New app allows users to track songs in real-time

A new app developed for Android and iPhone allows users to track which songs people are playing – and where they are playing them – in real-time.

Launched at the Apple Store on Regent Street earlier this week, Soundwave hopes to help fans share details of what they are listening to and discover new songs and artists from friends.

The app gets users to sign up, and it then tracks the music they play on their smartphone, but also in streaming services like Spotify and Rdio. Users can also follow other people – including celebrities, musicians and friends – to keep track of the songs that they are listening to, with the option to see the songs that they like, dislike and share on Facebook.

The integrated geo-location feature means that users can see the top played and most recently played songs in a chosen area by drawing a circle over an area of interest on the Soundwave music map.

“This came from just really wanting to know what songs people were listening to,” said chief executive Brendan O’Driscoll. “For the founding team, the way we all used to find music wasn’t by spending hours trawling through websites. It was by asking friends who were more in the know.

“You can tap on any person to see their top chart, and get an idea over time of what type of music they’re into. But part of the app’s appeal, we think, is the fact that the content is always changing.”

The app can be downloaded for free for both iPhone and Android.