If you keep even a bit of interest in music, you might have heard of the term ’streaming’. Streaming was the major savior of the music industry back in 2016, and since then, the industry witnessed a continuous growth in revenue, thanks to services like Spotify and Apple Music. It’s a fact that streaming has made music more accessible than ever before, but if the music industry truly wants to survive, it must offer engaging and emotional experiences to music lovers through digital technology, and that’s where the augmented reality steps in the “music industry”.
Augmented reality has traveled a long distance to reach science-based reality from a concept of science-fiction. Augmented reality has ingrained in many industries and music industry has not remained untouchable. Though the adoption is slow as compared to other industries. You most probably heard the first strain of music when you were a kid. Since then, music has helped you relax! Helped you work and exercise! Helped you celebrate! And supported you in grief!
Now, augmented reality has entirely changed the scenario for the music industry. In the era of music festivals, high-budget concerts, and mega-music tours, musicians and associated companies are looking for new ways for making a splash in the industry. In the competition of creating the most memorable shows and concerts, artists are increasingly experimenting with bringing augmented reality into artistic visions and presentations. The artists are trying a hand at innovative stage design and special effects with new technology. Show promoters are adding value to live performances with augmented reality making it more exciting for public.
Millennials now prefer to spend more on experience and events over objects. These millennials look for value in these experiences bringing technology like augmented reality at the forefront of innovation in the world of music. Keeping in mind the need of the fans, industry professionals and artists are taking a leap of faith into new concepts for developing innovative ways of using augmented reality in the music world.
Bjork, and several other musicians have used this technology for offering something more than just music to their fans. The most popular Album- Scream of MJ was re-mixed with AR. Also, the companies are bringing new apps into existence for enhancing musicality and real-life interactions. For example, in January 2019, Music.iLuv, launched new mobile AR social musical application for future artists to create, practice and play music in a fun and affordable AR environment.
London-based rapper Tino Kamal released a music video for his single V.I.P. in August 2019. The music video features volumetric video that is filmed with Mixed Reality Capture technology of Microsoft at Dimension Studios, London. The technology is also capable of facilitating future augmented reality experiences. Last year, Eminem also demonstrated how this experience can be executed within a mobile application.
The annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is one of the shows that is the most talked about by the people and utilization of augmented reality in such shows hit the headlines. The ’rap god’ Eminem has launched his own dedicated AR app for iOS and Android at Coachella in 2018. The app offers a pair of experiences that involve the artist complemented by the snippets of his music.
Experience 1: A super-sized Eminem towering over a skyline, with helicopters surrounding him.
Experience 2: The app opens a virtual portal to a stage in the desert.
In addition, another experience will arrive in the future update of the app. The experience will be titled as “Stan’s Basement,”. Concerts and music festivals create great opportunities for musicians and artists for showing their true potential. Music fests and concerts connect them with their fans and followers. Introducing augmented reality in the world of music is an interesting combo to the music fans. Music festivals like Coachella in the US have started adding such augmented reality to their shows. Just imagine! You are attending a concert of your favorite band and watching lyrics floating over your head! Or imagine that you are watching videos seeming as if the artist is performing right in front of you. All these can be made possible by harnessing AR in music world.
