I wanted to let you know about a free app for both iPhone & Android that was launched this past December called The Vinyl District. Its the first app specifically for fans of vinyl, and for folks who would like to support that fast vanishing breed, the brick & mortar independent record store. And, with less than a week before Record Store Day 2012, now is a good time to know about it if you don’t know.
Besides having a feed from the website, The Vinyl District, the app features record store finding tool which is keyword searchable (helpful when planning a trip to a strange city), or GPS-based. Please have a look & take a quick tour here. We currently have about stores listed in 25 countries, and more stores are being added everyday. The app also features a calendar for record fairs in the US & UK, and a social aspect as well. Users can check-in to stores, leave comments about them, and also discuss purchases. Our users have also not been shy about helping us source information about stores opening, closing, or moving. This has opened up an entire new platform for vinyl & music lovers to communicate and support what matters most to us in real time, all of the time, every day.
Read what NPR’s All Songs Considered had to say about the app here: “…the iPhone and Android, the free app, created by contributors to a music blog of the same name, combines the Vinyl District’s collective knowledge with online databases and user submissions to find record stores around the country. For the user, a geo-location system offers a bird’s eye view of their neighborhood and points them in the direction of the closest place to buy CDs or vinyl.”
“… it’ll direct you to your nearest independent music outlet, and with the US and 400 British record shops included – plus further coverage promised for Sweden, Belgium, Germany, Canada and beyond – full global reach can only be a matter of time. It’s free too, so take the cash you could’ve spent and buy some records.” – Mojo Magazine, March 2012
And Gizmodo said, “This is my favorite kind of tool, one that accomplishes a practical task with aplomb and few frills to get in the way. …the next time I’m in an unfamiliar city with some time on my hands, I’m busting this thing out.”
All that said, with Record Store Day 2012 fast approaching (although we think about & buy records much more often than one day a year!), we hope for two things: One, that you’ll try the app for yourself, and tell your friends about it if you like it. And two, that you’ll mention it either in a story or column…
Helpful links:
iTunes: http://bit.ly/tVIBP6
Android Marketplace: http://bit.ly/sx5hCm
The Vinyl District: http://bit.ly/rvzYNs
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tvdrecordstorelocator
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