Music festival season is in full swing, but who could imagine watching their favorite band live and not taking pictures and videos to share on social media with friends and family? Our team of tech experts (and music lovers) has put together a list of apps and hacks that will help you survive music festivals this summer and keep your phone battery and data in check:
- Connect with your favorite bands
Most festivals have a mobile app. Download it and get access to maps, parking, artist information, etc. Shazam canhelp you find new music, then Bandsintown will keep track of those artists and let you know when they’re coming to your neighborhood. Setmine will let you get the set list from each artist so that you can recreate the concert long after you’ve gone home.Connect and keep track of your friends
No one likes getting separated from the group and technology can solve this problem at music festivals. BC Tent Finder will help you all meet up on the first day by setting tent location and making it easy for others to find it with their phones. Find my Friends GPS tracking is great if your friends have iPhones, while Google Latitude works with both iOS and Android. GroupMe can let you easily send messages and photos to the entire group.
- Capture and share your stories & memories
When you’re watching live music, it’s hard to decide to film the show, or take a picture. Well, now you don’t have to choose.
- Open your Camera and tap VIDEO.
- Press the (Insert red record button) to record.
- (Insert white button) will pop up next to the record button. Tap it to take photos.
Now that you’ve got some great pictures and video from the concert, share it with your friends. Snapchat can let you see other’s people’s public stories from that festival as well as let you send stories to your friends. Periscope and Facebook Live will let you broadcast your favorite moments straight to your friends who couldn’t make it. Make sure to use the hashtag for that concert (you’ll get more likes!).
- Keep your phone alive
A day full of taking videos and sharing on social media can take a toll on your battery, especially when you do it all from a remote location like Bonnaroo where Wi-Fi is limited. Prepare for later and put your phone on Low Power Mode now. Here’s how:
Tap open Settings > Battery> Low Power Mode ON
Remember your mail and apps will refresh less frequently, so double-check if you’re expecting anything important.
Sometimes service is tough when population density is high and everyone’s trying to use their phone at the same time. Put your phone into airplane mode if you have no service. Phones use up more battery life when trying to connect to networks. Google Maps lets you download maps in “offline mode” so that you can still use it if you don’t have cell phone reception.
- Dress right and stay safe
Download the Weather Channel App so you know how to pack and dress for hot weather/rain. The First Aid by American Red Cross app helps with the most common safety tips like overheating, dehydration, burns, cuts, and more. iPhone users can also take advantage of the Health app that lets you add emergency contacts and health information. Paramedics are trained to look for this on your phone, and they can access your critical info without having to unlock your device.
For more tips like these, enroll in Asurion support and protection from your wireless carrier. Learn more at Asurion.com.