NEW APP LETS YOU FIND YOUR FRIENDS IN CLUBS

Electronic music has always led the way when it comes to technology and innovation. Pioneers such as Kraftwerk, Jeff Mills and Carl Cox have all irrevocably changed how we view the musical landscape, in the process setting a new benchmark in terms of sound and musical capabilities. 

Yet whereas these innovators have changed how we perceive the music, it’s rare that we’re introduced to anything that significantly alters the shared clubbing experience. Looking to change all that is Unified, a brand new app that will ‘change your nightlife forever’. Launched at the start of the season at Ibiza’s International Music Summit (IMS), it’s already gathering great pace – and it’s not hard to see why.

Essentially, Unified’s job is to make one of the prime perils of a night-out — locating your friends — that much easier. A free mobile application for smartphones, its core aim is to provide music lovers with friend-locating capabilities inside of large clubs.

The beauty of all this is that instead of screaming down your phone on a packed, loud dancefloor and relying on vague directions, you can now trace your friends easily and with far less hassle — meaning you’ve much more time to give it socks to the DJ up front.

So how does it all work? Well, it’s actually pretty simple. The app runs off Bluetooth and uses practically no data — meaning you won’t be running up a huge bill when using it on the White Isle. Its Bluetooth capabilities means it’s not dependent on data or signal, and it also works on every phone from an iPhone 4S up, with an Android version coming soon.

Once inside the club, users are given an interactive map to identify and locate points of interest such as bars, toilets, outside areas and stages. Exact positions of a user’s pre-approved friends are then visible on the interactive map, in real-time, making it easy to navigate large venue spaces and ensuring you never leave a friend behind. The app is conscious of protecting privacy too, meaning your exact location is only shared to pre-approved friends and is only visible once both users are in the same location. You can also choose to hide your location at the touch of a button if you so wish.

For the clubs, Unified offers them a channel where they can treat guests as individuals rather than another face in the crowd. This will allow them to offer exclusive deals including queue jumps, free entry or even drink tokens for their guests.

While the advantages of such an app are numerous, Unified really works a charm in Ibiza — even more so when we take stock of its island-view feature. This allows the user to see every bar, beach and club that their friends are currently frequenting — meaning you’ll never miss a party again. Thanks to Unified’s line-up feature, you’ll also never miss your favourite DJ either, as the app gives real-time updates about who’s playing where and when. 

As of summer 2015, Unified will be rolled out in Sankeys, Eden, DC10 and the Zoo Project, and will also be available at selected bars and restaurants such as Bambuddha Grove and Mambo. Unified really is the sort of game-changer that we’ve been crying out for here at DJ Mag for some time. Be sure to download the app today!