Beyond festivals or concerts in the metaverse, Web3 and NFTs offer new tools to artists, labels, venues and event organisers to make live experiences even more memorable. It’s only the beginning of the adventure, but some interesting uses are already emerging. Let’s decipher with three specialists who are immersed in music and blockchain technology
The metaverse, a new scene for musicians
When we talk about the relationship between live music and the Web3, we usually think of concerts in the metaverse.
In November 2022, for example, the Decentraland Metaverse Music Festival brought together more than 150 artists, including industry heavyweights such as Björk, Ozzy Osbourne, Soulja Boy, Motörhead, Dillon Francis and Megadeth. No need for a virtual reality headset or a ticket, just log on to Decentraland with a digital wallet to access the festival.
Don’t worry. We won’t say anything about your VIP experience the last weekend in @decentraland..
You choose to share this DCLMVMF22 Backstage RECAP with your friends to show them how’s partying in the metaverse pic.twitter.com/8B3jSp8NKr
– Polygonal Mind (@polygonalmind) November 15, 2022
I’m sure you’ll agree, it’s not as good as a real concert pit and its sweaty scent. Alone in front of a computer screen, the party necessarily seems less crazy. But rest assured, these virtual performances will never replace physical concerts. Think of them as new tools that allow musicians to offer their fans new experiences that are both fun and immersive.
Flavien Defraire, creator of the music and Web3 blog Le Son Dopamine and community manager of the Blockchain Game Alliance, is convinced that these new musical territories are worth the diversions:
“It’s a great way to get to know your fans.
It brings the worlds of music and video games together as one in terms of entertainment, but in no way does it replace a physical experience. They are two different and complementary things. For virtual music, we expect something unique, a sense of wonder with a “wow” effect. For a physical event, we are more looking for human contact, a direct link with the artist. I personally think that some people need both.
Virtual concerts as a complement to the real thing
Today, a handful of musicians generate revenue by performing in the metaverse, but it remains marginal. For the music industry, Web3 technologies are above all enabling the emergence of a new form of expression, of communication with fans. By relying on gaming elements and impressive visual effects, musical performances in the metaverse offer spectators original experiences that are impossible to reproduce in the real world.
The aim is not to replace live concerts, but to offer something different that is accessible worldwide. For people in remote areas who don’t have the opportunity to attend live concerts, it provides a more engaging experience than a simple live broadcast. We must not forget that we are only at the beginning of this technological revolution. Many uses remain to be refined and invented.
Among the musicians exploring the Web3 is a veteran musician who is always at the forefront of innovation: Jean-Michel Jarre.
In October 2022, he gave a series of special private concerts at the Palais Brongniart. He performed simultaneously in the real world and in the metaverse, in an imaginary city called Oxyville. Participants were equipped with a virtual reality headset for an ultra-immersive experience with 360° sound. It’s an amazing device, which he hopes to bring to the general public in 2023 and which represents a godsend for all those who will never be able to attend one of his unforgettable live performances.
To accompany the album, @jeanmicheljarre has created a world, “Oxyville”, in his musical metaverse: “I wanted to return to the sound material, and reserve the visual part for the metaverse. With a social and poetic dimension that we don’t talk about enough “le7930inter pic.twitter.com/fZcYl9iGXy
– France Inter (@franceinter) November 3, 2022
Perrine Guyomard, Business Development and Innovation Manager at Warner Music France, was one of the guests at Jean-Michel Jarre’s show at Palais Brongniart. She tells us how she lived this amazing sensory experience:
“During the show, the audience was able to hear the music.
During the concert, we walked around Oxyville, and for each piece we entered a new universe. It was amazing because we were all in the same room with our VR headsets on. I could hear people walking around my avatar, even though they were actually on the other side of the room. When you take the plunge into virtual reality, the promise is quite different, and it’s getting more and more interesting as the technology improves. We’re going to see haptic VR, where you can use your hands. I also expect a lot from mixed reality, which will make it possible to reinforce the emotions and visual effects without obscuring the real world and the audience. At Warner Music France, we are convinced that these uses are interesting and we support them. “
NFT ticketing has a future
Beyond the concerts themselves, Web3 technologies are already being adopted by many in the live music industry. Among the most compelling uses are concert tickets in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) with several advantages.
