Getting To Know frēstyl
What is frēstyl?
frēstyl helps you find līve music events happening wherever you are right now.
frēstyl is for people who live for līve, local music, but also for anyone who wants to find something else to do at night instead of going to the cinema or just grabbing a drink. Through frēstyl you'll be able to discover new, up and coming bands, enjoy līve music at hip local venues and support the artists who work hard to make these events happen.
frēstyl is for people who live for līve, local music, but also for anyone who wants to find something else to do at night instead of going to the cinema or just grabbing a drink. Through frēstyl you'll be able to discover new, up and coming bands, enjoy līve music at hip local venues and support the artists who work hard to make these events happen.
Why should I use frēstyl?
frēstyl is committed to helping you find the līve music events happening around you that suit your taste, even the smallest and more obscure ones.
We know sometimes you don't want to book seats at a stadium show months in advance. You'd rather grab a drink down the street and discover a cool new local band with your friends. Finding good līve music nearby that you can actually go see tonight on the spur of the moment shouldn't be hard, but it is. frēstyl is changing that. We are focused on bringing you the most complete information about all the small gigs happening in your neighborhoods that, up until now, only your hippest friends seemed to be able to find. Give frēstyl a try and check out what's happening near you tonight, chances are you'll discover a hip new band or a cool hole-in-the-wall venue. And if you bring your friends, you might even impress them.
We know sometimes you don't want to book seats at a stadium show months in advance. You'd rather grab a drink down the street and discover a cool new local band with your friends. Finding good līve music nearby that you can actually go see tonight on the spur of the moment shouldn't be hard, but it is. frēstyl is changing that. We are focused on bringing you the most complete information about all the small gigs happening in your neighborhoods that, up until now, only your hippest friends seemed to be able to find. Give frēstyl a try and check out what's happening near you tonight, chances are you'll discover a hip new band or a cool hole-in-the-wall venue. And if you bring your friends, you might even impress them.
What is a līve music event?
Good question. At frēstyl we consider "līve music events" all the events that involve any degree of līve music.
Whenever there is an artist playing for a group of people in a public venue, frēstyl wants to let you know about it. You can find līve music events at standard music venues like concert halls, but also at pubs, cocktail bars, restaurants, art exhibitions, town fairs, and so on. frēstyl will help you find a singer-songwriter playing in the corner of a coffee shop on a Sunday afternoon as well as a DJ mixing some crazy beats at a midnight rave in a mixed-media art space.
Whenever there is an artist playing for a group of people in a public venue, frēstyl wants to let you know about it. You can find līve music events at standard music venues like concert halls, but also at pubs, cocktail bars, restaurants, art exhibitions, town fairs, and so on. frēstyl will help you find a singer-songwriter playing in the corner of a coffee shop on a Sunday afternoon as well as a DJ mixing some crazy beats at a midnight rave in a mixed-media art space.
Who are people?
People are music fans who love to go to līve music events. You'll find them dancing, singing along, getting autographs from the band, or having a drink at the bar.
Who are artists?
Artists play or organize līve music events. They come in all shapes and sizes, like solo performers, bands, DJs, promoters, booking agents, radio stations, and record labels.
What are venues?
Venues are public places that host līve music events of all kinds. They range from concert halls, to pubs, to coffee shops, to museums, or really any place that hosts līve music events.
How can I get news about frēstyl?
On the frēstyl homepage you will occasionally see notifications new features we have added or important news we'd like to share with you. But in case you want to know more, keep an eye on the frēstyl blog.
Finding Līve Music Events
How do I find līve music events near me?
When you first visit frēstyl, you'll find yourself on the homepage where you'll see a really big map centered around your current location. You will also see pins on the map that represent the līve music events happening tonight. If you click on a pin, a bubble with a summary of the event will open. Clicking inside the bubble will take you to a new page with detailed information about the event.
If you happen to be in a place with lots of līve music events, the map might be a bit crowded. You can use the list on the right side of the map to help you. Clicking on an item in the helper list is just like clicking on a pin, it will open a bubble with a summary of the event. If you navigate away from the main frēstyl page you can always go back to it by clicking on the tab with the pin.
