What is the best thing about summer? Is it the warm weather, the ice cream or the fact that you can wear sandals without suffering frostbite? No, it has to be the music festivals. So how can your smartphone help you get more out these outdoor musical feasts? Let’s have a look and see.
Play by AOL Music
This is a great way to listen to, discover and share music. It is available for both iPhone and Android devices. It is integrated with the likes of Facebook and Twitter. You can play your own music on this app and also get access to a lot of free songs as well. Best of all, it is completely free to download. If you are fed up with your phone’s built in music player then the high quality interface and features on this one make it a good choice.
Spotify
If you don’t mind paying a regular fee then with this nifty app you can listen to tunes till your ears bleed. Syncing, streaming and downloading options are all present and correct. What phones can you use it on? iPhone, Android, Symbian and Windows Phone models are all covered. There are different levels of membership, so you might like to check it out with the free version if the ads aren’t going to bother you too much. There are over 15 million songs to choose from and you will be able to do everything you hoped that you could with your music.
Shazam
This marvellous little beauty has many uses and going to festivals is one of them. If you hear a song you don’t recognise then you just need to point your iPhone, Blackberry or Android at the source of the music and see what you get back. Of course, if you are surrounded by thousands mad festival fans singing out of tune then the results probably aren’t guaranteed. As well as the details of the tune you get YouTube links and the smug satisfaction of telling everyone else all about it. It is free as well.
Pocket Hipster
This is a free app with some funny drawings of hipsters who suggest music you should be listening to. If you are happy taking musical advice from cartoon characters then this is a good app to get hold of. It is free for the iPhone.
Leeds Festival
Details on this one are a bit sketchy still but it has been announced that one will be coming out in time for the event. Will it give us artist listings, a GPS toilet finder and more? The developers say that it will be on the iPhone and Android models.
V-Festival
Maybe this app gives us an idea of what the Leeds one will give us? It has a set scheduler, an interactive map and weather information on it. Most interestingly, it offers a Facebook friend locator. It is free for Blackberry, iPhone and Android phones.
TentFinder
Ever lost your way back to your tent? Lose it no more with this app. It uses the iPhone’s GPS to direct you right back to the tent containing your very own soaked t-shirts and muddy boots. It costs under a pound too.
Weather Bug
A good weather app is an essential piece of kit before and whilst attending festivals. Weather bug packs in several useful tools and even shows up to seven days weather in advance.
Torch apps
There are many free apps for every smartphone which will shine some light on the weary way back to your tent. There are too many to list here but there are plenty available for each mobile operating system.
Google Maps
There is no sense in packing your kit, looking up different acts and checking the weather if you have no idea on how to get to your desired location. Thankfully Google maps is available on every major platform for free, just keep an eye on battery life.
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