Blog

Guides, comparisons, and thinking out loud about live music — from the team building Banded.

Comparison 6 min read

Banded vs Bandsintown: which one should you use?

Bandsintown is the biggest player in concert discovery, with deep ticketing integrations and artist alerts. Banded is a purpose-built gig diary. Different jobs, different shapes — here's how to choose.

Read article →
Comparison 6 min read

Banded vs Setlist.fm: which is right for you?

Setlist.fm is the canonical source of setlist data and has been since 2008. Banded is a purpose-built gig diary. They overlap, but they were built for different jobs — here's how to pick between them, or use both.

Read article →
Pillar 8 min read

The best apps to track concerts you've been to (2026)

A practical, honest rundown of the apps that try to be the place you log live shows — from purpose-built gig diaries to setlist trackers and discovery feeds. Updated for 2026.

Read article →
Pillar 7 min read

Letterboxd for concerts: how to start a gig diary in 2026

Letterboxd works because watching films is solitary but talking about them is social. The same logic applies to gigs — and Banded is the app built specifically for tracking, rating, and sharing the concerts you've been to.

Read article →
Comparison 6 min read

Songkick alternatives in 2026: where the diehards have moved

Songkick's been wound down and rebuilt and wound down again over the past decade. If you're looking for what to use instead — for tracking tours or logging gigs you've been to — here's the current landscape.

Read article →
Guides 5 min read

What is a gig diary?

A gig diary is a personal record of every concert, festival, and live show you've been to — usually kept in a notebook, spreadsheet, or app like Banded. Here's why people keep them, and what to put in yours.

Read article →