find that they don't mind the charge as long as they don't have to sit through commercials. Radio stations in all formats can give you a nice variety of songs without making you fumble with CDs, and you may even find a song that you have never heard before but absolutely love.

Get Technological

Not everyone is up on the latest technology, but if you are a fan of easy listening then you should know there is a whole world of resources on the Internet to get access to your favorite songs. You can download easy listening songs directly to your computer to listen to anytime, and in some cases you can get these songs for free.

Imagine being able to access your favorite songs at any time from your computer without having to purchase a CD in its entirety. You can also purchase an MP3 player and download music so you can have your favorite songs in a portable format. You can find plenty of easy listening MP3 songs online, and you can even make your own mix of the best easy listening songs. If you have never attempted to work an MP3 or even a simple file download from the Internet then don't worry; there are tutorials available online which can walk you through the process.

Online Easy Listening Radio

If you spend a lot of time on the computer you may want to take advantage of one of the many easy listening Internet radio stations available online. You can listen to your favorite songs while you work on your computer without having to bother to change out CDs or lug a stereo around.

Easy listening music online is usually free, and many of the online radio stations try to keep commercial interruptions down to a minimum. You have plenty of online stations to choose from, and if you aren't familiar with any of them then you can find one by simply typing "easy listening online radio" into any search engine. Try a few different radio stations to see which one you like the best. Most of these stations have enhanced memberships for listeners which may include the absence of ads on the website and daily newsletters, but these enhanced memberships almost always cost money to join. If you simply want a simple way to hear the music you love while you work on your computer then an easy listening music online radio station can be just the thing to get you through your workday.