3Plet Publishing Taking Music Albums As Mobile Apps To The West @Midem
Back in 2010 you may have heard of FlySoft and the launch of the Appbum, a music album in app form. In 2012 the music project relaunched as 3plet Publishing and began to beta test and release 3plets (pronounced triplets), their current product, from early adopting Russian bands. As one of the Midemlab Music Tech Startup Finalists, they begin their move to open the platform to the West this weekend in Cannes. Here's more about the product which presents a solid solution for native album apps.
3plet offers a straightforward solution for turning an album into a mobile app for iOS, Android and Windows. No, it's not going to be Bjork's "Biophilia" but it shouldn't cost nearly as much either.
You can see the basic product in the video below:
3Plet for iPhone
The demo might be a bit confusing without some orientation.
Based on checking out the Run Run Run 3plet, the app launches with a splash screen playing the first song on the album.
The next screen features the track list. The opening song continues to play wherever you go and can be controlled from the track list screen or via a persistent player at the bottom of each screen.
Songs are chosen from the tracklist and you can then check out the photos, lyrics and backstory for that track while it's playing. Switch tracks and the nav buttons allow you to access a similar array of content for that particular song.
In addition, an Extras screen offers such features as a discography, a biography, links to social media accounts, YouTube videos, and MP3 downloads.
So it's a relatively simple concept that works quiet well.
According to TechCrunch:
"The apps will be available for free. Users will only be allowed to listen to one to three songs without paying extra. This turns a 3plet app into something akin to a mobile presentation kit for bands. The rest of the album sits behind an in-app paywall and bands charge an additional fee (somewhere around $10 in most cases) for the full album experience."
So 3plets combine the promotional power of a free app with in-app purchases, currently the full album, in native app form.
I don't have pricing for the full rollout of 3Plet. At this stage you could either contact them or watch for Midem coverage.
3Plet now has over 40 such apps which you can check out here.
More:
- 30 Midemlab Music Tech Startup Finalists Announced For Midem 2014
- Bjork Is Releasing Mobile App For Each Song On Her Album. So Where Are All The Album Apps?
Hypebot Senior Contributor Clyde Smith (Twitter/Facebook) is currently relaunching All World Dance. To suggest topics about music tech, DIY music biz or music marketing for Hypebot, contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.
