Title:‘ Songkick’ Concerts by Songkick
Cost: Free
Platform:‘ iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad (Requires iOS 3.1.3 or later); Android 2.2 and up
Many people enjoy listening to music on their mobile devices, but this app brings the listener to the music. Songkick’ Concerts helps users keep track of upcoming concerts by location and artist, organizing shows on a’ concert calendar for easy reference.
Getting started is simple. After downloading the app, Songkick’ browses your device’s music library to identify’ the artists you listen to. Using your location and music list, the app creates a list of upcoming tour dates.’ You can also manually add artists or cities. Taking a trip to Boston? Add Boston and check for shows that will fit your itinerary. You can also sync your account to Facebook. This will allow you to view tour information for bands you “like” and share concerts with friends.
Concert-goers will appreciate many of Songkick’s features. The app includes critical concert information such as venue maps, ticket prices, and purchase’ links. Other options’ fit right in with the social experience of live music including’ lists of others thinking about going to the concert, information for related upcoming events, and performance images.’ The app also links with social media and email so’ you can’ generate interest among your friends. However, my overall favorite feature is the list of concerts by location.’ If you have nothing to do on a Saturday night, then’ it is awesome to know all the bands playing in town.’ You might just happen upon a gem.
Of course, there are also a few areas for improvement.’ Music lovers with extensive play lists may be’ frustrated by the large volume of data. A person might not want to track tour information for all 500 of the artists listed in their library. Unfortunately,’ you must manually remove artists that you do not want to follow after the app scans your music. Some users also reported that they were disappointed that they could only add locations by city. It might be useful to know all the shows in a particular state.
Even with these shortcomings in consideration, this app will be a valuable addition to teens’ mobile devices. According to Ypulse, a youth market research firm and’ authority on youth pop culture, “the shared experience of seeing an artist live is increasingly important to Millennials.” The app’s social media components also allow for pre-performance discussions and web participation.
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