This article was published on July 2, 2013

Foursquare teams up with music streaming service Deezer to incentivize check-ins at live concerts


Foursquare teams up with music streaming service Deezer to incentivize check-ins at live concerts

Foursquare’s long-term monetization strategy relies on offering other businesses large quantities of user data, so it’s perhaps not surprising that the company has partnered with Deezer today to incentivize its users to check-in more at live music concerts.

Foursquare users in Brazil, Mexico, UK, Ireland, Indonesia, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Spain, Italy, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and Poland are being offered a 3-month Deezer Premium+ subscription once they check-in at seven different gigs.

These are split into three different tiers; one check-in for level one, three for level two and seven for level three, offering some form of progression and a gentle reminder for users who see their favorite bands and artists rather infrequently.

Over 15,000 venues are supporting the scheme but once users have completed their check-ins, they’re then also required to like the Deezer page on Foursquare to be in the running for a Premium+ subscription.

Foursquare is focused on growing revenue

The partnership points to a much wider play from Foursquare to incentivize check-ins at events. It’s fair to say that the majority of check-ins occur at businesses where live or limited period events aren’t occurring; a nearby coffee shop, the local pub or a tourist attraction somewhere in the city.

Foursquare added events into the mix in December 2012, giving business a new way to leverage the location-based social network. It meant that users could check-in for both simultaneously, such as a specific film being shown at an iMax theatre, giving greater detail for what they’re up to.

The idea is that these events would stimulate further check-ins from the user’s friends, who might also be interested in the same event, as well as future check-ins from users who become fans and start montioring the businesses upcoming event listings.

The company then partnered with Voice Media Group in January to integrate the content provider’s Voice Places event data into its service. It was another sign that Foursquare was moving away from its aging image as a social check-in game and strengthening its position as a location-based recommendation service.

Deezer is in-tune with music fans

Deezer benefits from today’s partnership too, as it incentivizes subscription renewals and also gives its on-demand music streaming service some extra exposure. With an ever-growing number of rivals such as Spotify, Rdio, Xbox Music, Sony Music Unlimited and Google Play Music All Access coming forward, it’s paramount that the company stays at the front of the pack.

Associating itself with live music concerts is a great way to improve its image and also reach out to gig-goers who may not have even tried an on-demand streaming service before. The company revealed that it had 4 million Premium+ subscribers in May this year, some impressive growth given that it’s still yet to launch in the United States.

Image Credit: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

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