Filed under: iPhone, App Store, iPod touch, App Review
The iConcertCal app gets you to the show
iConcertCal is a new app for the iPhone that lets you track where and when all your favorite musicians are performing. Using some of the new features in the APIs of iPhone OS 3.0, it reads all the artists in the iTunes library of your iPhone, uses the built in GPS to find your location and then displays results dependent upon how far you are willing to travel.
A while back we reviewed the non-iPhone version of iConcertCal which, acting as an iTunes visualizer, created an iCal calendar of the artists in your library while creating a separate calendar appearing when the visualizer is launched. This new app takes that technology and brings it to a new level.
After setting a location either through "use my location", or choosing from a number of pre-set cities, and setting how many miles should be searched, finding a concert is a snap and can be done a number of ways.
Choosing "My Shows" displays a day-by-day list of all matches found in your iTunes library. Choosing "All Shows" brings up a list of all concerts in your specified area, and tapping on "Venue" lists all music venues in your area along with how many shows are scheduled. Tapping on a venue, affords you a list of all of those concerts.
When you find something you like, you have the option of buying tickets, which takes you to the authorized ticket seller site, emailing the information, bringing up a map to get you to the hall or getting transferred to the iTunes store to buy some of the artist's music.
This alone is cool enough, but the best trick isn't immediately apparent. What happens if you have many songs on your computer that aren't on your iPhone? Or what happens if your largest iTunes library lives on another computer? They've got you covered.
By going to their site on the computer containing your largest library, and setting up an account, all artists on that computer will be indexed. Next go to the app and use the same settings. Automatically all the artists on the computer will be transferred to the iPhone app whether or not the artists are on the iPhone, and that information will be used by the iConcertCal app.
With over 60 gigs of music on my MacBook Pro and deciding to have my iPhone 3GS sync to my MacBook holding around 10 gigs of music, I authenticated my MacBook Pro and now the iConcertCal app shows me all the artists my the 60 gig library. Sweet!
Take a look at the gallery of screenshots and see if you can figure out which band I'm seeing four times this week from seat DD 6.
Gallery: iConcertCal
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Bryan said 4:12PM on 7-30-2009
sounds like it could be cool. but i listen to NO mainstream music, so, do i dare waste $3 on an app that won't show anything for the bands that i listen to? or does it have ALL music
Reply
brethh said 4:17PM on 7-30-2009
loser
brandon said 4:32PM on 7-30-2009
Just try the free desktop iTunes plugin first.
David Winograd said 4:54PM on 7-30-2009
Doesn't matter if it's popular or Gregorian Chants. If you have the music in iTunes and the Monks happen to be playing, it'll find it.
fdsa said 7:23PM on 9-10-2009
I use it because all i listen to is indie and my concerts that i am going to jumped from 3 in 4 months to 40. well worth the $3.
Duane said 4:20PM on 7-30-2009
Uh oh! Duplicate functionality! Better kill it, Apple!
Reply
nate fanaro said 4:23PM on 7-30-2009
The calendar that's being shown is duplicating the functionality of the iPhone. Pull the app!
Reply
David Winograd said 1:27PM on 7-31-2009
Funny!
Someone has been paying attention.
chris said 4:34PM on 7-30-2009
http://www.sonicliving.com is free
Reply
David Winograd said 4:56PM on 7-30-2009
The desktop visualizer is free as well. The idea is not to have to lug your computer around.
chris said 5:10PM on 7-30-2009
you can connect last.fm, pandora and lala.com to your account at sonicliving.com. coming from someone who has used most of these tools from pollstar (terrible) to iLike to iConcertCal... Sonicliving seems to be the most thorough and announces shows long before most others.
tuaw said 5:56PM on 7-30-2009
Personally I just take my last.fm recommendations ical export link and add it as a subscribed calendar.
Job done.
Reply
roberts.austin said 2:53AM on 7-31-2009
Arlo Guthrie is still touring? Neat!
Reply
David Winograd said 1:22PM on 7-31-2009
And for free no less.
I didn't see that advertised anywhere.
Larry said 10:20AM on 7-31-2009
Pointless. iConcertCal for iTunes is better because you probably have more Artists on you computer than your iPhone so the listings are better. Plus it syncs with iCal, which happes to sync with your iPhone!!
Reply
David Winograd said 1:25PM on 7-31-2009
"This alone is cool enough, but the best trick isn't immediately apparent. What happens if you have many songs on your computer that aren't on your iPhone? Or what happens if your largest iTunes library lives on another computer? They've got you covered.
By going to their site on the computer containing your largest library, and setting up an account, all artists on that computer will be indexed. Next go to the app and use the same settings. Automatically all the artists on the computer will be transferred to the iPhone app whether or not the artists are on the iPhone, and that information will be used by the iConcertCal app.
With over 60 gigs of music on my MacBook Pro and deciding to have my iPhone 3GS sync to my MacBook holding around 10 gigs of music, I authenticated my MacBook Pro and now the iConcertCal app shows me all the artists my the 60 gig library. Sweet!"
Does this help you out?
Peter Griffin said 2:19PM on 7-31-2009
Even so, 3 dollars to do something you can do for free and, best yet, it uses the Cal app already on the iPhone (which looks nicer than the black & blue screen they use)
I Love iConcertCal. I see at least 1 concert a week, on average, on the iTunes plugin synced with iCal helps me make sure I never miss a beat (get it??)
Jordan said 10:39AM on 7-31-2009
Yeah you could waste money on this, or you could just look to see when your favorite artists are playing for free. If you want to see them, you know they have a concert coming up. I don't need to have an app telling me at all times that bands I would like to see are performing no where near where I live. Add this to the evergrowing list of useless apps.
Reply
David Winograd said 1:23PM on 7-31-2009
"After setting a location either through "use my location", or choosing from a number of pre-set cities, and setting how many miles should be searched, finding a concert is a snap and can be done a number of ways. "
Does that make it less useless?
Jordan said 12:19PM on 8-02-2009
Yes, that is just limiting it's search range to around me. Again, if there is a concert I want to see, I know the artist is coming..and could still look it up for free if I didn't.