The metaverse has the power to change how people use the internet. Besides gaming, the latest trend includes metaverse music concerts where people meet online in the virtual world to listen to music, chat, and have fun. The metaverse visitors already claim their experiences are great.
What’s more, these virtual events sparked the interest among famous names, like Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber. Snoop Dogg also decided to get involved, and platforms like Facebook, Fortnite, and Roblox are renting out the venue.
Major Metaverse Music Concerts in the World
The metaverse eliminates all boundaries, making it an ideal place to hold concerts while the pandemic lasts. Backed by blockchain, NFTs, and cryptocurrency, the metaverse is versatile and fun to visit.
However, you need to know how to access it. The first thing you need is the hardware, but your smartphone should be enough to start experiencing metaverse entertainment.
If you wish to gain a better, more immersive experience, then you should purchase a VR headset or AR glasses. Then, you’ll be able to get into various metaverse festivals and concerts and enjoy a new experience with your favorite music artists.
Ariana Grande and the Rift Tour
(Source: NAB Show)
Ariana Grande was born in 1993, and it’s no wonder she wants to be a part of the metaverse music concerts. She started her career in 2008 and recently got the opportunity to act next to Jenifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio in the movie Don’t Look Up.
Ariana mostly sings pop songs, which are perfect for Fortnite’s Rift Tour. This in-game live music event was possibly the biggest one of this kind so far. It lasted for a few days, following the concerts of rapper Travis Scott and Marshmello, who also got involved with metaverse music.
The Grande event was connected to multiple aspects of the game, like aliens, and had the iconic Fortnite moments and appearance. The whole event had the vibe of a game while people inside the metaverse could listen to music while they played it.
Ariana Grande also looked like a Fortnite character, and her skin is now available for in-game purchases. Some industry experts describe this moment as an opportunity for Fortnite to create a new medium in virtual reality entertainment and maybe attract some kind of metaverse music label.
Warner Music and The Sandbox
(Source: Coindesk)
Warner Music Group is an American-based international entertainment and record label conglomerate. It’s one of the top three recording companies and the third-largest in the global music industry. As such a strong company, it’s no wonder that WMG decided to enter the metaverse. At the moment, it’s partnering with The Sandbox and creating a music-focused theme park.
This move could change the future of the music business and bring more stars like Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, and Dua Lipa to the metaverse industry.
Based on the latest press release, the WMG virtual music theme park will feature concerts and musical experiences from these and many other famous musicians. As a part of this partnership, The Sandbox will host a LAND sale for virtual properties in March 2022.
The WMG is focused on virtual reality music production, Web 3, and the impact it will have on the metaverse music industry. The company wants to stay in the loop and offer immersive experiences to its audience. However, it’s not the only music company that’s looking into metaverse events.
Justin Bieber Virtual Concert
(Source: EW)
Justin Bieber was born in 1994 and started his singing career posting songs on YouTube in 2007. In 2009, he gained global recognition with the release of his debut EP, My World.
Today, Justin is also interested in metaverse art, and he announced a partnership with the entertainment company Wave. Together, Wave and Justin created Justin Bieber – An Interactive Virtual Experience.
The event merged gaming, real-life motion capture, and live musical performance. Bieber also transformed into a digital avatar and provided a live show, singing the songs from his best album, Justice.
Wave’s technology allowed fans to enter the stage together with Bieber, and there was no need to purchase any 3D NFT – the event was completely free.
Once Bieber appeared on stage, he greeted the fans, and they could power him up. Justin could also see the countries that entered the event, and then they all moved to a field where he started his concert as fans were all around him, having fun. The stages kept on changing as the show went on.
To the Moon Music & Art Festival
(Source: EDM)
To the Moon Music & Art Festival was the first of this kind of metaverse music expo on the Ethereum network. This event occurred on KnownOrigin, a metaverse-based NFT marketplace. KnownOrigin is a platform where various creators can promote and sell their art. In addition, this platform powers virtual reality musical and art festivals.
This metaverse music festival featured electronic music artists Autograf, Fred Thurst, Ookay, Win and Woo, and others. They can hold their concerts at the KnownOrigin Gallery and also share their metaverse music videos across Decentraland.
