SoundWave Social Audio App

Is it just another music app or is it something more. SoundWave a social media app available for both iOS and Android platforms, pulls everything listened to into one place and allows easy searching, sharing and ultimately connecting for music fans.

Unlike typical music apps that aim to promote manual sharing, the Soundwave app has the unique ability to pull in a user’s song plays from their Android, Apple and other streaming apps and sync these songs to their Soundwave profile to show others what songs they listen to. It does this without disrupting regular listening habits. Soundwave users can then follow friends, family and favourites (celebs, musicians, sports stars) to see what songs they are playing and therefore discover new music.

The app created in Ireland by Soundwave, founded by Brendan O’Driscoll (CEO), Aidan Sliney (CTO) and Craig Watson (COO) is a social music-discovery app launched in late June ‘13 and is available for free on IOS and Android. Soundwave is backed by Mark Cuban, ACT Venture Capital & Enterprise Ireland.

Recently celebrating its first birthday, an update to the original app added a few key features:

• Increased focus on usability
• Ability to create Private Group Chats with friends
• Ability to Follow Users with Similar Musical Interests
• Ability to Search and Share songs within the App.

Soundwave is being hailed as the “Instagram of Music” Apps. Already an award winning app (Editor’s Choice Award , Designed for iOS 7 and Best of 2013 award from Apple along with Top Developer from Google and most recently the EY Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year nomination), the company has proven that the app is innovative and worthy of notice.

iOS

Android

Review

We recently downloaded the app for both iOS and Android platforms as well as the extension for Google Chrome.

Pros:

• It has a Unique Mapping Feature. This feature allows the user to find music anywhere in the world, simply by circling the location on a World Map and zooming in.
• Syncing between Google Chrome and Soundwave App. Songs played through my web player were quickly available on my Timeline for my friends and myself. This feature did make it easier to go from listening to music through my Rdio web player to listening to it on my Spotify Android App.
• Choice of Media Players including YouTube Videos. For example Thomas is playing the One Republic video for “If I Lose Myself” video, I will see that on my Timeline and be able to choose to play the video or stream the song through my favorite streaming app such as Spotify or Rdio. If I were already listening to something else, I could also choose to save it for later.
• It works with Google Wear products.

Cons:

• Apparently there is not currently a Web Browser User Interface. Simply, the Timeline is available through the app and not through a web browser.
• When the phone goes to sleep so does Soundwave. Example listening to a tune via the Timeline, sat down my phone and when my screen went to sleep the music stopped playing. If the song is playing thru a streaming app then it should continue playing if the screen goes to sleep.
• Not all of your friends may be using it yet. With Soundwave just celebrating its first Birthday, this means not everyone is knows about it or uses it. Inviting and explanations may be necessary and some people may be hesitant to add yet another app to their already App overwhelmed life.
• Nothing is currently available for Mac users only for the Iphone and Ipads.

Overall a great App for sharing music with friends while chatting. With mobile devices in more homes and hands than ever, this may be the future of connecting with others through musical interests.*