Live music in virtual reality
2023.01.10 09:52
Live music in virtual reality
By Kristina Sobol
Budrigannews.com – Fans can now enjoy the virtual spectacle from the comfort of their own homes thanks to musicians’ ability to stream concerts to virtual reality headsets in recent years. Some virtual reality platforms are now offering viewpoints and interactions that users would never get if they were at the venue, going beyond simply replicating the live experience.
MelodyVR, which debuted in 2018, has created a collection of recorded live shows that can be streamed to Oculus VR headsets or to iPhone and Android devices via its app in the future. It claims to have collaborated with over 850 musicians, including Lewis Capaldi, Wiz Khalifa, and Kelly Clarkson.
Users have the option of watching the concerts from a seat in the audience, backstage, behind the sound booth, or even on stage with the band. Additionally, the company has developed novel experiences; In a virtual reality performance, British singer Emeli Sandé is shown singing and playing the piano simultaneously.
MelodyVR has designed its own cameras specifically for live streaming, which it plans to begin offering this year through a paid virtual ticket.
MelodyVR co-founder Steven Hancock told “We needed to create [VR cameras] that would not get in the way of the production, but can also survive the variety of elements that could come with a musical performance, such as artists jumping around right next to the camera, champagne [being sprayed on them], or fireworks right in front of them.”
EVR Holdings owns the company, which claims to have global VR distribution licenses with major labels Beggars Group in addition to Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Music Group.
EVR Holdings was valued at approximately £220 million ($285 million) as recently as January, though MelodyVR would not disclose how many users it has or how many people have watched shows through the platform.
On Oculus headsets and through its mobile app, it currently operates a pay-per-view model, with prices ranging from $1.99 for a single song to approximately $10 for a concert. It will offer a monthly subscription this year that grants unlimited access to exclusive sessions and concerts. It wouldn’t say how much the subscription would cost.
MelodyVR is not the only business that offers virtual reality music performances. Facebook’s (FB)Oculus Venues provides live VR experiences of comedy shows and sporting events, and it streamed a Billie Eilish concert in Madrid last year. NextVR produces “immersive music experiences” that are filmed in nightclubs and studios in addition to sporting events. According to reports, DJ Marshmello hosted millions of Fortnite players at his virtual concert last year.
The fact that there is still a relatively small market for dedicated VR headsets poses a problem for businesses streaming concerts. ABI Research, a tech market researcher, projects that the VR market will generate revenues of more than $24.5 billion by 2024, despite the fact that “VR has yet to live up to its early expectations.” In comparison, according to Newzoo, a market intelligence company, the global games market was worth approximately $149 billion in 2019.
However, some analysts predict a better future. “[The VR market] is likely to continue to grow, particularly as we see an increasing convergence of AR and VR gear, as well as prices continuing to drop and capabilities continuing to rise,” Scott Buchholz, the emerging tech research director at Deloitte.
MelodyVR claims that it will release its own VR headset this year for use with its phone app. Similar to other available smartphone headsets, this one will cost around $20 and use the user’s phone as the screen and speaker.
Hancock denied that live VR concerts might discourage fans from traveling to actual performances.
He stated, “If someone can go to a show, they will always.” However, despite all of the barriers that prevent people from attending live shows—such as distance, age, or cost—we realized that there might be a chance to break through those barriers and truly globalize music.
