Article written by Cameron Massey

As people continue to spend more and more time on their phones, up to 5.4 hours a day for the average phone owner in the U.S., orchestras are increasingly turning to apps for news ways to engage their audiences. Because apps account for 85% of the time users spend on their phones, dedicated apps can help pierce through the noise of the modern marketing reality. When used effectively, smartphone applications have the potential to invite new audiences into the hall while heightening the stickiness of the most loyal subscribers.

Though the evolution of reaching audiences through their most treasured possessions has stalled slightly since the pandemic struck, experimentation with apps in the concert setting has been around for as long as smartphones have been widely accessible. In fact, arts administrators have attempted to bring smart devices into listeners’ hands as far back as 2004 when the Kansas City Symphony developed the Concert Companion, a pocket PC that notified users in real time of points of interest in the music using wireless technology.

App adoption has become even more widespread in recent years with the rise of companies like Instant Encore. Instant Encore provides a flexible yet sturdy infrastructure for performing organizations seeking to create user-friendly applications for their audiences. By removing the need to start from scratch, these templates make the process of creating an app relatively inexpensive. With app maintenance as one of their many services, keeping up an app does not have to be terribly time consuming either. While Instant Encore is the leading provider of this service for performing organizations in the the U.S., a handful of competing firms also offer similar products (like EnCue and Aloompa, just to name a couple).

As app creation among performing arts organizations has risen, so has the variety of approaches to leveraging its capabilities. Arts administrators are using this tech to both provide deeper context around the art being performed within the concert hall and to keep audiences engaged after the curtain falls. Though orchestras will continue to experiment and iterate ways to get the most benefit from this evolving frontier, this article presents a few examples of ways in which apps are currently adding value to the orchestra patron’s experience.

Increasing Convenience

Perhaps the most obvious advantage of having an app is to provide a centralized portal for the audience member’s every want and need. Apps can grant the regular patron the convenience of purchasing their Sunday matinée tickets from their phone. Additionally, by providing a channel for one-tap donations using Apple and Google Pay functionality, orchestras can take advantage of the lucrative donation potential of a Brahms-serenade-goosebumps moment.

The Philadelphia Festival Opera’s OperaPhila is a prime example of an app that elevates the patron experience. Festival attendees are granted a one-stop-shop for their every need. Wondering when the next performance is? Users can just log onto the app to view the full schedule or even create their own customizable daily itinerary. Looking for a bite to eat? Users can simply navigate to the app’s interactive maps that suggest places to play, stay, park, and eat in between performances. If users want to share a photo on Instagram, they can also give a performance shoutout through the app. With a smart design and functions that have the patrons’ pathways in mind, OperaPhila ensures that audiences were a tap away from everything they needed during their weekend out on the town.

A particularly popular feature of apps for those presenting in-person performances in recent months is to streamline Covid-19 safety protocols. Navigating evolving safety regulations can be overwhelming for audiences, so offering a dedicated platform can make the experience of safely returning to in-person performances much simpler. Apps allow patrons to fill out health check surveys prior to arrival, access touchless program notes from their phones, or order drinks at intermissions. Apps could prove essential to instilling a sense of security for audience members wanting to return to live performances.

Extending Accessibility

For a population that is increasingly reliant on mobile devices, the concert hall mandate to shut off cell phones can in and of itself be a barrier to engagement. Apps can offer a means of eliminating that stigma while providing another portal to engaging the curious listener. A rising trend among orchestras is using smartphones to equip audiences with realtime program notes. Similar to the decades-old technology of audio museum guides, orchestras are using apps to send live notifications to listeners’ phones that highlight points of interest in the music being performed in a digestible format.

To highlight another Philadelphia-based performing organization, the Philadelphia Orchestra led the charge in developing this technology for smartphones back in 2011. Building on the Kansas City Symphony’s Concert Companion project, the Philadelphia Orchestra recruited app designers from Drexel University’s Expressive and Creative Interaction Technologies (ExCITe) Center to reimagine program notes for today’s evolving audiences. They called the final product LiveNote.

Designed with a black background and adjustable white lettering to minimize the impact on the rest of the audience, LiveNote users can trade shuffling and squinting at paper programs in the dark for an app that tells them what they need to know as the action unfolds.The app not only tells the story of the music as it happens, but also educates the audience about classical forms and structures, reveals interesting facts about individual instruments, and draws comparisons to other classical works. Without having to modify the performance and presentation of the music itself, the app allows audiences of all knowledge levels to can gain a new appreciation and understanding of the music being performed. On the night the Philadelphia Orchestra officially premiered this app, they witnessed a younger crowd with 44% of all those in attendance engaging with the app.

This functionality also has the potential to transform the way that opera goers understand the text performed on stage. Though not yet as widely adopted as real-time program notes, some have used apps to provide personalized libretto translation in the hands of listeners. This could have major ramifications to increasing access for non-English speakers.

Staying Connected

Apart from offering another point of contact for the newcomer to engage with the music, dedicated apps provide orchestras with the means of staying connected with their already loyal audience members. Notifications delivered directly to a subscriber’s device can keep audiences engaged in between performances, and community-building forums within an app keep the conversations going outside the concert hall. Target messages based on patron information and interests can strengthen the relationship between ensemble and listener while also prompting specific and immediate actions. Apps allow administrators to notify users of livestream launches, encourage one-tap donations, or simply share moments of inspiration.

Another Hub for Content

Finally, with the sudden boom of orchestra streaming platforms across the world, orchestra fans are now listening to performances from their phones. Apps provide a mobile hub for the plethora of digital content being produced right now and can continue to serve as calling cards once in-person performances return. While streaming apps are generally created in tandem with the web-based streaming platform, app infrastructures like that of InstantEncore can support YouTube, Vimeo, and Ustream content for those without a designated streaming hub.

Concluding Thoughts

Apps are revolutionizing the ways in which orchestras interact with their patrons and extending the bounds of listener engagement. As more and more options flood the performing arts industry, occupying a permanent space on cultural consumers’ phones may prove essential to keeping their attention.

However, even with the cleverest of features, the success of app will always be reliant on the quality of its design. Apps should be easy to use, with a flawless and pleasing appearance. If an app is created without a thorough understanding of the user experience, it will not survive on people’s phones for very long. Ninety-seven percent of a consumer’s app time is spent on their 10 favorite apps, and if an orchestra’s app does not meet the standard, the app may run the risk of fading into obsoleteness. Because phone-compatible web pages are no longer an option in 2021, apps must go above a beyond to justify the work needed to create them.