Mobile App

This week, I would like to talk about the possibility of building an application for mobile platforms, enabling musicians to use our tools while on the go. In a comment a few weeks ago, someone mentioned integrating a foursquare-like service for active gigs, to allow for tracking and trending within communities. That would be a very useful tool, but why stop there? A full-fledged mobile application would allow users to go to a venue, have a band member injure himself prior to the show, and then hire a replacement while waiting for their set time.

A mobile app with full functionality, much like Facebook’s application, would be great for musicians, since users are generally on the go, and not at a static terminal. Being able to hire a substitute band member while at a venue would completely change the dynamics of temporary posts for musicians, giving more musicians more opportunities to work. Such a feature would not even necessarily have to be limited to musicians: venues could book entertainment on very short notice, perhaps when another act cancelled.

Foursquare integration could be used in a mobile application for a variety of purposes. Venues could track crowd attendance, feeding it back to musicians and bands, which would use it for booking purposes. It might also be useful to track local artists performing radii in a certain area, helping them visualize their spread and plan out the logistics behind possible expansion or relocation.

The most obvious platforms for such an application would be iOS and the Android OS. All in all, mobile functionality for this network would transform communication dynamics between musicians and supporting institutions in the community, such as venues and booking agents.