While Apple is not the leader in the smart phone market overall, it is the dominant player in the apps market — particularly music-oriented apps, thanks in large part to the integration of the iPhone with Apple’s Web-based iPhone App Store and iTunes music service as well as the iTunes desktop application that runs on both Mac and Windows. But their smart-phone competitors are not standing still. BlackBerry, LG Electronics, Nokia, Palm and Samsung, among others, offer Web-based apps stores and devices that compete directly with the iPhone, and many of the iPhone’s most popular apps are available on those platforms as well.

What’s Different?
Cell phone-based technologies and applications have been around for years, so why are smart phone devices different? While the iPhone, when introduced, had all the usual functions of cell phones at the time (calling, texting, music downloads and more), its entirely touch-based user interface was a true innovation. Suddenly, every activity on the device could — had to — be performed with the swipe of a finger. This simple interface also meant that iPhone apps were simple to build. With the help of an Apple-supplied Software Development Kit and the centralized iPhone App Store on www.Apple.com, iPhone apps were much easier and faster for software developers to produce and release to the marketplace. It also meant that many more developers — even individuals — could participate in the iPhone apps space.

Where’s the Music?
By mid April 2009, the Apple iPhone App Store boasted more than 25,000 instantly downloadable apps for myriad facets of life and more than a billion downloads since the iPhone’s introduction. Among those 25,000 apps, about 1,400 were categorized under the “Music” heading. Many of these are now mainstays in the smart phone realm. These include Pandora Media's Pandora Radio (a “personalized radio” app, integrated with the Pandora Web service, that streams music in real time to your custom radio “station” on your smart phone, based on your musical tastes), Clear Channel’s iheartradio, Last.fm Ltd.’s Last.fm Radio and Weather Underground’s WunderRadio. Shazam allows you to instantly identify music being played on any source simply by holding your smart phone in the air; you can then watch related music videos on YouTube, get additional information including song lyrics and reviews, purchase the songs directly from iTunes and share the music with your smart-phone-outfitted friends.

Concert Vault provides “access to the world’s largest collection of live concert recordings,” and JamBase offers access to a database of tens of thousands of upcoming music events by date, genre, artist and local proximity. And aside from Concert Vault, which downloads for $5.99, all of these apps are entirely free.

In addition to these offerings for general music fans, there are apps for genre-specific radio stations and programs. These include radio stations and programs (such as WAMU’s “Bluegrass Country” show, $1.99), videos (GoTV Networks’ True Country mobile Country Music videos, 99 cents), news (Crossgate AC’s Country Music News Headlines) and more.

Where’s the Money?
Along with facilitating instant distribution and direct marketing to a prequalified customer base of millions, smart phone apps offer direct and indirect income stream opportunities for the music industry. Fee-based apps, even those for just 99 cents, can add up to a significant revenue stream when multiplied by the tens of millions of potential customers on the Apple App Store alone. And even free apps can generate income from follow-through sales of concert tickets, music, videos, merchandise, promotions and more.

For example, Tapulous, based in Palo Alto, Calif., has developed the wildly popular interactive iPhone music game Tap Tap Revenge and tailored it to artist-specific versions that include Tap Tap Coldplay ($4.99), Nine Inch Nails Revenge ($4.99) and Christmas with Weezer ($1.99). Tapulous, Apple, the artists and their labels each get a cut of the sales. Different songs are posted at www.tapulous.com each week for gamers to play back as they tap along to their own accompanying beats. Thus far rock artists have dominated the playlist, but according to Tim O’Brien, Head of Business Development at Tapulous, signs are good that Country will make its presence felt as well.

“We’ve already featured tracks by Lady Antebellum and Keith Urban,” he said. “And especially when we put Keith’s ‘Sweet Thing’ up, he did really well — about a quarter million to half a million downloads per week, which is right on target for what our feature tracks of the week have gotten.”

O’Brien confirmed that Tap Tap Revenge 3, made available in late July, included four more tracks from Lady Antebellum and Urban.