If you happen to be in a place with lots of līve music events, the map might be a bit crowded. You can use the list on the right side of the map to help you. Clicking on an item in the helper list is just like clicking on a pin, it will open a bubble with a summary of the event. If you navigate away from the main frēstyl page you can always go back to it by clicking on the tab with the pin.
How do I find līve music events near another location?
frēstyl finds your current location by using your IP address. If you want to find līve music events closer to another location, you can change the address in the "Find līve event near" box above the map. The more precise you are when you enter an address, the better frēstyl can find the location.
How do I find līve music events happening on a different date?
On the bottom of the map you will see the date slider, which is positioned at the current day. By moving the slider to the right you can see the events happening in the future, and if you move the date slider to the left you'll be able to see events that happened in the past.
What if there are no events near me?
Oh noes! This probably means that no one has entered any events yet for that location. At frēstyl we encourage everyone to get involved and add information about the līve music events happening near them. If you want to contribute, please sign up!
How are līve music events sorted?
Wherever you see the summary of a līve music event (e.g., in a pop-up bubble on the map, or on a person, artist or venue's profile page), clicking on that summary will take you to a new page with detailed information about the event. There you can find more information about the event itself, like which artists are involved, who is attending, etc.
How are līve music events sorted?
In the helper list shown on the map, events are sorted by their "hotness". The hotter an event is, the higher up in the helper list it will appear. For a sure bet, head to a hot event, but if you want to take a risk, scroll to the bottom of the helper list to find something a bit more obscure.
How do I choose a līve music event to go to?
That's up you! But to make it easier we sort the līve music events on the homepage by "hotness". Likewise, on the main people, artist and venue pages we also sort the results by "hotness" giving you an overview of which people, artists and venues are trending near you right now. Keep an eye out for other people's līve music event recommendations. Over time you can decide whose taste you trust. Finally, we also encourage you to check artists' and venues' profiles, so that you can get some more information about them. On the profile pages you can find out what sort of music and artist plays or what kind of atmosphere you'll find at the venue. If that's not enough to help you decide, check out the external links (you know, Facebook, Myspace, Last.fm, and Twitter) where you will be able to find more information.
How do I let my friends know that I'll be attending a līve music event I found on frēstyl?
On the top of the detailed event page, next to the event's picture and title, you will find buttons that allow you to share with your Facebook and Twitter friends that you are going to attend this līve music event.
Finding Artists, Venues & People
How do I find artists near me?
By selecting the ARTISTS tab you will find information about the artists who have played in the past, or who will play in the future, near you.
How do I find venues near me?
By selecting the VENUES tab you will find information about the venues located near you.
How do I find people near me?
By selecting the PEOPLE tab you will find information about the people whose hometown is near you, as well as those who have recommended or attended events near you.
How do find artists, venues or people near another location?
frēstyl finds your current location by using your IP address. If you want to find artists, venues or people closer to another location, you can change the address in the "Find artists/venues/people near" box above the main body of the artists, venues or people page. The more precise you are when you enter an address, the better frēstyl can find the location.
What if there are no artists, venues or people near me?
Oh noes! This probably means that no one near you has signed up for frēstyl yet – but you can be the first! At frēstyl we encourage everyone to get involved so if you want to contribute, please sign up.
How can I find more information about an artist, venue or person?
Clicking on the name of an artist, venue or person will take you to a new page with detailed information about that artist, venue or person. There you can find the list of līve music events that they recommend, attend, play, organize or host, as well as more information like their bio.
How are artists, venues and people sorted?
Artists, venues and people, just like līve music events, are sorted by their "hotness". The hotter an artist, venue or person is, the higher up in list it will appear.
On the left side of the artists, venues and people pages you will see a special section dedicated to the hottest of the hot. You can see who is the hottest artist, venue or person of the day. But can also see who has captured the interest of the frēstyl community this week and this month. For a sure bet, check out artists, venues or people who are hot, but if you want to discover some hidden gems, scroll to the bottom of the lists to find artists, venues and people that are a bit more obscure.
