iPhone Applications As Marketing Tools For Musicians

Posted on 30 June 2010 by gregrollett

Today we have a very special guest post from Steve Klein from Sound Around, a DIY iPhone Application Builder for musicians. I asked Steve to write up a guest post about the iPhone market and why artists should consider going mobile. Yesterday, we shared a video on how to use the new iPhone 4 to create content and today you get a glimpse of how fans are interacting with the applications.

When choosing a provider to build your application, do your homework, test the platforms and more importantly check out the apps they have in the app store and see if you like the look, feel, style and usability of the applications.

With over 75 million iPhones and iPod Touches out there, iPhone Apps are quickly becoming an important marketing tool in any band’s arsenal. As internet usage transitions from desktop or laptop computers towards mobile devices, this fact becomes increasingly clear. In an industry where you will live or die by your ability to engage your fanbase, it’s imperative that you are available and accessible to your fans wherever they are.

Smart phone applications (e.g. iPhone Apps/Android Apps) are the perfect platform to do this for two reasons.

  1. They are capable of integrating the rich media experiences and other services like Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare that fans LOVE (and arguably, require).
  2. They are part of an extremely intimate object.

Think about it — there are probably only 3 things you take EVERYWHERE with you: your keys, your wallet and your PHONE. Having your own iPhone or Android App makes you accessible to fans whenever, wherever. And the technology exists such that every band has the ability to get their own custom iPhone App. Maybe they don’t have the money to hire a private developer (read: T-Pain/Smule App), but everyone can at least afford Sound Around or MobBase (disclosure: I’m a co-founder of Sound Around).

iPhones have the ability to integrate some amazing services through iPhone Apps. There will soon be a day when band Apps integrate Foursquare check-ins, concerts that connect to Facebook events, merch stores and ticket sales with actual mobile-optimized web pages that don’t produce the shitty experience that currently exists. Just imagine, real-time video streams of a band from their smart phone to all of their fan’s smart phones. Fans could all but be actually present at band practices or listen in on tour van ramblings. The point is — smart phone Apps will be the next medium through which the bulk of artist-fan engagement occurs. Get on them early — learn how to capitalize on them now so that you will be successful when they reach their full potential.

We’re Sound Around . It’s a platform for you to create and manage your own iPhone App. There are zero set-up fees, it’s $14 per month and takes 20 minutes to get your content uploaded. And that’s it – you’re done. Your own custom iPhone Application will be available for your fans to download once Apple approves your App. Yes, there are other companies that do the same thing…but it’s in your best interest to side with us.

We do all of the development in-house and have plans for some amazing new features to roll out over the next year. And yes, we will be available on Android within the year. We’re focused on musicians–if there’s one goal for our product, it’s to dramatically increase an artist’s ability to interact and engage directly with their fans. I’ll let a few of our beta testers do some of the talking for me:

“The Sound Around app is an exceptional service. After talking with the Sound Around creators, I could tell they were all about getting the maximum amount of content to their customers. And they’ve done a great job of providing my band the tools to put as much content out to our fans as we want. Content is available instanteously after uploading, giving Sound Around an “organic” feeling. The Sound Around app is extremely intuitive to use, so it only took minutes before a good amount of our band’s content was available. And even with being this intuitive, it still manages to create a level of customization so I feel my band’s app is different from any other band’s app that will be found on the App Store.” – Ben Pritchett of River City Ransom

“The 2010 music industry is all about impressions, and communicating directly with your fans. Sound Around is a GREAT asset for bands and labels to do to do this It functions like a blog, you just upload your content at the specs outlined and it’s there. The service is great when you don’t have the budget or time to develop this technology on your own. It’s really easy to use, and the technical support is great. SideOneDummy will continue to use Sound Around to develop this technology for our bands.” – Johnny B of SideOneDummy Records

Here is a video that explains more:

Check out Sound Around today.

Have you looked into building an iPhone app for your band yet? Why or why not? Let’s holler holler like Ja Rule in the comments.

*Update* The 3 most interesting comments will win 3 free months of service with Sound Around. So holla, holla and save them dollas, dollas.

iPhone 4 Music Marketing – Video

Posted on 29 June 2010 by gregrollett

Today I had a niche chat with Hagop Tchaparian who was lucky enough to have a buddy score him an iPhone 4. We wanted to jump on a video and talk about some of the implications this little device has for both musicians and fans.

As we finished up the chat, it was really hitting me that this device (and others, but I’m an Apple head) are really an all-in-one content creation platform. You can snap photos and put them instantly on Flickr with tags for albums and posts, shoot HD video, edit said video and get on YouTube instantly with no computer needed, you can blog through platforms like WordPress or Tumblr, you can update Twitter, jump on uStream, work on Google Docs, email and do anything else you think needs to be done.

