Music means a lot to many people and can be a great way to get to know each other. Or it was in better times. With the shows basically dead, the chances of running into someone at the bar during a show and getting along are basically zero. But a new app called Vinylly takes advantage of your Spotify data to combine it with others with similar musical tastes – or so they say. In practice, either my jams are very specific or the app needs some work.
Vinylly has been available for iPhone since last year, but came to Android last month and, in short, is a dating app with a twist: it’s all based on how well your Spotify data matches someone else’s. In case it is not very clear, it means that you will need a Spotify account to use it, and that automatic data collection saves a lot of time accessing preferences. However, the focus also means that other significant details for the novel, such as religion and political affiliation, may not match, which may be a problem later.
The application is not very difficult to use, although there are some problems. In general, just connect your Spotify account (which is very easy if you have the app installed and connected) and tap the questions to set up your profile. This last part can be polished – a step to choose the location in your profile means going through what must be a hundred options to reach the end of the list and tapping “next” to proceed. It should probably be a floating button or something embedded in a navigation bar.
The application can also combine you with partners in a variety of types of relationships and identities. If you just want someone to go to shows and share music, this is an option, but you can also target casual relationships or even something serious.
Some of the details you determine during setup are a bit misleading, however. For example, the application asks what format your first purchase was in. That’s a simple question, right? Well, when you check your profile, it is labeled “sound preference”, which is a totally different thing, and there are some minor inconsistencies like this that should be adjusted by the developers. Activating Vinylly after it has been pushed out of memory or deleted also displays a lot of strange interstitial screens, in addition to a decidedly holo-era loading prompt.
The app’s interface itself is actually a little cute and in keeping with the musical theme. You do not slide your finger to the left / right or heart, you “scramble”, “advance” and “play”. Relative musical compatibility is indicated with the volume slider at the bottom – or, at least, the app claims that this is the case. In fact, I never saw him leave the center.
Each combination was 50% – and no, I don’t like My Chemical Romance.
Likewise, many of the people who recommended me to get in touch had musical tastes that varied dramatically from mine. If and when you trip over someone with similar tastes – which actually seems kind of difficult, although maybe I just like weird things – tapping the “Play” button in the center doesn’t just indicate a potential match; you will also be asked to send a message. Wallflowers will have to muster the courage to at least tap on one of the predefined suggestions, but you can also trigger personalized messages.
Messaging options.
Some of the message options take the excessively reductive configuration process to an extreme. “Hi Natalie, did you hear anything good Indie lately? “Although I am far from being an online dating expert (I have never had to do that, thankfully), I must assume that writing your own message will be less complicated than the options you have been given. You can access your conversations in-progress through the grid icon in the upper left corner of the standard view. The upper right corner takes you to your profile and application settings.
This is where my practice ends. Most importantly, I have a girlfriend. But also important: no one responded to my messages in the last hour, so I can’t be sure how the rest of the application works in practice.
The application also has a clear monetization model. In the future, features like chat will require a paid premium subscription “Gold”, although developers have made it free for now. However, there are some advantages besides just hiding basic features behind paid access. The application, in fact, has an integrated tool that allows the matches to choose the dates of the virtual shows, which is a good touch.
I personally spend 4 to 8 hours on any given day listening to music while working out, and those are probably newer numbers compared to some people. Vinylly can be a little problematic and may not have done a good job of relating to people, but I can see that this app is popular. Music is a big part of our lives, and Vinylly allows you to share that experience with others.