There’s An App For That

By Julia Howard With the age of the app, music is at our fingertipsIt seems like every few decades the music industry needs to adjust to some new technological change. If the internet was what came from the 90s and 2000s and provided challenges, the 2010s have given the music industry a much-needed tool for musical promotion. The invention of smart phones and really anything requiring apps is the 2010s gift to music.All in all, it’s a way of apologizing for the last few decades. The music industry members can use these apps to expand listenership and promote music, but it’s also a way for consumers to get their hands on a seemingly infinite amount of music anywhere, at all times of the day. There are music apps for everything. Shazam tells you what that song playing in the coffee shop or clothing store is, while some apps let you listen to live performances, and others are radio-oriented. We’re talking about Scrobbler, Daytrotter, Songza, Indie Shuffle, Slacker, Band of the Day, and Spotify. The ins and outs of each are different, but a few apps really stand out.Most of the music apps out there work like radio, which offers consumers new music specific to their tastes, usually with little to no other problems. These apps are great on days when you just want something new, something you’ve never heard before. Usually, they involve some sort of filter system in which the user chooses genres to narrow down the type of radio playlist he/she listens to.Songza is a good example of this style, and, in my opinion, the best of the playlist-style apps. There are many ways to go about picking a Songza playlist. Firstly, the “concierge desk” assesses the day of the week and time of day, then provides six activities the listener might be doing at the time, anything from reading to making out to quitting your job. Then after an activity is selected, genre types will appear, which then divide into three playlists applicable to the listener’s specifications. Choose one and enjoy! To give some examples of the delightfully quirky playlists, here are some of my favorite titles: “Dirty Sexy Dubstep,” “Saving the World from Evil,” “1980s Anger Management,” and “Damn Right I Am Somebody!”Songza also recognizes that their concierge service might not provide exactly what the listener needs to set the mood, so users can have a little more control by exploring the other options available. These include moods, genres, decades, activities, and culture. If this still doesn’t come up with the right result, a simple search for a band is also possible. This app is great for every musical palette, and its catalog seems infinite. Every time I use it I find some great new nugget. There are no commercials; the listener can add playlists to a favorites list; it provides a playlist history; and it’s free to boot! Although Songza is by far the best radio-styled app, Slacker and Indie Shuffle are also good, free options for music lovers to try.Daytrotter has a markedly different function than radio apps but is also a great way to find new music. The most important thing to know when deciding to start Daytrotter is that it doesn’t stay free forever. There is a lengthy trial period, but when that’s over, you’ll need to start paying for access. That being said, Daytrotter is essentially the indie music lover’s all-access pass to live music. Live band schedules are listed and users can tune in to hear their favorite bands perform at concerts across the globe. If they miss the performance time, there’s a vast archive of recorded live events that the user can explore. There are also Daytrotter sessions that bands record specifically for Daytrotter. Imagine personal recordings by hundreds and hundreds of great bands. It’s an interesting twist on traditional access to music.Last but not least, the Band of the Day (BotD) app allows the music lover to procrastinate just a little bit each day with a new band. The general concept is easy to love immediately: every day the app highlights a different band and all the bands’ profiles are kept on a calendar for later viewing. Each band gets a write-up detailing their history and style, a section where clips of songs can be heard, a “buzz” tracker, and a featured video. There’s also a list of similar bands if the BotD users like what they hear. BotD goes into depth more than other apps, which for the real music geek is seriously fun.