Updated with user review!
Music streaming service Spotify announced this morning that Android users can now download their app for free and use the radio service. Previously, mobile was only available to Premium users.
Keep reading for the details.
Many users are having trouble with apps crashing on their iPhones. According to this article, Apple is aware of the problem and trying to fix it.
Without apps, would you still have use for an iPhone?
We all know there are more and more ways technology is inserting itself into education. From smartphones to tablets to all of the apps, these tools are more prevalent than ever.
Are you a student? If so, do these statistics seem correct?
If you’re an independent band heading to SXSW, you are obviously going to be networking and hopefully meeting lots of people who will be influential in your career. Meeteor will go through all of the attendees and let you know who you should really be looking to meet. Mashable has a profile.
We now know that over 850,000 new Android devices are activated every day worldwide.
What does this mean? Continue reading »
Onesheet: Onesheet provides artists a simple, but visually appealing, website. The idea is that it can be a one-stop address where fans can find social media integration, tour info, and anything else the artist wants to provide.
45 Sound: Are there any cell-phone videos of your shows that your fans or friends took? They probably don’t have the best audio quality. 45 Sound wants to fix that.
Tastemate: I’m a big proponent of rewarding fans who go the extra mile by coming out to your shows and buying merchandise. Tastemate provides the ability to give special discounts and deals only available at shows and events. Fans are encouraged to participate and engage with the app throughout the concert.
Crowdstream: This app is another for use during concerts, but it connects you (the artist) directly with your fans.
[Source]
Are there any other apps that you think musicians should be using?
Buffer, the Tweet scheduling service that I’ve discussed before, has launched an iPhone app. The app allows users to schedule tweets, retweets and mentions for the times they are most likely to have engagement with their followers.
If you haven’t checked out the service yet, be sure to head over to bufferapp.com now. It will only help your Twitter campaign.
The other night I was in a Radio Shack and I saw a Square hanging on one of the walls. I was surprised, especially because it was on sale for $9.99 and I knew you could get one online for free. I clearly wasn’t the only one who noticed, because earlier this evening, TechCrunch posted about this same thing.
They let us know that while you do pay $9.99 in the store, Square does give you a $10 credit back. Not only is this good news for those who want to use it but didn’t know you could get it for free, but this is great news for Square! Months ago, I posted about how I thought musicians should take advantage of this service. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve been at a show and realized I either had no cash, or not enough to buy everything I wanted from the merch table. While Square does take a percentage of what you charge, it’s not enough to make it not worth selling to people with credit cards (unless you’re selling for almost no profit). For the most part, bands are relying on merch to help them pay for other costs of going on tour. If you’re a musician in this scenario–go check out Square!
And if you don’t want to wait for the free item to come in the mail, head over to an electronics store to buy one in person and have the amount credited to your account.
Have you tried out Square? Tell me about your experience in the comments!
Source: StudentOnCampus.com
We’ve discussed in the past bands that have created unique apps for their music. We even know that companies like ReverbNation allow users to create their own apps. Even with the availability of creating something like this, most artists do not have their own app. You might think no one will download or use it. If it’s so simple to create, though, why wouldn’t you try? Maybe the five reasons below will help to convince you:
1. In the last week of 2011, mobile users downloaded 1.2 billion apps, setting a record (according to Flurry, a social analytics company). With the number of apps being downloaded growing so much, can you afford to not be available for your fans?
2. More and more users are accessing the Internet primarily from their mobile devices. If all they have to do to keep up to date with your music is tap an icon, that might make them more likely to do so. Additionally, even if they don’t open the app daily, they will see your band’s logo whenever they scroll through their apps.
3. We saw yesterday that mobile viewers are more patient and more likely to watch a complete video than desktop users. Why not make it easy for them and optimize your video content through an app?
4. Additional revenue through either app sales or integrating your merch store. This one may or may not be the case if you choose to make everything monetarily free. You will always be able to gain something through the download, though. Perhaps you can give the app away for free, in exchange for sharing it on Twitter, or in exchange for a mailing list sign up.
5. The ability to target your mobile demographic so specifically. You already know how many people are accessing your content through mobile devices. If that number is at all significant to you, an app can be invaluable. Mobile users can participate in message boards, stream exclusive content, and Tweet about what they just saw from you with the social media integration of smartphones and tablets. So easily being able to share your content can only help you.
Can you think of any other reasons to create a mobile music app for your band?
According to this article, theaters and opera houses are beginning to offer seats specifically for those who are connected to their smartphones-and calling them Tweet Seats. For an industry that, overall, has a small social media presence, this is a great initiative! It leads me to wonder if it could catch on in the concert industry.
For the most part, concerts aren’t a scenario in which tweeting or smartphone use is prohibited or even frowned upon. However, it could be beneficial to offer reduced pricing or seat upgrades for twitter power users-specifically those in the niche you’re working within.
I guess we could look at it in the same way as comping seats for press to do reviews, but this is opening it to a whole different audience. The idea of bringing in these people would be that they are already fans, with a huge online presence, and the desire to spread the word. For a small indie band this could be the social media boost needed!
Do any of you utilize your Twitter-savvy fans? How?
