Tons of noteworthy products and technologies are being introduced at SXSW this year, but only one has already earned the attention of The New York Times, Mashable, and influential artists like Erykah Badu, The Roots, and Austin’s own Quiet Company. That product is FanTrail.

Fantrail is a mobile platform changing the way fans interact with artists. It allows an artist to create a custom mobile application that their fans can download. FanTrail is packed with useful features like social media updates, concert check-ins, and the ability to purchase artists’ music directly from the app.

Every interaction a fan has, from purchasing a song to tweeting about an artist, earns them points on their LoveMeter, which measures their dedication to the band. Artists can even use FanTrail to reward their fans using the LoveMail feature, which allows them to send recorded voice messages to their most loyal fans. Each showcasing band at SXSW will have the opportunity to create a free, custom app.

FanTrail will be sponsoring the SXSW Artist Lounge this year and hosting The Sweetwater Indie Cup, a competition for every artist that signs-up with FanTrail. The artist that uses FanTrail to build the largest, most active fan base during the festival will win a generous prize package containing a full set of music equipment and a 2-day, $40,000 recording session!

We had the opportunity to meet Joel Rassmusen, FanTrail’s Co-Founder and CEO this week. Watch the interview to find out how musicians and fans will be using FanTrail during SXSW and follow @Fantrail on Twitter to keep up with them during the festival.