On the left side of the artists, venues and people pages you will see a special section dedicated to the hottest of the hot. You can see who is the hottest artist, venue or person of the day. But can also see who has captured the interest of the frēstyl community this week and this month. For a sure bet, check out artists, venues or people who are hot, but if you want to discover some hidden gems, scroll to the bottom of the lists to find artists, venues and people that are a bit more obscure.
Signing Up
Why should I sign up for frēstyl?
As a registered user in frēstyl you can create a profile and add information about līve music events that you recommend, attend, play, organize or host. Becoming a registered frēstyl user allows you to get more involved in the community. And the more involved you are the hotter you will become!
How can I sign up for frēstyl?
Right now frēstyl is in alpha and so you'll need a registration code in order to sign up. We've already sent out registration codes to artists, venues and people we know and trust. But if you are excited about getting involved with frēstyl we'd love to send you one too. Please head to the sign up page to request a registration code, and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.
What do I when I receive a registration code?
Once you have a registration code either click on the link in the email you received or head to the sign up page and enter your code. You will find some simple instructions to guide you through the process. There is some mandatory information about yourself which you will have to enter and we encourage you to also start filling in the optional information which will be displayed on your profile as well. Once you finish, you can add new līve music events and edit your profile whenever you want.
If you are signing up as an artist or venue, don't forget that a profile might have already been created for you automatically when another user added a līve music event that you participated in. If there already is a profile for you, don't worry all you have to do is claim that profile and add some extra information about yourself.
If you are signing up as an artist or venue, don't forget that a profile might have already been created for you automatically when another user added a līve music event that you participated in. If there already is a profile for you, don't worry all you have to do is claim that profile and add some extra information about yourself.
Should I sign up as an artist?
You should sign up as an artist if you play or organize līve music events. If you are solo performer, a band, a DJ, a promoter, a booking agent, a radio station, a record label, etc., then you are an artist! As an artist you can add information about līve music events you are playing or organizing. You can also add information about other līve music events that you aren't involved in but you'd like to promote. When you login to frēstyl, the first thing you'll see is your profile page. From there you can update your profile information and add information about your līve music events.
Should I sign up as a venue?
You should sign up as a venue if you host līve music events of any kind in a public location. If you represent a concert hall, a pub, a coffee shop, a museum, or any place that hosts līve music events, then you are a venue! As a venue you can add information about līve music events. You can also add information about other līve music events that you aren't hosting but you'd like to promote. When you login to frēstyl, the first thing you'll see is your profile page. From there you can update your profile information and add information about your līve music events.
Should I sign up as a person?
You should sign up as a person if you are a music fan who loves to go to līve music events. If you are dancing, singing along, getting autographs from the band, or just having a drink at the bar, then you are person! Just like unregistered users, as person, you can still let your friends on Facebook and Twitter know that you are attending an event. However, you also get the special privileges of being able to recommend and add līve music events you'd like to promote! When you login to frēstyl the first thing you'll see is the frēstyl homepage with all of the līve music events around you. From there you can check out new events and choose ones to recommend, or you can head to your profile page by clicking your nickname in the top right hand corner of any page. On your profile page you can update your profile information and add līve music events.
Why do I need a nickname?
Your nickname is used to create a unique URL for your profile page (e.g., http://frestyl.com/artists/nickname) so you can easily share this link with your fans and friends.
If you are an artist or a venue, your artist or band name (e.g., Band of Foxes or Club Tariser) will appear on your profile page. In other words, your nickname will only be used for your unique frēstyl URL.
If you are a person, you can choose whether your real name or your nickname to be displayed on your profile page. It's up to you.
If you are an artist or a venue, your artist or band name (e.g., Band of Foxes or Club Tariser) will appear on your profile page. In other words, your nickname will only be used for your unique frēstyl URL.
If you are a person, you can choose whether your real name or your nickname to be displayed on your profile page. It's up to you.
What should I do once I've signed up?
Enjoy the feeling of being one of the chosen few on the cutting edge of the internet! But with great power comes great responsibility...
