Research shows that over 400 million users visit various metaverse platforms every month. Companies in the entertainment industry are aware of this data. Thus, they leverage different technologies and concepts to engage new and existing users.
The music industry is not left out. Recently, events have shown that some music superstars, record labels, and event companies are engaging fans with concerts and shows hosted in the metaverse.
This article will discuss (1) some musicians that are active in the metaverse, (2) metaverse platforms that offer music experiences, and (3) music NFT collections.
Artistes bringing Music to the metaverse
On April 23, 2020, Travis Scott performed a concert dubbed “the Astronomical Experience” in Fortnite. According to Epic games, over 27 million players participated in the memorable event. The ten-minute show began with an asteroid crashing into the ground, then Travis Scott came out and performed “Sicko Mode,” a popular song he initially performed with Drake.
Again, on August 6 and 8, Ariana Grande held a 3 days tour on Fortnite, which offered players a thrilling musical experience. Looking like a Fortnite character, Grande glided through the sky with an angelic wing, performing her 2019 hit song “7 rings”.
Subsequently, in February 2022, Foo Fighters hosted a 46 minutes metaverse concert in Meta’s metaverse platform, Horizon Worlds. Although some fans were not impressed with the concerts, it shows how creative musicians are becoming concerning how they entertain their fans.
Besides brining music to the metaverse, artistes also invest in virtual goods on metaverse platforms. For instance, Snoop Dogg replicated his physical mansion on the virtual estate he acquired in The Sandbox metaverse.
Also, he is expanding his digital world into what he called “Snoop Verse,” where his fans can purchase tickets to private parties. Not long ago, a fan of Snoop Dogg paid $450,000 to be his next-door metaverse neighbor.
In addition, a Lady Gaga music pack is available on Beat Saber, a popular virtual reality game. Her famous songs like Alejandro, Poker face, Paparazzi, etc., will keep players busy while they smash and dodge blocks with their sabers.
Besides these musicians, others like Justin Beiber, Lil Nas X, Post Marlone, Green Day, etc., are entering the virtual space with unique styles.
Metaverse platform offering music experiences.
Gala Games’ Metaverse Music experience
It is safe to refer to Gala Music as the first decentralized recording platform. It offers artists and fans a one-of-a-kind metaverse music experience.
For example, in February 2022, rapper Snoop Dogg released an album, “BODR” (Bacc on Death Row), which was be exclusively available on Gala Games for a day.
Interestingly, fans had the chance to collect a total of 25,000 boxes at $500 per box. Each box contained a random track from the album. Also, there were only 1470 NFTs for each song. Gala Games rewarded holders of Snoop Dogg music NFTs.
Wave
A Los Angeles-based company, Wave, has been hosting DJs in the metaverse to perform shows for people worldwide long before Marshmallow performed on Fortnite.
The interactive, virtual concert platform aims to help connect artists and their fans with metaverse music. Justin Beiber, John Legend, and Galantis are among various artists who have performed on Wave.
Roblox
Roblox is an online video gaming platform built by players. It allows you to design games that other gamers can play for free. These players can buy some in-game items using the Robox currency.
Roblox has hosted music celebrities such as Lil Nas X, Charli XCX, and Twenty-One Pilots. These concerts have left Roblox gamers and other fans thrilling and immersive music experiences.
Music NFT collections
Kings of Leon “When You See Yourself” NFT
The Kings of Leon music band announced in March 2021 that it would launch its latest album, “When You See Yourself,” as music NFT. The band will release three types of tokens, each with unique features. The first type allows holders have access to some Special Lab packages.
Meanwhile, the second NFT collection gives holders lifetime access to the front seat of all live shows of the band. Further, the third sets of NFTs are exclusive audiovisual artworks.
Jacques Greene “promise” NFTs track.
In February 2021, Jacques Greene decided to auction the publishing right of his next song titled “Promise” through Foundation, a digital art marketplace. Eventually, the auction sold for a bid of $23,000.
Justin Blau (3LAU) Ultraviolet Music NFT
The electronic dance music star has been selling music NFTs since late 2020. Later, in February 2021, he sold a catalog of 33 music NFTs named “Ultraviolet” for a whopping $11.3 million.
It took only three days for the auction to select the highest bidder. This successful event moved Blau to announce in August that he plans to set up “Royal,” a music NFT platform. The platform would allow music NFT holders to earn royalties from songs.
Don Diablo “Destination Hexagona” music NFT
Don Diablo, a Dutch DJ, listed “Destination Hexagona,” an entire concert film on the Super Rare NFT marketplace. Through an auction, a fan won the highest bid to purchase the digital art for $1.26 million. The buyer received the masterpiece on a USB stick.
Final Thoughts
So far, this article has analyzed the vital role of music in the metaverse. Musicians have leveraged various metaverse platforms to host shows and perform concerts.
Furthermore, different artists have delved into music NFTs as another way to reach more audiences and improve their income stream. Fans of these superstars have also experienced sensational moments when they meet them one-on-one in the metaverse.
As the metaverse takes a broader shape, more musicians will likely embrace it. Likewise, music in the metaverse will make the virtual space more immersive.
