How 5G technology could change the future of music

“Artists can now create entire digital worlds using the same technology used to create video games to bring their creative vision to life,” said Andrew Zarick, head of partnership activations at Verizon 5G Labs. “It completely changes the way artists interact with fans now and in the future. “

With the help of the program, rapper and singer TheHxliday designed a 360-degree virtual world that transformed from a desert landscape with bouncing moons to a lush forest with butterflies for his 20-minute performance of “La most beautiful disaster ”. With 5G, Verizon was able to record and stream performance in a way that almost eliminated the side effects of image compression visible to the naked eye.

Artist Asiahn used tools from 5G Labs to create an augmented reality experience for fans. The lab team used volumetric capture to create a holographic video performance of the Asiahn dance. As you play the clip, the app layers Asiahn in your own living room, bringing the artist into your personal space. Change the mode and you’ll see a Northern Lights display with lyrics scrolling as you play the song. In director mode, she’s in the room with you, talking about the video and the story behind it.

“This expansion of this digital 2D video into your physical 3D world is indicative of what we think the table stakes will change when you think about content,” Zarick said. “It’s not just about leaning back. It’s interactive, it’s immersive. And it’s starting to take entertainment from a single platform experience to a multiplatform experience, reaching fans wherever they are.

Collaborate across continents

The technology, coupled with the need for remote connections created by the COVID-19 pandemic, is also driving increased online music collaboration through platforms such as BandLab and Kompoz.

Musicians from all over the world meet remotely. The Veltrons, whose members are from London, upstate New York, Vancouver and San Francisco, met on the music collaboration app Endless and produced two albums, although they did not each other. never met in person.

While this type of online music collaboration is already in place, the high performance of 5G networks should make it more seamless, meaning fans could see more exciting collaborations in the future.

Allow everyone to create

While groups backed by big labels already have the resources to create incredible high-tech experiences for fans, 5G will help make music technology more accessible to everyone, Zarick said. We’re already halfway there.

“If you have an iPhone®, you are a filmmaker,” Zarick said. “So you can create your music video, you can post it on TikTok®, you can find a way to grow your audience. And by the way, this phone in your hand is starting to come with some amazing new features like the ability to do 3D scanning. “

“These tools are no longer just available to people who have money and access,” he said. And that could make a difference in the kind of music we all experience in the future.

“It’s really starting to spark a new wave of creators with new forms of creative expression,” Zarick said, “and starting to unlock new, sustainable ways to monetize their work.”

The role of Verizon 5G in musical innovations

Since a concerts 2019 with the Chainsmokers, Verizon explored what 5G can do for music. Whether through collaborations such as the Emerging Artists program, 5G implementations in stadiums and venues across the country, or other new and exciting applications, Verizon will continue to advance the future of music technology. .

Learn more about how the Verizon 5G Laboratories help artists, innovators and others harness the power of 5G.

¹emarketer.com/content/how-5g-will-change-media-entertainment-and-marketing

² Samantha Hissong, “5G could be the future of concerts. Not really. ”Rolling Stone, May 18, 2021.