Nominees for first Metaverse Performance Category at the MTV Movie Awards
Weekly Tips & Tricks on negotiating The Metaverse with.....Pooky Amsterdam
"Music gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything" ~Plato 428 - 348 BC
While the above quote came from someone who was not born with any knowledge of The Metaverse, or even the electric guitar, his quote resonates as music gives soul, flight and life to us still. Music is defining one of the great applications for The Metaverse as well, and in a more profound way because it is a shared immersive experience. People are transported through VR or other headsets to the sound the collective light occupies, where all aspects of the music seem amplified.
Q: I want to see how far The Metaverse can take music. Any suggestions?
Picture a place where people from all over the world can hang out, listen to music and dance while not leaving the comfort of their home, or chair for that matter. Where the sound of music is so real, you and the music are one. Where every sensation around runs through your body. It doesn't get farther than that, but how to get it that far is the question, how to get people to the place where your music is playing? And can it be a more casual gig at a virtual club every week? Or does it have to be a concert recorded for something big, or bigger?
The increasingly large events in The Metaverse are exploding with important cultural milestones. In June, Samsung Superstar Galaxy had Robloxians living their Charli XCX pop star dream by performing, dancing and creating there. The top users got to actually be part of the stage in the virtual concert finale with her. And Her performance became one of The 1st Best Metaverse Performance nominations at The Video Music Awards! That is an absolute new bar which has been reached, a new era. And you can vote for your favorite here.
Warner Music and The Sandbox will play live in that Metaverse, most likely gaining plenty of new accounts through all kinds of advertising. Hearing a favorite artist with thousands of fans from everywhere on the globe, dancing, jumping, being part of the Live Moment and you are in your pajamas, but looking A-Mazing? Count me in! How about being able to send a text message to the Beib? Even if he never reads it you can text something in his proximity. Proximity is what the platform of the Metaverse allows in a way real life does not.
One that also involves a different and broader kind of fan base. People don't have to travel, get dressed to go out nor get a babysitter for the kids. Fans of course will come out for a performance anywhere, yet there is nothing more local than your preferred internet connection, and logging in to become completely engrossed will increasingly strike the right chord. People are taking part in events remembered like any in the physical world, with their musical heroes, larger than life and sometimes virtually on fire. These major recording artists while not actually onstage too are probably in their inner sanctum, focused, as in a live performance yet within the comfort of home studios.
Focus is another thing The Metaverse delivers, and intensifies in the delivery of music. Virtually we have entered this place with eyes and ears wide open and are not distracted by the usual suspects. We are there to take part in the experience. Our senses are employed in VR with both presence and what is presented right in front of us. It feels surrounded and moving, wrapped around our heads and wrapped around our eyes. We are "there" and the music fills us up going deep to our receptors.
Nightclubs are ubiquitous in virtual world environments. VRChat has Night City , there's Sugar Club in Dentraland and The Nightclub in AltspaceVR. Second Life has 376 listings for music venues, or build a private one around a video game like Club Qu with the right people of course. If the Metaverse you are in doesn't have one or one you like, perhaps you'll start one yourself. All it takes is a place to go, and of course music.
Then there's doing a set yourself for an audience of virtual friends / strangers, which can be really fulfilling and fun. If you do not have a million-dollar record contract, or just want a lower key musical evening, The Metaverse can provide that too. What do you want to do? With the right equipment put on a show of your favorite music? Want a Led Zep tribute concert? Get your Robert Plant look on and sing along in another form of Karaoke where you can become the singer while you present your own Stairway to Heaven.
If you have original songs or a set list, maybe you can get a playing gig by text messaging the venue owner of a location you have visited, and then sending them a link to demo. The Metaverse provides a way to reach people who might not otherwise have heard you playing at your kitchen table. It's a way of reaching a wide audience when not able to travel very far in real life.
You do have to have real chops, beyond a vanity appearance, becoming a real virtual artist with a following takes real talent. There is insane word of mouth inworld, if you are good, you can build a real following that can have legs.
There is incredibly beautiful music being made all the time, and more to come, finding those who are there to listen. That is a bonding feeling which strengthens our ties to one another, because you are moving people in such a direct manner. We are incredibly receptive to sound in a virtual environment.
The opportunity for accompanying visuals to augment your music with video is profound. The Metaverse is so rich a platform visually that it is an excellent place for making your own Music Video, which might not go to the VMAs but will be incredibly fun to do. You can post it on tiktok, snap, Instagram, youtube and / or Facebook. Using the platform of your chosen Metaverse allows you to be creative in so many ways, using resources that are available, some free like a dancing animation that comes with your avatar, and some for purchase from the in-Metaverse catalog. And it's a cool way to meet folks if you need some additional avatar actors too.
I even got to record my theme song in between two shows I was running weekly back in the day, and it still sounds and looks great. I'm Too Busy To Date Your Avatar was a whirlwind to make, populated with sets, friends and textures around me, plus I was fortunate to work with Bernard Draxtor on this classic. The Metaverse is a place where Kismet happens, and this is a testimony to that. It is possible and it is waiting for you. I can't wait to watch the VMA's this year, and haven't been this excited to see them ever!
If you have a question, please email info@pookymedia.com with Metaquette in the subject line.
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