The modern era of digital development has blurred the lines between land-based and online entertainment. Fans that once thought of live entertainment as distinct from the fun you can have online are quickly beginning to change their minds on the topic. Who can blame them when the latest trends all seem to be focused on making the digital experience as close to live entertainment as possible.
We can observe such trends in different sectors of the entertainment market. Even the iGaming industry is adapting to the new desire for live experiences online. We need look no further than the live casino and in-play betting options at Puntit to confirm that digital entertainment is moving in the direction of emulating live events. But we can see similar trends in music as well. The goal for this text is to examine how fans are taking the live experience beyond the stage.
Streaming Concerts
It is fair to say that the concert is the epicenter of the music industry. Most fans understand that musical artists make most of their money from touring and putting on live shows. Album sales and streaming services are great. But the money really lies in live show performances. It is understandable that many fans would therefore want to show their support for a favorite band or musician. But not everyone can attend a concert. Geographical and financial restrictions are often a big hurdle to overcome for concert-goers. That isn’t even mentioning the fans who deal with anxiety when exposed to big crowds.
The great news is that digital platforms have now made it possible to enjoy the concert experience from your own home. Streaming services have partnered up with some of the best and most popular music artists in hope of sharing their creativity with a broader fan base. This means that streaming platforms now have the right to broadcast a concert as it is taking place. Geographical and financial restrictions are no longer an issue for fans who want to experience the thrill of attending their favorite artist’s concert. That is if they have no issue with enjoying the show from their own home.
Some will argue that streaming a concert pales in comparison to actually attending one in person. But there are plenty of fans who would put forward the idea that moving live entertainment beyond the stage in such a manner may even be a superior experience. The concert halls tend to get overcrowded and may overstimulate certain patrons. The drinks and snacks, of which there aren’t many choices, are also often overpriced. The fan is in charge of their own experience when it comes to streamed concerts. We can’t blame anyone for choosing the home entertainment option in this case.
Virtual Venues
A marked example of a technological revolution is seeing how the new technology interacts with old concepts. Live entertainment and music are two of the oldest ways for a community to come together and have some fun. It is fascinating to see how modern technology is changing our very understanding of what a live concert even is. The most obvious example we can bring up here is the huge success of virtual venues.
Some will already have guessed that a virtual venue is a platform that allows musicians to host a live concert in the digital plain. These events have all of the benefits of live entertainment. They take place in real time and bring a large group of people together to chat and enjoy their favorite artists. But they also have quite a few advantages. Budgetary restraints are far lesser than you would imagine because the events are fully digital. Musicians can include gorgeous cinematic visuals to accompany their performances.
Perhaps the best example of a virtual venue event would be the Fortnite concert. Though to use the singular would not be correct in this case. Several musicians have hosted fully digital concerts in Fortnite in the past six or seven years. Stand outs include Ariana Grande and Travis Scott. Even Eminem has graced the digital battlefield of Fortnite during The Big Bang Event finale. Slim Shady tore the proverbial roof off the venue by pulling in record streaming numbers.
Virtual Reality Experience
The concept of an alternate and simulated reality has existed in human storytelling for millennia. But it wasn’t until the past century that science fiction writers came up with the concept of virtual reality. Could those early writers have imagined that their concepts would one day transcend the boundaries of fiction and become a contentious talking point in popular culture? We can’t say for sure what they believed. But what we do know is that VR is one of the most hotly debated topics of the modern era.
The technology is nowhere near to a point where it can provide us with realistic experiences at concert halls. But if the technology continues to change and grow then there may be a day when customers won’t need to leave their home in order to get the authentic concert experience. We are not talking about virtual venues or live streaming here. Imagine entering a fully-digitalized world where you can see or even feel the other attendees. The twist is that you are still at home with your VR headset operational.
But there are plenty of people in the modern age who are staunchly against the idea of virtual reality. Not everyone has been convinced that VR is going to be as realistic as what we’ve seen portrayed in classic science fiction films and novels. There are also plenty of people who are worried about the detrimental effects that an alternate reality VR setting could have on the human psyche. Why focus on the real world when you can get similar or even better experiences in the virtual space? These issues are far from the most important issue of the modern era. But they may become a lot more important in a decade or two.