As a registered frēstyl user, we strongly encourage you to fill in your profiles and keep them up to date. We want you to look good, so put your best face forward with a catchy (safe for work) photo. Try to make yourself sound interesting in your bio, and don't forget to fill in the information about the other places we can find more about you on the web.
Of course, frēstyl is about helping spread the word about līve music events, so please add not only the events you are playing or hosting, but also those you'd like to promote. And please try to enter information that is as correct as possible, nobody likes showing up for a show that doesn't exist. For more information on this topic check out the Community Guidelines.
As a registered frēstyl user, we strongly encourage you to fill in your profiles and keep them up to date. We want you to look good, so put your best face forward with a catchy (safe for work) photo. Try to make yourself sound interesting in your bio, and don't forget to fill in the information about the other places we can find more about you on the web.
Of course, frēstyl is about helping spread the word about līve music events, so please add not only the events you are playing or hosting, but also those you'd like to promote. And please try to enter information that is as correct as possible, nobody likes showing up for a show that doesn't exist. For more information on this topic check out the Community Guidelines.
How do I become hot?
The more active you are in frēstyl the hotter you will become. The hotter you are, the higher up on the list of artists, venues and people, your profile will appear. Active users in frēstyl create, update, attend and recommend events, and those who become really hot are the trendsetters who are among the first to recommend and attend events, or who play, organize or host events with lots of recommenders and attendees.
Managing Profiles
What information should I add to my profile if I am an artist?
As an artist you should upload a photo that best represents you. You should be sure to define what type of artist you are (e.g., solo performer, band, or label) and what genre(s) of music you play or organize. Adding your hometown will make sure your local fans can find you more easily. Try to make your bio as interesting and accurate as possible – you only have 256 characters to convince people to come check out your līve music events! Finally, adding links to your website, Myspace, Facebook, Last.fm and Twitter pages will help people learn more about you.
What information should I add to my profile if I am an venue?
As venue it is important to accurately enter your address so that people will know where you are located. You should upload a photo that best represents the atmosphere people will find when they arrive. Also, you should be sure to define what type of venue you are (e.g., concert hall, pub, or coffee shop) and what genre(s) of music you usually host. Try to make your bio as interesting and accurate as possible – you only have 256 characters to convince people to come check out your līve music events! Finally, adding links to your website, Myspace, Facebook, Last.fm and Twitter pages will help people learn more about your venue.
What information should I add to my profile if I am an person?
As a person you should upload a photo of yourself that you are happy to share on the Internet. Adding your hometown will make sure other people who live nearby can follow your recommendations more easily. Try to make your bio as interesting and accurate as possible – you only have 256 characters to convince people that you have great taste in līve music events! Finally, adding links to your website, Myspace, Facebook, Last.fm and Twitter pages will help people learn more about you.
What other information will appear on my profile page?
On your profile page the list of līve music events that you add, recommend, attend, play, organize or host will be displayed, in chronological order.
How do I see my profile page?
When you are logged in, you can access your profile by clicking your name in the top right hand corner of any page. Also, if you are an artist or a venue, when you login you'll be automatically directed to your profile making it easier for you to start adding your līve music events.
How do I edit my profile?
You can edit your profile by clicking on the "edit profile" button found on your profile page. Please note, this button will only appear when you are logged in.
Adding & Recommending Līve Music Events
How do I add a new līve music event?
On your profile you will see a big "add event" button that takes you to the event creation page, which is pretty straightforward. Before you start, though, you should know the date, the time, the main artist involved and the venue hosting the līve music event. That's all you need to create an event! frēstyl will automatically add a title and photo for the event, so you don't have to. However, adding a more descriptive title, uploading a unique photo, and adding links to relevant external websites will make your līve music event stand out!
Also, when adding new līve music events, frēstyl might ask you to add information about the artists and venues involved in the event if they aren't already in the frēstyl database. This will help you, and everyone else, to create events faster in the future!
And remember, only registered users can add līve music events, so please sign up!
Also, when adding new līve music events, frēstyl might ask you to add information about the artists and venues involved in the event if they aren't already in the frēstyl database. This will help you, and everyone else, to create events faster in the future!
