A New Jersey start-up is banking on Boston’s college population to boost downloads of its music-sharing iPhone app, MusicPound — which lets you swap your musical tastes with someone close enough to fist bump.
“they do a ‘pound’ and the app compares their music libraries,” said Sherif Fahmy, founder of Eye2i inc., which makes the Bluetooth-powered app. “but not just the music libraries. our app takes a look at how people use music — how often they listen to it, when they listen to it.”
Eye2i will promote the app, which currently has 2,000 users, at this weekend’s CollegeFest, a two-day back-to-school event at the Hynes convention center with musical performances and product exhibitions. Fahmy said he’s marketing the app, which is free to download but $1.99 after three pounds, in Boston and in Austin, Texas, to home in on their large populations of music-savvy college students.
Eye2i will give a $1,000 iTunes gift card to the CollegeFest attendee with the most “pounds” by the end of the weekend. They’ll also host DJs Krazy Kulo from JAM’N 94.5, and Clinton Sparks, a Dorchester native, who will give away iPod Touches loaded with their music libraries to the person with the most similar music libraries after a pound.
A Bluetooth network extends, at maximum, about 30 feet, Fahmy said. Using the app doesn’t leave your phone’s data any more exposed than using a Bluetooth headset would.
Sharing musical interests online isn’t new — Facebook just added the feature — but Eye2i sees MusicPound as an ice-breaker for in-person interactions.
“There’s a lot of things out there that help people discover music,” Fahmy said. “but when you’re in the same place as another person, you have an opportunity to talk and discuss the results.”