Other benefits are available to artists through smart phone apps. The free DMB Setlist provides set lists to fans from every show performed by The Dave Matthews Band. Spilt Milk ($1.99) offers fans a chance to enjoy Fightstar’s music in the form of a song-based game. “American Idol” artist David Cook provides a simulated cigarette lighter that fans can hold up in the air during shows when he performs his hit “Light On” ($1.99). And The Rentals’ free Songs About Time is an iPhone tie-in to the group’s yearlong, multimedia odyssey of the same name.

Several major labels have already jumped into the smart phone app space with multiple artist-specific offerings. Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group lead the way in sheer numbers of apps, but Polydor and Warner Bros. are represented as well. Interscope and SRC/Universal are enlisting the help of EpicTilt and other software development firms that already understand the smart phone app space. Jacobs Media, iLike and other Web services also offer inexpensive, template-based smart phone app development for artists.

The iLike Challenge App, which launched in August, tests how quickly music fans can listen to, and correctly identify, songs from artists. The app is also a valuable discovery tool because it allows users to visit the iTunes Store to purchase the songs they listen to as they compete in the challenge.

What About Us?
Three genres — Country, bluegrass and gospel/Christian — are conspicuously under-represented among artist-specific apps. A search of the iPhone App Store reveals relatively few artists in these categories. But there are signs that change is underway, as a number of Country artists have found their places on this bandwagon in recent months.

Due West’s app allows fans to watch videos, browse photos, read blogs and news, sample music, and more ($1.99); Lady Antebellum’s app offers similar features ($1.99); Emerson Drive’s free app contains live performances, episodes of E-Drive TV, photos, blog messages, games and more; The Oak Ridge Boys’ free app connects users to videos and YouTube clips, new music previews, ticket purchase and a venue locator with restaurant and hotel info and more; Rascal Flatts’ free Unstoppable app includes sample tracks from the band’s entire catalog, access to all videos, tour updates integrated into Google Maps and more; Darius Rucker’s free app includes exclusive video content, tour information, song clips, in-depth song descriptions, Twitter feeds and more; Tanya Tucker’s free app offers blog posts, news bulletins, music samples, photos, videos, a photo puzzle and more; and Keith Urban has partnered with mobile service Zannel to produce a Keith Urban VIP Pass, offering video, picture and text updates ($1.99).

Other genres remain much more amply represented through apps for acts as varied as Death Cab for Cutie, Diddy, The Fray, Heart, Lady Gaga and Pink. For savvy Country artists, this translates into an enormous untapped opportunity. In such uncharted space, any Country artist with a smart phone app will stand out from the crowd.

Emerging Technologies
While smart phone apps may be today’s fastest growing and most talked about technology, a number of other related technologies also hold promise for the music industry. Based in Cupertino, Calif., AirKast has developed TuneKast, an app that allows radio stations to stream audio, video and interactive graphical advertisements to mobile devices and allows them to be targeted according to the listeners’ geographic locations. According to AirKast literature, the app enables broadcasters to “distribute live programming and podcasts and create interactive storage and sharing features for listeners while selling measurable advertising.” TuneKast is available for iPhone, iPod Touch and BlackBerry, with development underway for use with Google Android and Palm Pre.

Satellite radio giant Sirius XM makes its service available for iPhone and iPod Touch, with a dual purpose: to provide existing customers with an alternative listening method to their satellite radio devices, and to attract new customers without requiring them to purchase satellite radio hardware. And MySpace offers a free service, supported by paid advertising, whereby users can view MySpace members’ videos on a wide range of smart phones.

What’s Next?
Each of these new technologies offers growing opportunities for the music industry to better serve and retain fans — and attract new customers — while also growing revenues. While not a panacea, smart phone apps and similar technologies can be a significant component in music distribution, marketing and revenue models. Essentially in their infancy, these technologies show enormous potential. The best news? This is only the beginning of the game; there’s plenty of room and reason for new players to join in.

© 2009 CMA Close Up® News Service / Country Music Association®, Inc.

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