Unleash your inner 'American Idol' with iSing
Think you've got what it takes to be the next Adam Lambert? Before you embarrass yourself on national television, try the worldwide audition stage that is iSing.
Forget Randy, Simon, and whoever's filling Paula's shoes this week. If you've got mad vocal skillz, dawg, or you want to see what it's like to sit in the judge's chair, grab iSing--the "worldwide talent contest" for iPhone and iPod Touch.
When you run the app, you'll see a list of song entries from other iSing users. Tap any thumbnail to stream a clip, then vote on it by tapping the thumbs-up or thumbs-down button.
Entries with the most positive votes bubble to the top of the "charts," earning the singer the iSing equivalent of fame. (Sorry, no fortune, no recording contract, and no Kodak Theater.)
When you're ready for your own audition, just sing your heart out for 30 seconds (mic-less 1st-gen Touch owners are outta luck, alas). After your clip gets uploaded, you can sit back and watch the votes roll in.
The 99-cent app wisely restricts users to one song entry per month, unless they're willing to pony up another 99 cents for each additional entry.
I'm no singer, but I had fun recording the Muppets classic "Mna-Mna." (Look for it!) I also enjoyed listening to and voting on others' clips--even the bad ones. It's not quite as fun as watching train-wreck performances by delusional "A.I" contestants, but make no mistake: it's fun.
However, I'd prefer it if the song listings didn't show the current score for each entry, as I'd rather do a "blind" evaluation than know beforehand that only, say, 27 percent of voters "liked" that particular performance. I'd rather have the option of viewing the score on the singer's profile page, which appears when you "tap through."
That minor gripe aside, iSing is a unique, clever app that's sure to appeal to American Idol fans--or anyone with a yen to judge or be judged.