In the wars for providing and distributing entertainment, iTunes has reached its new plateau, with the recent release of their newest App and feature called iTunes Festival. Although iTunes has made their festival an annual event over the years, they have finally provided access to the masses with their new iTunes Festival App.
I found it extremely convenient to schedule the events I wanted to watch via iPhone on my calendar. As the world learned from the online streaming of the 2012 London Olympics, access and availability for content is key. iTunes Festival performances can be viewed on all apple platforms including the iPad, iPod Touch, and Apple TV.
I was really impressed with the Apple TV integration. As an avid Apple TV user, it was extremely pleasing and convenient to find the iTunes Festival icon for my viewing pleasure. I am excited to see more live concert distribution through channels like this.
The App integration is very user friendly. Not only do you have the ability to watch a live show, but you can now also watch previous performances. As you can see on the right, I have taken a few screen shots from my iPhone to show the simplicity and easy use. I am also happy with the news option. There are often large amounts of press and media associated with music festivals and Apple has made that news available as well.
I see more social media integration in the future of this App. There isn't any current social media integration in regards to sharing the information provided about performances. For the year 2012, social media is important for almost every marketable event. Users should have the ability to alert friends and comment in real time about the iTunes Festival. Although this app isn't flawless, I anticipated bigger and better from Apple next year.