NFTs are designed to help better manage all aspects of concert ticket sales. They provide seamless security and traceability based on blockchain technology. Their use would therefore prevent fraud in over-the-counter sales by transparently displaying proof of the authenticity of tickets. In theory, to avoid black market speculation, they could even be price-locked by only allowing resale at face value until the concert.
The world’s leading online ticketing company Ticketmaster is already engaged in this revolution. It does not yet issue tickets in the form of NFTs, but it has taken a first step in this direction. For some time now, it has been offering live event organisers the possibility of issuing NFTs before, during and after concerts or shows, accessible only to ticket holders.
For all tour ticket holders.. check your email from @ticketmaster or @seatgeek to claim your free NFT from @BinanceUS and @Binance : https://t. co/BjlJm0qfbV pic.twitter.com/cDADEt7ZNz
– The Weeknd (@theweeknd) September 2, 2022
This is another way in which NFTs can enhance the experience of live music fans. They create a direct channel of communication between the artist and their community. It is a way to reward the most invested fans, by offering them free rewards or benefits upon presentation of the NFT that proves they attended the concert. This creates a feeling of belonging to a privileged fan club, which is the only one entitled to these rewards.
Perrine Guyomard sees a multitude of opportunities offered by these technologies
There are no more committed people than people who go to concerts, so that’s exactly the audience we’re going to want to bring closer to the artist. We’re going to allow them to attend sound checks, to meet their idol, to participate in an after show. And then with this NFT, they will be able to attest that they were present at the concert, a bit like in the old days with the concert tickets that were stuck on the fridge. It’s great because it brings together in one vehicle a whole host of uses that already existed. “
The live music industry is learning to tame the Web3
The way we experience live music will change as a result of blockchain technology. We will move from a crowd of passive spectators to smaller, but more involved communities in the concerts of their favourite musicians. So it’s only natural that fans should be rewarded for their involvement.
In line with this, the concept of “Party-to-Earn” emerged in 2022, where clubbers are rewarded for partying. One of the most advanced projects in this field, Klubcoin, has forged partnerships with famous clubs and key players in the electronic scene (Amnesia Ibiza, Bootshaus, Caprices Festival, DJ Mag, Festicket, Pacha Barcelona…). Partygoers who use the Klubcoin cryptocurrency with these players enjoy a number of benefits: cryptocurrency cashback for payments in Klubcoins, access to events in the real world or in the metaverse, participation in unique experiences, meetings with DJs, priority rights for NFTs airdrops, etc.
We’ve joined Klubcoin, the first cryptocurrency for all clubbers, festival goers and electronic music fans. Join our the community and earn cash back and rewards by just doing what we all love: partying!
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+Info: https://t.co/Nj4CuoQ5Ju pic.twitter.com/d3wc8gbG8X– Amnesia Ibiza (@Amnesia_Ibiza) December 2, 2022
Kevin Primicerio, CEO and co-founder of music NFT marketplace Pianity, emphasises this propensity to better identify and reward the most ardent fans without them having to divulge their personal data:
The goal is for the fan’s digital portfolio to be representative of their engagement with the artist. This is done both through the NFTs they buy, but also through the NFTs they get at the concerts they attend. For me, NFTs could be compared to real-world cookies: in exchange for my participation in an event, and the fact that I give the public address of my wallet, I am offered an NFT that has value. This will allow me to receive benefits left and right and to maintain a relationship over time. The user’s wallet will become a kind of meta-loyalty card that can be used in many different places. “
As you can see, like most sectors, the live music industry is in the process of taming Web3 technologies to enhance the experience of concert, festival and club goers.
In this still experimental sector, new concepts and ideas are constantly emerging. Some of them seem far-fetched, but who knows? Maybe in the not too distant future it will be commonplace to attend a concert in the metaverse by a group of anonymous people hiding behind their NFT avatars. We say maybe!
