How Sony made the future of music a (virtual) reality.
When it comes to pushing the boundaries of the live music experience, you need look no further than Sony Music.
While the pandemic positioned immersive (and streamed) concerts firmly in the public consciousness, it was Sony who were leading the charge long before then.
Yes, the upsurge in online activity over the last 18 months helped pave the way, but it’s businesses like Sony Music that make them a possibility.
A look back as far as 2017 proves they were already ahead of the curve; using Epic Games’ Unreal Engine to power immersive music experiences - such as Chainsmokers’ Paris.VR Virtual Reality app for PlayStation, amongst other things.
Then, in 2019, it would be Epic Games who would take the immersive music experience to new heights, when DJ and artist, Marshmello, played a live set to 10 million people in the video game Fortnite - a free experience for fans and players all over the world.
A live concert on a scale previously unheard of. Forget Glastonbury, Coachella, Reading, Lollapalooza. This was on another level. This was the future.
And it really was.
Just over a year later, we, and the entire world, would be locked in the confines of our own home, and somehow, the internet, gaming, VR had managed to become even more important than ever.
Of course, some will say all roads were inevitably leading to the at home and immersive experience. But how many brands can say they were ready yesterday? Sony Music were.
Their experience, connection with and stake in Epic Games has since seen them utilize the Unreal Engine to seriously-successful effect; driving over double Marshmello’s figures to their own Fortnite event, and launching the groundbreaking virtual phenomenon that was The Madison Beer Immersive Reality Concert Experience - an event that premiered on TikTok LIVE and and can now be watch on YouTube and other VR platforms.
With the company’s ‘One Sony’ initiative now in full effect - an initiative instigated by Sony Music Entertainment for that matter - the possibilities for immersive music collaboration across gaming, TV and film just got even bigger, and we really couldn’t be more excited.
Being slow to adapt is a critique that is sometimes levelled at the music industry and the companies that help shape it. In the case of Sony Music, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
When the world was sleeping on the immersive music experience, Sony Music were well and truly awake. And for that reason, they’re our BrandIcon for November 2021.
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