We’re back once again with weekly app of the week feature.
This week, we’re taking a look at Bandcamp, one my favourite music apps and platforms. On Tuesday, the company behind the app released a really interesting update for its mobile app.
For those that aren’t familiar with Bandcamp, it’s a marketplace for independently released music—digital and otherwise. Using Bandcamp, it’s possible to find music that you won’t find on services like iTunes and Amazon.
Prior to this week, Bandcamp already had one better sorting systems out there, but with its latest update that system has become even better. Previously, people could sort through the site’s 1.8 million albums and 14 million tracks by defining a genre and sub-genre. Now, with the addition of format and location, it’s possible to create some really interesting search permutations. For instance, by looking for electronic music that was released on vinyl in Toronto, I was able to find beautiful vinyl from local musician I Am Robot and Proud.
What I think people will find compelling about this feature is the ability to easily discover locally created music. Indeed, taking advantage of the same feature, users can “follow” their searches. So for those that get updated on the latest calypso music from the Loire Valley, they can. This is not something that is really possible to do with all the other streaming services and marketplaces out there.
Take this new feature away, however, and you still have one of the better designed apps out there. The company’s mobile app is easy on the eye, and doesn’t try to do too much. Moreover, Bandcamp is one of the fairest music marketplaces out there. Prior to purchasing an album or track, a person can listen to a full stream of an album or track multiple times. The company also takes one of the smallest cuts of sales in the industry.
For those that like to own their music—and I know there’s only a couple of us left—or prefer a physical format like vinyl or CD, I can’t recommend Bandcamp enough. Check it out on iOS and Android.
Lastly, if you missed any our previous app suggestions, we took a look at Carbon, Simplenote and Hue Ball.
