How to get started with Turntable.fm for iPhone
Turntable.fm is a fun, hip way of playing and listening to music, which up until now was only accessible via a Web browser. Now, with the release of the iPhone app for Turntable.fm, users can use the service on the go. Let's take a look at the app, shall we?
We told you about Turntable.fm's new approach to the music service scene back in June. The service is fun, interactive, and has really caught on since.
Today Turntable.fm released its first mobile app. It's built for the iPhone and is available in the App Store [iTunes link]. We are going to show you how to get started with the mobile app. Read on for more.
Before you attempt to use the mobile app, make sure you have access to the Web site. Turntable.fm isn't open to the public quite yet, it still requires that you have a Facebook friend who is a member of Turntable.fm before you are granted access. If you do have access, go ahead and download and install the iOS app.
After you log in to Turntable.fm using your Facebook credentials, you will be shown a list of the available rooms, in order of popularity. You can create a room of your own, search for a room, or enter any room listed all from this initial screen. Tap on the room you would like to join to enter it.
From here, the experience should be similar to that of the Web site. You are in the standard Turntable.fm room, complete with a scrolling info banner, Lame and Awesome buttons, and of course, there are head-bobbing avatars in the crowd.
Tap on the chat bubble in the top navigation bar to be taken into the rooms' chat.
Here you can chat with others in the same room, as you would from the Web site. Along with being able to chat, you can also view and edit your song queue from this screen. Select the Queue button next to the Chat button in the top navigation bar to view your song queue.
You can drag a song up or down to rearrange your playlist, or search for music to add songs to your queue. We tried searching a few common artists and had mixed luck when it came to getting the same results we were accustomed to seeing on the Web site.
Going back to the room view, on the far-right side of the navigation bar there is a share button that allows you to share a link to the room you are currently in with your friends through Facebook, Twitter, and e-mail.
While you are streaming from one room, you can go back to the room list to browse. You will see a volume slider as well as the AirPlay icon (if available) along the bottom of the screen. The room you are currently in will be highlighted as well as have a red x to the left of the name. To stop streaming from that particular room, tap on the x.
You may notice that the plus sign in the top bar has now changed to Room. You will need to stop streaming a room before you can create your own room. Tap on the plus sign to set up your room and begin DJ-ing yourself.
One the Create Room screen you can set the name of the room, the public or private availability, and the number of DJs you want to allow in the room. Once you have set everything, tap Create.
If you have a friend who is in a room, you will see a gold icon with a number indicating the number of friends in that room next to the name of the room.
Noticeably missing from the app is the ability to view your own Turntable.fm profile along with the ability to edit your avatar. It appears that those two tasks will have to be carried out from the Web site for now.
Are you a big Turntable.fm fan? Is this app something you have been waiting for to really get into the service, or is this something that is going to drive your DJ addiction into overload?