Gigvault vs Last.fm – Which App Wins for Concert Fans?

By Alexandra P. · Published 2026-05-10 · 7 min read

Founder of Gigvault — the concert tracker for live music fans.

If you've been tracking your music life for years, you know Last.fm. The scrobbler, the weekly charts, the "music that defines you" algorithm. It's been around since 2002 and has millions of loyal users.

But if you love live music — actually going to shows, not just streaming them — you've probably hit the wall: Last.fm is built for your Spotify history, not your concert history.

That's where Gigvault comes in. Same passion for music. Completely different focus.

This comparison breaks down exactly what each app does, where they overlap, and which one belongs in your pocket on the way to a show.

Quick Comparison

What is Last.fm?

Last.fm is the original music tracking platform. Founded in 2002, it built its reputation on scrobbling — automatically recording every song you play on Spotify, Apple Music, or any connected service. Over time, it became a rich database of your streaming history: what you listen to, when you listen, and how your taste evolves.

Last.fm also has a live music section. You can mark yourself as attending upcoming shows, and the platform recommends concerts near you based on your listening habits. But live music tracking has always been a secondary feature — not the core product.

Last.fm is built around the question: what do you stream?

It answers that question brilliantly. For anything beyond that, it starts to fall short.

What is Gigvault?

Gigvault is a personal concert tracker built from the ground up for live music fans. Every feature — stats, diary, Wrapped, social — is built around concerts you actually attended, not songs you played on repeat.

You log shows. You build a history. The app builds your identity from that.

Key features include automatic Concert Wrapped that updates after every single show (not once a year), a concert diary with photos, notes and setlists per show, festival tracking so every band at Wacken or Coachella counts toward your stats, and Concert Buddies — a feature that shows you which other fans attended the same shows as you.

Gigvault is built around the question: what did you actually live?

The Core Difference: Streaming vs. Live

This is the fundamental split between the two apps — and it matters more than any feature list.

Last.fm measures your relationship with music through listening. If you've streamed a Radiohead album 300 times, Last.fm knows that and reflects it back at you. Your "top artists" are whoever dominates your library.

Gigvault measures your relationship with music through presence. It doesn't care how many times you've listened to a song at home — it cares whether you were in the room when the band played it live. Your "top artists" are whoever you've actually seen perform.

For many fans, these two lists look completely different. The artist you stream obsessively might never tour your city. The band you've seen seven times might barely be in your Spotify history. Gigvault captures the second list — the one that actually reflects who you are as a live music fan.

Feature Comparison

Which App Should You Use?

Choose Gigvault if:

• You go to concerts regularly and want a permanent record of every show
• You want automatic Concert Wrapped stats — not just once a year, but after every single show
• You want to save photos, notes, and setlists per concert
• You go to festivals and want every set to count toward your stats
• You want to find and connect with fans who were at the same shows as you

Choose Last.fm if:

• You want to track your full streaming history across Spotify, Apple Music or other services
• You want weekly listening charts and top artist stats based on streams
• You care about comparing your listening taste with friends publicly
• You want personalised concert recommendations based on what you stream

Choose both if:

You want the complete picture — streaming history from Last.fm and live concert history from Gigvault. Many hardcore music fans run both simultaneously. They serve completely different parts of your music life.

Can You Use Both?

Yes — and it's the setup most serious music fans end up with.

Last.fm + Gigvault together give you a complete map of your music life: what you listen to obsessively at home (Last.fm) and what you actually showed up to in real life (Gigvault). They don't overlap, they don't compete — they complement.

A common routine: Last.fm scrobbles your Spotify in the background automatically. Gigvault gets opened on the walk home from a show to log the concert, attach a photo, and see your Concert Wrapped update in real time.

FAQ

Is Gigvault a Last.fm replacement?

No — they solve different problems. Last.fm tracks streaming history. Gigvault tracks concert attendance. If you want to stop using Last.fm and track only live music, Gigvault covers that. But most fans use both.

Does Last.fm have a Concert Wrapped feature?

No. Last.fm offers year-end listening stats but nothing specifically built around concerts attended, festival sets, or live music stats. Gigvault's Concert Wrapped updates automatically after every show you log.

Is Gigvault free?

Yes. Core features — concert tracking, Concert Wrapped, diary, and stats — are all free with no credit card required. A Pro plan unlocks monthly Wrapped recaps and advanced features.

Does Gigvault scrobble music?

No. Gigvault is focused exclusively on live concerts — shows you attended, not music you streamed.

Can I import my Last.fm concert history into Gigvault?

You can manually log past concerts in Gigvault — including shows you've already tracked elsewhere. There's no automatic import from Last.fm, but backfilling your history is fast.

Why most fans use BOTH (and how they complement each other)

Last.fm tells you what you stream. Gigvault tells you what you actually attended. These are wildly different stories about who you are as a music fan — and you want both.

Most active fans use the combo this way:

• Last.fm auto-scrobbles everything they stream, building a passive listening archive in the background
• Gigvault tracks every concert they attend, building an active live music identity in the foreground
• The gap between the two is where their real music identity lives — what they stream vs. what they pay to see live

Quick links to Gigvault's features Last.fm doesn't have

• Concert Tracker — log every show in 30 seconds, support acts included
• Concert Wrapped — updates after every show, not once a year
• Concert Diary — photos, videos, notes, friend tags per show
• Festival Tracker — every band at every festival counts
• Setlist Finder — every song in exact play order
• Concert Stats — top artists by attendance, not streams
• Social Hub — Concert Buddies, mutual-only feed

Related reads

• 5 Best Apps to Track Concerts — broader app comparison
• What is Concert Wrapped? — the Last.fm-equivalent for concerts
• Gigvault vs Concert Archives — text-database alternative
• Concert Stats Decoded — what your concert data really means
• How to Log Every Concert — the workflow that fills your archive

Key Takeaways

Both apps are free. Both take five minutes to set up. If you love live music, Gigvault is the one built specifically for you.

Start tracking your concert history for free on Gigvault → — no credit card, no scrobbling required, log unlimited shows. Get Concert Wrapped after every gig. Free forever.

Create your free gigvault account →