ChatWithTheBand – A Ustream/ Google+ Hangouts-esque Facebook App For Musicians and Artists

Some Geeky Pleasures readers may be surprised to see me write about and recommend trying something Facebook related. It is no secret that I have many issues with Facebook as a company and personally choose not to use their services. However, this is a personal decision and I’m all about using the social network tools that work best for your needs. For a great many people, they find great success with Facebook and choose to use Facebook in conjunction with other services.

Some Geeky Pleasures readers may also be well aware that I’m really enjoying Google+. They have a number of tools that I find very useful and have great potential for different brands. Some of these tools are missing on Facebook. One of those tools is a Facebook equivalent to Google+ Hangouts. Google+ Hangouts are a great way to interact, live, with a group of friends, fans, do live on-air broadcasts, and more.

Finally, there is something similar available for bands and artists who make use of Facebook fan pages. The app is called ChatWithTheBand. ChatWithTheBand lets you video chat with fans and listen to tracks as a social group right from your band/artist Facebook page. Some may liken it to having your own dedicated turntable.fm room hosted on your Facebook page, but with extra features including video chat, virtual gifts and SoundClound integration (coming soon).

If you’ve made use of Google+ Hangouts to interact with others, you are already familiar with the benefits of having a video chat. The interface for the ChatWithTheBand is a little bit different. Fans are not automatically added to the video chat portion, even if they are part of the chat conversation. They have to be invited by whomever is hosting, similarly to how you’d invite someone to share your stream on Ustream. One benefit to this Facebook app is that your friends can sign-up for notifications when broadcasts begin. That feature is something that is missing on Google+. Another benefit is that it does not appear to have the limited seating that Google+ Hangouts has.

Below are a number of videos, demonstrating more of what ChatWithTheBand has to offer musicians and artists:

ChatWithTheBand Demo

Starting a Broadcast

Managing Gifts

Manage Tracks

ChatWithTheBand is currently in beta. They are looking for people to join. I personally have not been able to test this app. I cannot give a proper review of it. However, I think the premise behind it and what I’ve seen in the demo videos are very useful. I know a good number of independent musicians and artists who’ve had a lot of success using Facebook to interact with their supporters, and I think they could benefit from this app.

Find out more, see which artists are already using ChatWithTheBand & watch demo videos at ChatWithTheBand.com or click here to join the beta.

If you do decide to use this app, I would be very interested in hearing your thoughts or posting your guest review.

About the Author

Jules

I never know what to say in this about me sections/bios. I am a mother, geek, gamer, tech enthusiast, radio personality, actor, artist, dancer, crafter, writer, music fanatic, science fiction nut, lover of the great outdoors, and so much more.