Jam For iPhone Review

Ever aspired to be a famous pop or rock star? Jam for iPhone can't give out recording contracts or place its users in the final of American Idol, but it can give them a fun taste of what could be.

Part game, part app, Jam for iPhone is a rather auto tune heavy cross between a social networking app and a sim. Users sign up with their Facebook account, before submitting their own musical track, as well as browsing others' creations. It's very simple to do and something that my young cousins, in particular, enjoyed immensely.

Users can pick a musical style that suits the kind of track they plan on singing, while also adjusting the speed/tempo as well as the level of auto tune implemented. Jam for iPhone works quite intelligently in that it purports to detect the vocal pitch and musical key that it hears. Certainly, from my experience it does adjust according to the song involved, although it is down to the singer to make sure that they sing appropriately! Downsides do stem from the level of auto tune which can be a little over the top at times and overwhelm the musicality within.

This is where I suspect Jam for iPhone suits casual fare such as the wishes and needs of my young cousins, rather than those looking for something more professional. This is reinforced by the more playful elements of the app with things like virtual badges that can be unlocked according to certain achievements. Virtual royalties can also be earned through other people 'liking' a song with users using that currency to unlock new styles and sign up to record labels.

It's a simple mechanic but one that goes far in encouraging people to continue using Jam for iPhone. That social element also makes it fun to browse other users's creations, as well as attempt to work up the charts, hopefully culminating in a Top 10 hit.

For those brave souls willing to put their musical talents (or lack of them) out on display, Jam for iPhone is bound to be a lot of fun, assuming they can tolerate the wonders of auto tune. It's quite satisfying watching one's creation work its way up the charts.