And remember, only registered users can add līve music events, so please sign up!
How do I recommend a līve music event?
On every event page you will see the "recommend this event" button. Only users registered as frēstyl people can recommend events, so if you are an artist or a venue don't worry if you don't see this button. When you recommend a līve music event, it will appear on your profile alongside the other events you have recommended or attended.
Legal Stuff
What happens to the content I upload to frēstyl?
Coming soon.
Can I delete my account?
Yes you can! But remember, the internet is forever - so your history won't be deleted (i.e., your name or nickname will still appear in past events you've been involved in).
Does frēstyl have an iPhone application?
Yes! You can find frēstyl's iPhone application in the Apple App Store. Download it so you can easily access frēstyl when you are out and about.
How do I use the frēstyl iPhone application to find līve music events near me?
Just like the frēstyl website, anyone can use the iPhone application, even if they haven't registered.
The application is a streamlined version of the website, making it easy to find līve music events near you, wherever you are.
When you first open the frēstyl application, you'll see a really big map centered around your current location. You will also see pins on the map that represent the līve music events happening tonight. If you click on a pin, a bubble with a summary of the event will open. Clicking inside the bubble will take you to a new page with detailed information about the event.
If you happen to be in a place with lots of līve music events, the map might be a bit crowded. You can click on the "List" button to flip to a list-style view of the events happening near you. Clicking on an item in the list is just like clicking inside a bubble on the map, it will take you to a new page with detailed information about the event. You can always flip back to the map by clicking the "Map" button.
The application is a streamlined version of the website, making it easy to find līve music events near you, wherever you are.
When you first open the frēstyl application, you'll see a really big map centered around your current location. You will also see pins on the map that represent the līve music events happening tonight. If you click on a pin, a bubble with a summary of the event will open. Clicking inside the bubble will take you to a new page with detailed information about the event.
If you happen to be in a place with lots of līve music events, the map might be a bit crowded. You can click on the "List" button to flip to a list-style view of the events happening near you. Clicking on an item in the list is just like clicking inside a bubble on the map, it will take you to a new page with detailed information about the event. You can always flip back to the map by clicking the "Map" button.
How do I find līve music events near another location with the frēstyl iPhone application?
The frēstyl iPhone application finds your current location by using the built in location services on the iPhone. If you want to find līve music events closer to another location, you can pan the map to another location and click the "refresh" button to search in the new area. Otherwise, if you are walking around town, you can press the "locate me" button to search around where you are now.
Soon we'll be making this much easier by adding the ability to search around a specific address just like the frēstyl website.
Soon we'll be making this much easier by adding the ability to search around a specific address just like the frēstyl website.
How do I find līve music events happening on a different date with the frēstyl iPhone application?
On the bottom of the application you will see the date slider, which is positioned at the current day. By moving the slider to the right you can see the events happening in the next 7 days.
How can I find more information about a līve music event with the frēstyl iPhone application?
Clicking inside the bubbles on the map, or on an item in the list, will take you to a new page with detailed information about the event. There you can find more information about the event itself, like which artists are involved, who is attending, etc.
How is the frēstyl iPhone application different from the frēstyl website?
The iPhone application is a streamlined version of the website. Currently it does not allow you to browse artists, venues and people, or to log in. But we will be adding these features as soon as we can - so stay tuned!
Supporting The Music Industry
How does frēstyl support the music industry?
At frēstyl we believe that there is one thing about the music industry that will never change. Music starts līve. Even before it is recorded, even before it is sold, music is played and experienced. That's why we believe that līve music will always be the heart of the music industry, no matter what comes next. We built frēstyl because we want to support līve music, and especially to support the emerging musicans, event organizers and small venues who make līve music events happen. It's easy to find out about the stadium tours of mega-popstars. But at frēstyl we want to give more visibility to the little guys and girls, and encourage more people to check out their līve music events. The more people who hear about, and fall in love with, a young singer-songwriter or an out-of-the-way venue, the more chances they have to support themselves through doing what they do best!
How can I support artists and venues through frēstyl?
Go to their līve music events!
