Apps help music lovers locate nearby concerts

Apps such as Bandsintown and Songkick scan fans' music libraries on their mobile devices and iTunes, along with music streaming services such as Spotify, Pandora and SoundCloud, to learn musical preferences so fans never miss a show.

Bandsintown also shows users which bands their friends are heading to see.

"There are two reasons why someone might go to a concert. The first is that they like a particular style of music or the artist. The second is that it's a social event with friends," said Julien Mitelberg, the CEO of New-York based Bandsintown.

The app makes recommendations for concerts nearby and notifies users when friends indicate they are going to see a show. Users can also invite friends using the app, which is available worldwide for iPhone and Android.

Songkick, which is available worldwide for iPhone and Android, gathers information from ticket vendors, websites and newspapers to compile its database of concerts.

An app from music streaming service Rhapsody, called Rhapsody Concerts, shows upcoming concerts nearby and lets users stream a band's albums before deciding whether to buy tickets.

"Our customers like to go see live music. But there weren't really any services out there that combined an unlimited catalog of songs with live music discovery," said Paul Springer, senior vice president of product at Rhapsody International, which is based in Seattle.

Thrillcall, which started four years ago, lets users buy tickets for any concert in every major city from their iPhone and Android apps.

The company also introduced exclusive offers in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and San Francisco that allow fans to meet the band, bypass lines and buy VIP tickets and merchandise.

Matthew Tomaszewicz, co-founder of Thrillcall, said one of the main benefits of the app is that users can buy tickets to shows in two clicks on the app.

About 100,000 concerts are available in the app at any time.

© Thomson Reuters 2013