What’s more, the Decentraland’s virtual space allows guests to navigate the area, socialize, and enjoy their avatars art in an immersive virtual experience. Users could access this event via a virtual headset connected to a PC or MAC.
Besides the music, cryptocurrency enthusiasts could also find something of interest. There was a set of top NFTs minted specifically for the occasion. Prizes and giveaways included merchandise and commemorative tokens. The event was broadcasted live from a metaverse music studio in Los Angeles.
Facebook’s First Metaverse Concert
(Source: Futurism)
Facebook (Meta) also decided to join the metaverse and hold a few concerts to shake things up. The platform hosted several famous musicians like David Guetta, Young Thug, and The Chainsmokers, and tried its best to include augmented reality in music.
The concerts were completely free to join. However, there was barely any news about this event on the internet. Nobody expressed a desire to get involved in Facebook’s music projects, and music publishers seemed to have ignored the festival.
What’s more, the concert itself wasn’t properly optimized for a fully immersive VR experience. Guetta provided just a 2D live stream of his performance while Young Thug and The Chainsmokers offered a 180-degree music video of their concerts.
Unfortunately, the whole event seemed like Facebook had forgotten what 3D experience in music is, and the festival flopped. Considering that Facebook owns Oculus, it’s surprising that it failed to provide the ultimate VR experience. However, this was just the first Facebook metaverse attempt, and the company could do better next time.
Roblox’s Virtual Festivals
(Sources: The Drum; Roblox)
Roblox is a famous online gaming platform and game creation system. However, the company recently focused on helping its users experience 3D songs in VR live events. What’s more, Roblox also hosted the Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC), a Las Vegas music fest known for astonishing visual designs.
EDC was the first metaverse music fest ever to happen on Roblox. Artists had a meet-and-greet with the audience and mirrored the real-world show by meeting on the same stage. Artists earned revenue from merchandise while their fans enjoyed the show.
Roblox also plans to boost the future of the music industry by hosting the British Music Awards VIP party. This event will feature an exclusive concert from PinkPantheress, meetings with BRIT’s nominees and artists, and the hunt for the BRIT Award.
There’s also a special group dedicated to BRIT awards where Roblox users can hang out and chat about what they expect to see in the BRIT metaverse event.
Conclusion
Real-life concerts are still in question since the pandemic forces people to mostly stay inside. On the other hand, metaverse music concerts and other musical events are starting out as means to overcome the pandemic lockdowns and rules.
Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber were among the first musicians that performed in the metaverse, and they were highly successful. Roblox, Decentraland, The Sandbox, and other platforms are also becoming valuable for these artists and their fans, as they allow for a venue where the VR concerts will occur.
FAQ
Today, there’s an evident shift from sound and videos to virtual reality. NFTs allow for the creation of music that changes every time you listen to it, and VR lets people engage with their favorite musicians in a different way. Music will likely expand to cover the metaverse and change as the technology that’s used to make it develops further.
The musical industry is opening up for the changes that are coming with the metaverse and NFTs. At the moment, there’s a potential change in musical property rights that can transform how a musician makes a living. At the same time, fans are discovering new methods of connecting with the music they love.
When it comes to metaverse music, it’s represented in the form of audio-visual art, shared in the community-generated virtual online world. Artists can now sell their music as NFTs and also offer their avatars, digital merch, and fashion inside the metaverse music platforms.
The metaverse opens a new venue for musicians to share their music and communicate with their fans. Since there’s no need for a tour, musicians can perform more often and reach more fans in far destinations, which can positively affect their earnings.
In addition to VR concerts, artists can utilize cryptocurrencies to earn more revenue from their music. They can turn some of their pieces into NFTs and sell them as collectibles. Plus, with the NFT technology, they can always prove the copyright of their music and reduce theft.
Since the pandemic is still present, chances are the concerts will be delayed for quite some time. Additionally, the moment when arenas and outdoor spots will become open for concerts will depend on the state and current conditions.
On the other hand, there’s also the question of how the concerts will occur from now on. There is a high probability people will have to wear masks and keep social distance to safely enjoy their favorite performer. However, metaverse music concerts are just starting out and could be the solution people are looking for.