Music social network Flowd is tapping into mobile with applications for iPhone, Android and Nokia devices that let consumers keep a pulse on their favorite music artists via incentives and rewards.

Using the app, users can share music they are listening to and discover new bands. Consumers can also receive prizes and offers for checking into concerts and events.

“If you look at the trends within social, commerce and location, there is a real opportunity in mobile as being a tool for musicians,” said Wilhelm Taht, director of marketing at Flowd, Helsinki.

“For marketers, Flowd can be a loyalty program,” he said.

Flowd is a portfolio company of Digia Ventures, the venture division of Finnish technology services firm Digia.

Mobile discovery
Using the Flowd app, users can follow their favorite musicians and find new music.

Consumers can sync the Flowd app with their Facebook and Twitter accounts to see which of their friends are using Flowd.

Users can also check-in to locations and concert venues and search nearby locations.

The app uses sound recognition to pick up on music that consumers are currently listening to.

Users can also send pictures and messages to friends.

For marketers, Flowd can be tied in with promotions to give music fans access to content.

Sony Music recently ran a promotion inside Flowd to find Britney Spear’s biggest fan in May that asked consumers to upload a fan picture,

The campaign ran in Europe and rewarded 1,000 consumers who entered the contest with a free download of a song via Sony’s online stores.

Additionally, a recent campaign with European artist Armin van Buuren offered fans a 10 percent discount on his most recent album.

The Armin van Buuren deal resulted in a 40 percent redemption rate.

“There is lots of experimentation going on right now with mobile and social commerce,” Mr. That said.

“But you should know exactly what to target with results and a follow-up, which has not been completely defined yet,” he said.

Music to my ears
One issue the music industry has struggled with is trying to find a way to monetize the industry with consumers accessing music via streaming and free sites.

Most recently, Pandora announced that mobile accounts for 52 percent of its overall traffic (see story).

By linking to artists and partnerships, Flowd is looking to take a different spin on the music industry with a product that is social-heavy.

“Social commerce is blowing up and mobile commerce is a part of it,” Mr. That said.

“Mobile and music have walked hand-in-hand for a long time, and music consumption has never been higher than it is right now,” he said.

“The next five years will define the music models for the future.”

Final Take
Lauren Johnson is editorial assistant on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York