By Kayla Samek—Shazam is an app that “listens” to songs and identifies them for the user; Viggle provides the same service plus much more. The app is available for both Android and Apple devices for free. However, Viggle may not be for everyone. Getting free stuff for just watching a show or listening to music, as the saying goes: “seems too good to be true.”
First, the positives. For each song identification, Viggle rewards the user with points that can be cashed in for digital content—including e-books, songs, and TV shows—to real products, discounts, gift cards, or even charitable donations. The digital rewards offer a lot of current music, shows and books. Viggle also has “check-in” rewards for television shows and movies. The app then gives bonus points for correct trivia answers during the program.
While there are plenty of opportunities to earn points for rewards, but earning enough points for anything other than low-level sweepstakes entries is for those who have the free time to watch a lot of movies or TV. The prizes outside of the digital content are limited, and the charitable donation option does not seem to work as there are no options under that menu. Also, the “listening” function has trouble identifying the song, movie, or show being consumed unless right next to the speakers. And only certain television shows and movies get recognized—so do not expect points for watching SNL or re-runs of T. J. Hooker.
Overall, Viggle can be a substitute for Shazam, but the rewards may only be for those who can invest the time. Out of 5 stars, this user would rate it at 2.5, due to the amount of time needed for a substantial pay-off.
Leave a Reply