I even showed you all a video of a DJ using 2 iPads to create her sets. Anyway, here is a video where we show you some of the features.

Hagop is getting ready to launch his Niche Music Marketing System this week and has released 2 awesome videos that I encourage you to check out. One explains the concept of niches and how they apply to your music business and today he has posted a new one on the 5 types of fans. This is really quality stuff.

Go here to watch Hagop’s videos.

What do you think about the iPhone? Is it over-rated? Are you a Droid or Blackberry user? Let’s settle this like a 50 Cent beef in the comments below.

-G-Ro

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links to Hagop’s kick ass course. If you decide to train with Hagop, you would be a smart person, even if I wasn’t getting compensated. Buy stuff at your own discretion.

Shinobi Ninja Talks Music and iPhone Apps

Posted on 08 February 2010 by zach

Shinobi Ninja

New Roads

With musicians in every direction you look, music marketing in 2010 has become a very high-traffic environment for musicians to discover new and dry ground to get them out of the muck. Shinobi Ninja have found dry ground and joined the touch-screen community as a means of marketing with their new iPhone Application feature. Check out this interview for more details behind their enthusiasm for their new product as it is answered in a very Jay and Silent Bob manner!

Shinobi Ninja Interview

Zach: A very post-modern means of creativity is by a person or a group of people bouncing hypothetical ideas off of each other and thinking about what-if-this or what-if-that. How would you describe Shinobi Ninja’s creative process behind your new iPhone Application?

Shinobi Ninja (SN): WELL IT WENT DOWN LIKE THIS. TERMINATOR DAVE AND OUR MANAGER STEVE WERE IN SXSW AND CAME UP WITH AN IDEA FOR A IPHONE VIDEO GAME APP. OUR BAND IS NAMED AFTER AN OLD SCHOOL VIDEO GAME SO THE VISION WAS SOMEWHAT SET BEFORE THEM.

Zach: Does anyone in the group wish that a band they liked had an iPhone App? Do you think they would buy and use it? Could this may have been one of the forms of inspiration?

SN: IF PEARL JAM HAD AN APP BACK IN THE DAZE THERES NO DOUBT WE WOULD HAVE USED IT. ACTUALLY REMEMBER AEROSMITH HAD THAT VIDEO GAME WHICH WAS PRETTY DECENT. DECENT ENOUGH TO GET MY GRANDFATHER TO BUY IT FOR ME…. OHHHH PLEASE PRETTY PLEASE!!!

Zach: As I’m sure most of us don’t know how a band would go about making an iPhone App for themselves, could you elaborate a bit on what goes on behind-the-scenes for such an idea to make it to the big (touch) screen?

SN: ALOT OF HARD WORK. ALOT OF TIMING AND SCHEDULING AND PEOPLE SKILLS. BEING NICE TO EVERYONE HELPS NOT ONLY YOURSELF….. BUT EVERYONE.

Zach: Today, a lot of the screen-touching generation and music culture is looking for the upper hand on how they can get more music and entertainment based on how convenient it is for them. What could be said about your new iPhone feature that would persuade iPhone junkies to spend a pretty penny on your Application?

SN: IT PUTS THE MUSIC…. THE MEMBERS OR CHARACTERS OF THE BAND…. MUSIC VIDEOS…. MP3S….. PICTURES… U NAME IT…. ALL IN THE PALM OF THE PERSONS HAND. AND FOR FREE….. IF THEY COME TO A SHOW…. THE GAME UNLOCKS ITSELF AND ALL ITS CONTENT…. OR THEY CAN DROP THE 2.99 AND GET IT OFF THE BAT… LIKE AN ALBUM…. ONLY CHEAPER

Zach: Has Shinobi Ninja used resourceful marketing techniques such as the iPhone App for any other kinds of promotion? And does this open up any idea for future marketing?

SN: THE GAME USES THE GPS FUNCTION TO SEE WHERE THE PERSON IS… IF THIS PERSON IS AT OUR SHOW… BAM…. IT UNLOCKS… THATS PRETTY COOL. THE FUTURE IS BOUNDLESS AND ENDLESS AND WE ARE LEARNING TO CONTROL THE 4TH DIMENSION…. POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS.

Zach: Tell us about what we can expect from you guys coming up? New music , releases, tours, etc and where people can go to check you out…

SN: WE ABOUT TO DROP OUR DEBUT ALBUM. A REAL CLASSIC ALBUM. 2 YEARS IN THE MAKING. WEVE PLAYED PROLLY AROUND 100 SHOWS AND WILL BE GOING TO SXSW FOR OUR FIRST BIG TOUR IN MARCH. 2010 IS OUR YEAR. THE YEAR OF THE NINJA!

For more on the Shinobi Ninja iPhone application, check out our post from last week.

-Zach Frimmel (follow on Twitter)