Songkick for Android and iPhone, app review

Songkick, on iPhone and now available on Android, helps find live music by your favourite artists in one easy place.

Songkick for iPhone and Android app review
Songkick scans your music library and comes up with a list of upcoming concerts by your favourite artists. It's also a reminder of what music you have in the dregs of your phone.

Songkick for iTunes and Android
Free

Every time I see live music, I get inspired to sit down and book tickets for upcoming gigs. But something always gets in the way, and then suddenly it's been 2 months since I've been to a concert. The other issue is that in a city like London, there is simply too much on - how could you possibly filter it all without losing your resolve and heading for the pub instead?

Enter Songkick. A long-time favourite among iPhone users, Songkick has just arrived for Android.

The app's magic is that it's personal. It scans your phone's music library notes your location, and within minutes you have a list of upcoming concerts by artists you already enjoy listening to. The service also works with your favourite artists from Spotify, Last.fm, Pandora (for US users), and Facebook. Without it Zoe Keating's upcoming show would have passed me by.

The app integrates some key features of gig-going: finding upcoming concerts, booking tickets and locating the venue. Songkick sends notifications for new concerts, automatically displays maps and pulls in ticket data from WeGotTickets, Ticketmaster and others and lets you book from within the app. Unfortunately the ticket-booking interface is clunky, but it performs its function.

Songkick started in 2007 as a website for tracking your favourite bands. Creating a Songkick login enables several features on both the app and the web: saving your 'calendar' of upcoming events, sharing gigs via social media and seeing which of your Songkick-using friends are going to your concerts.

The only downside is that while the app may be free, it's likely you'll spend a good chunk of money on concert tickets. But better that than buying yet another round at the same old pub.