GrooveBug Creates Interactive Mini-Magazines From Your iTunes Library
Hoping to do for musicians and related media content what Flipboard does for Internet news feeds, new iPad app Groovebug skims your music library, then assembles an interactive mini-magazine based on each contained artist.
Tap the generated list of featured bands and songwriters, and you can pull up photos, bios, full-screen videos and song previews, as well as real-time updates from blogs, websites and high-tech newswires on-command. Information from Ticketmaster and major record labels is further integrated too, allowing fans to follow favorite acts’ upcoming concert schedules and performances. While material is readily available elsewhere online from sources like Facebook, YouTube, Wikipedia and iTunes, the app cleanly aggregates all data in a single, easily-browsed location where it’s just a finger swipe or two away.
Song recommendations and similar artist suggestions are also offered, with featured selections and tunes promoted by genre (ska, hip-hop, nu-metal, etc.) as well, though convenience far outstrips discovery as the program’s primary upside. Nonetheless, it’s hard to argue with the price, with the application available for free download via the App Store. More practical solution than recording industry revolution, it lets you do in a single swoop what would otherwise take several prods at the touchscreen, and additional time spent impatiently waiting for pages to load.