Volu.me Incorporates iBeacons Into Versatile Band Apps To Selectively Reward Fans At Shows

Volu.me is a band app-making company with which I was unfamiliar till I heard of their use of iBeacons to reward fans at shows based on their location in the venue. The use of iBeacon tech has a lot of implications but this is the first I've heard of a band app using it for fan rewards. It's also the first I've heard of Volu.me whose app service looks quite impressive and closer to being a complete offering for band/fan relationships than many on the market.

Volu.me creates native mobile apps for bands for iOS, Android and Blackberry 10 that cost $49 per month for all three.

Features include:

Push notifications

News, events listings, videos

Sales of "Music, Tickets, Merch, VIP & Experiences"

Plus, the bestowal of special fan rewards using iBeacon tech at shows as did City and Colour:

"While the official app serves full-time as a means for fans worldwide to stay up to date on City and Colour, the app really comes-to-life when a fan happens to be at a City and Colour show where iBeacons have been deployed."

"On concert night, as fans move around the venue, with the app installed and Bluetooth enabled, they automatically get the chance to win real things based on where they are in the venue and when."

"In the case of City and Colour fans in Toronto, Edmonton, and Calgary, fans won everything from upgraded seating, and private box access, to signed posters and merchandise. One lucky fan at each night even went home with a guitar signed by Dallas Green himself."

The incorporation of iBeacon tech is certainly promising but it's the product as a whole that's the real news.

Overall Volu.me looks like it's making a strong effort to combine a number of elements often found in separate apps. I think the long-term winners will be such companies because bands and fans don't want to have to deal with multiple apps just to play or see one show.

Part of Volu.me's strength is connecting ongoing fan relations with special services for live shows to tie together both everyday life and special events.

Volu.me is yet another promising music tech company worth watching.

Hypebot Senior Contributor Clyde Smith (@fluxresearch) is also beta blogging at DanceLand. To suggest topics about music tech, DIY music biz or music marketing for Hypebot, contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.