Soundwave

Soundwave
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Publisher: Soundwave Analytics
Reviewed On: iPhone
Cert: 12A
Available On: Android,iPhone,iPad

The new music discovery app from an Irish start-up has already found itself some high-profile fans. Steve Wozniak described it as a music product that fits his life "so perfectly". Stephen Fry helped officially launch it. And Bono apparently predicted such an app would come. Soundwave allows you to see what friends, family and random strangers in your area are listening to on their music players. When you listen to a track it shares it on your activity list, allowing your friends using the app to see, and also to share tracks with you. You can also see what tracks are being played in particular areas, a feature that will become more useful as more people sign up. The iOS version works with the iPhone and iPod's built-in music player, but will also work with third-party apps such as Spotify and Rdio. The app has charts to guide you in the right – or wrong – direction, with most played, most liked and most disliked lists to choose from. At the time of reviewing, One Direction, Psy and Taylor Swift were high on the disliked list, with former Pop Idol reject Darius also making the chart. if you don't want to give away your guilty pleasures, there's a button that hides your music plays for 60 minutes at a time. So your secret Justin Bieber addiction will remain just that. For now.

Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien is an Irish Times business and technology journalist