LoKast Hits 125K Downloads, Gains Traction As Mobile Digital Stage For Musicians

We’ve written about NearVerse’s compelling proximity-based social network packaged in an iPhone app, LoKast. Launched at SXSW two months ago, LoKast, which is actually short for “local-casting,” allows you to set up a profile that will list all of your photos, selected contacts, videos, web links and music on your mobile phone. You can select which content you’d like to include to the public and which content you’d like to keep private. When a LoKast user is in proximity (300 feet) of other LoKast users, the app will automatically discover other users nearby and allow the user to view and download their content. The iPhone app is seeing steady adoption, with 125,000 downloads, most of which related to music and live events.

The app is ideal for sharing music and is seeing traction in the space as a way for musicians and DJs to connect to fans. Using the app, you can see the iTunes and music library of any user who is in close proximity to you. You can choose to download a 30-second clip of any song to your own profile and can also follow the link to the iTunes store to purchase the music (LoKast collects an affiliate fee for this, of course).

Because of this, LoKast is now being used by over thirty major bands and DJs as a digital stage, including including artists like Third Eye Blind. A number of bands used LoKast to distribute exclusive content throughout their sets at music festival Coachella. LoKast specifically designed a portal within the app to allow audience members to download content from each DJ performing at the several of the events around the festival.

Last week, LoKast partnered with GiantStep, a music label and marketing firm, to allows users to download free music through the app. The startup has struck similar deals with music distribution companies The Orchard, IODA and Monalis 360.

While the app was originally designed to share all types of content, such as photos and videos, music is the type of content that can be comfortably shared with total strangers. And when it comes to the location-based element, the app is perfect for music festivals and concerts.