To some people, music is more than a passing interest or something that they choose to indulge in as a passive experience. Some people want a deeper connection to the music they listen to, and they can get it. You can’t fake or force a real appreciation of the music you love. You can, however, make yourself more susceptible to the most genuine of pulls.

Do away with the distraction

What else are you doing while you listen to your music? If you’re using it as background noise, you’re never going to appreciate the song for what it is. Listening to music while working can make the hours drift by much more pleasantly. If you’re working out, it can help you push harder. But if you want a better listening experience, you have to listen without your eyes constantly on your phone or your mind wandering. If you’re not used to listening to music for the music’s sake, then go to a live show. There, the crowd, the stage, and the setup are there to add to the experience, not distract from it.

Take listening seriously

How you listen matters as much as the context you listen in, as well. Getting advice from audiophiles might be a daunting, jargon-riddled experience. But the right choice of speakers and headphones can make all the difference. If you’re using digital files to listen, then make sure you don’t use anything under an mp3. Any stores that sell music you can download sell them in lossless formats like .flac, too. They take more space on your hard drive, but they drastically improve the quality.

Play something (anything)

There are few better ways to connect to music than to play it. To hear the results of your own agency, to feel the physical connection between your body, your instrument, and your music, is a feeling that can’t be replaced. It can be anything you want. Pick up an old guitar or find the best beginner violin. When you play an instrument, you start to pick out and appreciate the artistry of the individual instruments on a track. Moreover, the desire to learn how to play a song will have you listening more closely to it, too.

Write on it

Beyond listening to music, really appreciating it means actively thinking about it. It can be hard to divine just why you love a track or a band if you don’t communicate it, however. A conversation might make it hard to express, too. Instead, take your time, gather your thoughts, and write it down after a few listens. Write reviews for some of your favorite albums. Even when you’re done listening and you’re writing, it will make a surge of emotion well up just thinking about how the music felt.

It doesn’t matter what music you love, from classical and folk to pop and metal. You can get a lot more out of your listening experience with the tips above. You might even find your tastes shifting along the way.