GigMate Ensures Music Lovers Don’t Have to Just March To Beat of Their Own Drum

GigMate is a new social discovery app that connects music lovers with each other they can attend gigs with. Many of us have had that situation: there is a band we love having a gig nearby but our partner or friends are not into the same music, and at best have to be dragged along. GigMate combats this by creating a social platform to meet other people interested in going to the same gig so you can attend and enjoy together. 

The app is the brainchild of Rob March, who has worked in marketing and live events for over 20 years. March is based in the north West and in October launched the app that had been an idea that emerged post pandemic and lockdown. March told the Prolific North:

“After Covid, so many gigs were rescheduled and moved around. We were on our toes all the time. When gigs came back, all the tickets had been swapped around so many times I would end up going with groups of strangers. This was a time when I was still recovering from those mental health challenges but I could go to the pub, spend a few hours with these people that I didn’t know, but we had that connection through music.”

It’s a fantastic idea for a social discovery app. March’s own internal research suggested that 85 to 90% of people reported missing out on events because they didn’t have anyone to go with. We see many apps that provide interest and hobbies as a major way to match with potential new friends. GigMate whole heartedly focuses on the music world, and combines that with real world gigs, giving the users an activity and end goal to base their new connections around. It has potential to be a very powerful tool. 

And that potential is being recognised, with GigMate winning a number of start-up awards  such as the ‘What’s Your Problem’ Funding competition and NW StartUp Award for Events and Hospitality. The app has been featured a few times on BBC 6 Music with popular influential hosts such as  Laurene Laverne and and Craig Charles 

The platform for a long time was email sign-up based only – but the new app launched in October, which March will hope will be a game changer for the spread and success of the app. Currently it has launched in major city hubs such as Brighton, Liverpool, Leeds, London and Manchester. GigMate is will keep an ear out for, for sure here at Social Discovery insights.