Ever since the pandemic hit the world, most of us were pushed to consume our music mainly through streaming. While there’s nothing wrong with that, it does make us miss the feeling of being in a live concert.
The good news is, that recent advancements in technology have made it possible to bring the concert experience into the virtual world. That has given rise to what we call “virtual concerts” or “metaverse concerts.”
The Recent Virtual Concert Frenzy
Let’s rewind all of this and go back to 2017. We were still three years away from the pandemic. The rock band, Sigur Rós, and a billion-dollar startup Magic Leap have come up with a new virtual experience that took concert-goers into a whole new world.
However, their VR headset flopped upon release, and the project was ultimately a commercial failure.
But, that didn’t stop other artists and companies from trying to experiment with the concept of virtual concerts. That’s when the pandemic hit us. In April 2020, Epic games managed to get the world’s attention by hosting a Travis Scott concert inside their game Fortnite.
The event attracted nearly 28 million Fortnite players and was deemed a huge success.
Not to be outdone by their competitors, Roblox hosted a Lil Nas X virtual event, which was seen live by more than 33 million people. All of a sudden, hosting concerts in the Metaverse didn’t seem so crazy after all.
What Does a Concert Look in the Metaverse?
So, what do these concerts actually look like? Well, it all depends on the platform you’re using.
In these game-centric platforms like Fortnite and Roblox, the concerts are set inside the game, with the artist performing on a digital stage. These events are limited by the game engine graphics, which might not be the most realistic.
However, that’s not the end goal. The goal is to create an immersive experience that will make you feel like you’re inside the concert.
Custom concerts like Megan Thee Stallion’s Enter Thee Hottieverse, where users put on a headset to enter a 360-degree virtual world that is specifically designed for the concert. This allows for a more realistic and immersive experience.
Where Will All of This Take Us?
While some may feel like technology is forcing people to stay home and experience music through digital platforms, the reality is people are doing this all on their own.
The thing is, even before the pandemic hit, people were attending live events less and less. In a 2018 Neilsen report, it was cited that the average number of people attending concerts has dropped across all generations.
In a few years, attending a concert in the Metaverse might become the norm. And, we might even see new platforms that are specifically designed for hosting these types of events.
Closing Thoughts
When you think about it, this has been a long time coming. We’ve been slowly but surely moving towards a more digital world.
The pandemic might have just accelerated this trend. So, the next time you’re feeling like you miss the feeling of being in a live concert, don’t worry. You can just attend one virtually.
