Given that BigTech is increasingly involved in the music metaverse, the intersection of music and virtual reality, there’s a need to highlight small companies that are potential disruptors. These five companies are making waves within the music metaverse and have the potential to disrupt the music industry.
Roblox
Roblox is an online gaming and game creation platform. The creation platform allows users to program games for other users to play. Unless purchasing virtual items during gameplay, Roblox is free to use.
Roblox builds the tools and platform that empower people to create their own immersive experiences, so that any world they can imagine can be brought to life. Our vision is to reimagine the way people come together to create, play, explore, learn, and connect with one another.
roblox.com
Roblox Music Metaverse Performances
Roblox made headlines by partnering with Insomniac, to make Electric Daisy Carnival the first music festival held in the Roblox Metaverse. World Party was the event name.
Real stages at EDC Vegas like cosmicMEADOW, circuitGROUNDS, and kineticFIELD were converted to virtual reality. Games were available to play within the World Party event and attendees were able to meet artists who visited in the metaverse.
World Party attendees experienced music and performances on metaverse virtual stages. The artists real life performances were converted to the virtual world on the Roblox platform. This was a big step for the music metaverse and music industry.
World Party Videos
Wave
Wave, formerly known as WaveVR, started as a virtual reality application for music shows and DJ sets. In 2019, Wave began helping artists create metaverse shows. These shows were available to stream in real-time on social media platforms such as TikTok, Twitch, YouTube, and Roblox.
“Waves” are the metaverse performances on the platform.
Waves are live, interactive and immersive shows that are unlike any virtual concert you have ever experienced. We combine the best of live music, gaming and broadcast technology to transform the live music experience.
wavexr.com
Waves, watchable on numerous viewing devices, are 30-60 minutes long. Viewers can use mobile devices, web browsers, and social streaming sites. Viewing Waves in VR provides the best and most immersive experience. Some Waves are also compatilble with VR web browsers.
Fans viewing live shows have the ability to participate and interact in the show. They can chat, vote on next steps for the show, and send virtual expressions.
Justin Bieber and Calvin Harris are two big name artists that have performed one Wave’s music metaverse platform. Check out their music videos on Wave.
Pixelynx Music Metaverse
Joel Zimmerman, aka deadmau5, and Richie Hawtin are two of the big name artists behind this music metaverse startup. Pixelynx was created as a “direct-to-avatar” company in 2021.
Direct-to-avatar allows clients to convert their brand into digitized collectibles for use in virtual and gaming worlds. For example, if a brand, or artist in the physical world has no presence in virtual worlds or the metaverse music world, Pixelynx will help facilitate the transition.
Our goal: create the most cohesive music metaverse that puts creators and fans at the heart of the ecosystem. Shaping the future of music creates a unique opportunity for technology. One which has the potential to reconfigure the rules of the game and revolutionize modern business practices.
pixelynx.io
Elynxir Mobile
Pixelynx’s announced Elynxir, their first mobile game, in May of 2022. Elynxir, which uses the same technology as Pokemon Go, creates a completely new style of gameplay and interaction in the music metaverse.
Elynxir is providing a new channel for the music industry to bring artists and fans closer together. Musicians have the ability to host host virtual worlds and shows for fans, offer exclusive music, create and customize interactive experiences, and offer collectible NFTs and virtual merch.
The Sandbox
The Sandbox is a metaverse platform that allows users to buy virtual land and create custom games and experiences. Ownership of virtual land purchased is the the form of a NFT (non-fungible-token). Although the digital world platform is not a music first platform, high profile artists have partnered with the platform to create music in the metaverse. A few high-profile musicians involved with The Sandbox are Snoop Dogg, deadmau5, and Steve Aoki.
How does The Sandbox work?
LAND are the virtual plots in The Sandbox. A parcel of LAND is a NFT; if you own the NFT, you own the virtual terrain.
How do you buy LAND?
You will need a crypto wallet, $SAND tokens and ethereum, and a Sandbox account. You can buy virtual property using the Sandbox map. Or you can purchase LAND for sale on secondary NFT marketplaces like OpenSea.
What can you build?
Developing LAND and its experience is up to your imagination. A concert venue, a business park, NFT art gallery, fashion shows are just a few ideas. In addition to the parcel, you can create the gameplay and avatars that fit with the experience you want to provide. LAND parcels can be rented, sold, and traded.
Music in the Sandbox Metaverse
Warner Music Group (WMG) has purchased property to create a music theme park and concert venue. Warner plans to have their roster of musicians host concerts and musical experiences on their property.
WMG created the World’s Biggest Demo Drop (WBDD), a Sandbox DJ competition. The event was run by Spinnin’ Records, an electronic dance music label affiliated with WMG. The competition offered an opportunity for select DJs to launch their music careers. Winners will have their tracks released on Spinnin’ Records or Musical Freedom and be offered as NFTs on LGND Music, a new music NFT platform.
Decentraland
Decentraland is a 3-D metaverse gaming platform that combines virtual reality and augmented reality. It’s similar to the Sandbox where users can purchase land, build environments and games, interact with other avatars, participate in events, and trade collectibles. The big difference with Decentraland is that its land NFTs cannot be purchased on marketplace NFT platforms like OpenSea.
There is a diverse selection of metaverse music events popping up all the time in Decentraland. Follow on Twitter @decentraland to keep up with the latest news.
Here are just a few highlights from EDM related events in the Decentraland metaverse.
Decentraland Metaverse Music Fesitval
Decentraland has made some big steps in terms of music in the metaverse and metaverse concerts. In 2021, Decentraland hosted its first ever music festival with five stages and over 80 artists participating. 3LAU and deadmau5 were some of the big EDM DJs headlining the festival.
The festival was open for anyone to attend even if one didn’t own any property or an avatar. However, buying merch at the event required a crypto wallet.
The 2022 Metaverse Music Festival was even larger with 15 stages and 150+ artists. Headliners included Ozzy Ozborne and Dillon Francis. Some of big stages included the Ozzfest Stage, Limewire stage, Dillon Francis Stage, Jerry Garcia Stage, Multi Techno Stage, and the OxArena (by Party Degenerates) Stage, all representing numerous music genres.
Amnesia Ibiza Music Metaverse
Amnesia Ibiza, one of most famous dance clubs, is the first ever Super-Club to launch in Decentraland. DJenerates, a DJ NFT project, sponsored the October 2021 launch party. Paul Van Dyk and Benny Benassi were a couple of the featured DJs kicking off the event.
Amnesia, reproduced in Decentraland, had three main rooms: the famous terrace, an open air space called Amnesia Arena, and a museum room displaying Ibiza related content. An Amnesia Decentraland store is available to purchase exclusive NFT merchandise.
Steve Aoki at Amnesia Ibiza
Steve Aoki was part of a clothing collaboration with fashion company Berksha in 2022. To celebrate the launch, Berksha live streamed one of Aoki’s HiROQuest parties from Amnesia Ibiza on Decentraland. The clothing line, inspired by the clubbing scene, brought the Ibiza vibe to the metaverse. The Amnesia Decentraland store had Berksha digital wearables to purchase. Berksha physical items were available to purchase online.
Future of the Music Industry
The bridge between in-real-life events and the metaverse has just started. As web3 technology evolves we will start to see more music creators, DJs, and major labels involved in the space. For all those who love EDM, hopefully we’ll start seeing more DJ’s, festivals, and clubs in the metaverse.
Read more: NFTs in the Music Industry | Steve Aoki – NFT Jukeboxes