It’s happened to the best of us; inevitably we will open our favorite music program and feel completely uninspired. Even our favorite songs get a little stale after a while, and the hunt is on for new music. Sometimes the radio or television offers some suggestions (NBC’s Chuck is a good place to start) but it’s not always easy to find titles and artists to go with the music from these mediums.

Enter: the internet. The expansive cloud of the online world is full of inspiration for new songs, albums, artists, even new genres. The expanse also makes it just as hard to find this new music. Here’s a helpful little list of some great websites to start the search:

Online Radio:

Pandora: Pandora, like most of the services on this list, works by matching similar songs to artists and tracks you’re already interested in. Based on the Music Genome Project, it’s extremely proficient at making picks.

Last.fm: Last.fm works like Pandora in that it recommends songs based on the artists or songs you like. This works by installing a program on your computer that works in conjunction with your existing audio player. As you listen, it “Scrobbles” (gathers and sends) song info to the site that allows it to make the recommendations. They also offer radio stations with various genres and themes.

Musicovery: This service has a slightly different twist on how it makes music choices. Instead of asking for songs and artists, it asks you to adjust a number of more abstract topics. Included in the choices are mood and tempo, as well as sliders allowing the service to choose for itself or to follow your favorite songs and artists. You can also select a specific period of time, or narrow results to one of eighteen different genres.

Some other fun services:

Mufin: Basically a stripped down version of the above services, Mufin allows for users to search for music and then offers related songs based on an algorithm that analyzes things like tempo and sound density.

Midomi: Midomi is helpful when you can’t think of that song that’s been stuck in your head. Just click and hum or sing and the service tells you the song. There’s also a ton of music to explore.

Shazam: If you’ve got a cell phone that lets you install applications, this service is extremely helpful. Hold your phone near a music source and the service identifies the song.

Gnoosic: Type in three of your favorite artists and let the service pick another artist you might like.

If you use iTunes, the new Genius sidebar is your best friend. Based on the song in your library that is currently selected, you can browse related songs and artists.

Do you use any of these services or have any more to add to the list? Add your thoughts and suggestions in the comments!