Many artists' careers and small venues revenues are built on līve music events. Your attendance is crucial, so show up and have fun! Also, the more you contribute to the frēstyl community by recommending events and broadcasting your attendance through Facebook and Twitter, the more visibility and feedback the artists and venues receive. Finally, if you love an artist or venue you can check out the links you will find on their profile pages and support them by buying their music, merchandise or making donations.
Many artists' careers and small venues revenues are built on līve music events. Your attendance is crucial, so show up and have fun! Also, the more you contribute to the frēstyl community by recommending events and broadcasting your attendance through Facebook and Twitter, the more visibility and feedback the artists and venues receive. Finally, if you love an artist or venue you can check out the links you will find on their profile pages and support them by buying their music, merchandise or making donations.
Overview
At the moment frēstyl is in closed alpha, meaning that, while everyone can access information uploaded to frēstyl, only some of you have been invited to sign up and add information about themselves and about līve music events. The guidelines below are mainly for users who have registered for frēstyl.
Guidelines for Artists & Venues
Artists (musicians or organizers) and venues are essential to frēstyl, and we encourage them to actively add information about līve music events that they (or other people they know) play, organize or host.
To keep our alpha launch of frēstyl under control we've been inviting the artists and venue we've talked to to register for frēstyl, and encouraging them to invite other artists and venues that they know. So if you have been invited to sign up, please be active! It will helper you and your fans. If someone has already created a profile for you in frēstyl, please claim it and contribute to adding information about yours and others' līve music events. If you haven’t been invited or added yet to frēstyl but you would like to join, please contact us!
Once you have a profile, we encourage artists and venuesto add all the required information to their profiles (e.g. a snappy picture and a catchy bio).
And just FYI, artists and venues can add līve music events to frēstyl but they can't attend or recommend events (just 'cause they are likely to play, organize or host these events!).
To keep our alpha launch of frēstyl under control we've been inviting the artists and venue we've talked to to register for frēstyl, and encouraging them to invite other artists and venues that they know. So if you have been invited to sign up, please be active! It will helper you and your fans. If someone has already created a profile for you in frēstyl, please claim it and contribute to adding information about yours and others' līve music events. If you haven’t been invited or added yet to frēstyl but you would like to join, please contact us!
Once you have a profile, we encourage artists and venuesto add all the required information to their profiles (e.g. a snappy picture and a catchy bio).
And just FYI, artists and venues can add līve music events to frēstyl but they can't attend or recommend events (just 'cause they are likely to play, organize or host these events!).
Guidelines for People
During the closed alpha period we've contacted a select group of people to add and recommend events. If you are one of the early frēstyl people you probably already know that we've asked you to act as local amabassadors, because you love music, often attend gigs, and are excited to be active in frēstyl by creating and recommending events. You local ambassadors should be feeling the responsibility to help unregistered users to choose which līve music events to attend by following your cutting-edge tastes. All of us from the frēstyl team are active members of the community, so if you are wondering what līve music events to check out, have a look at our profiles!
If you love music as much as we do, you too can help spread the word about frēstyl and get in as an early user no matter where you live, just contact us.
If you love music as much as we do, you too can help spread the word about frēstyl and get in as an early user no matter where you live, just contact us.
We Heart Accuracy
Of course frēstyl relies on up-to-date and correct information about līve music events. If you are an active and register user, please remember to be accurate when creating and updating līve music events. Make sure you've got all the required info before you add a new event to the database - nobody wants to show up at a vacant lot, or two days late.
Get Some Hotness
You've probably noticed that people, artists and venues are listed in a certain order. If you want to crawl up to the top of the list you need to get hot. But how do you do that? The best ways are to:
1. Keep your profile and the līve music events you create accurate and up-to-date.
2. Actively create, update, and if you are a person, recommend and attend, līve music events.
3. Be among the first to create, update, recommend and attend events that get hot.
1. Keep your profile and the līve music events you create accurate and up-to-date.
2. Actively create, update, and if you are a person, recommend and attend, līve music events.
3. Be among the first to create, update, recommend and attend events that get hot.
