Difference between ちなみに and ところで

[Joey]

as far as I can tell, ちなみに and ところで both mean "by the way." Can anyone clarify any differences between the two words for me? Thanks in advance!

[Psy]

Nuance. Essentially they are the same, but:

ところで "by the way" introduces a new topic, unrelated to the previous, whereas ちなみに introduces a new topic and suggests that has some (even if it's small) connection to the previous topic. Maybe think of it like "incidentally."

[Joey]

Ah, okay. Thanks Psy-san for the explanation!