Percussionist Bickram Ghosh and sitar player Purbayan Chatterjee are among many others who have taken the virtual plunge, creating masterclasses, jam sessions and one-on-one fan connect on immersive platforms
Travis Scott, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, David Guetta and even Daler Mehndi -all have performed in the metaverse as avatars in recent years.The future of music in Web3 and the metaverse was much bandied about during the pandemic, when Covid-19 induced lockdowns made offline concert-hopping a no-go show. And now that Generative AI has all but taken over our lives, exciting Web3 startups in the music tech space are keeping the conversation alive around NFTs, virtual concerts and much more.
“In the current digital landscape -where revenue from music streaming is scant for a significant number of artistes and discovery of music is getting tougher by the day — it is crucial for artistes to engage with their fans on their own terms, on their own platform. Web3 not only gives them the chance to be independent, but also allows a certain level of autonomy,” says Shatadru Sarkar, founder of Metastar Media which has come up with an immersive platform called Artisteverse.
Artisteverse aims to leverage immersive tech and Web3 innovations to bridge the gaps in traditional entertainment platforms. Imagined as a ‘Direct to Fan’ platform to help artistes better engage and monetize their core fan base, Artisteverse combines audio streaming, e-commerce, fan engagement and the metaverse to give them a custom-made virtual stage. As a one-stop-shop destination, Artisteverse will offer exclusive music videos, signature merchandise, endorsed instruments, VIP passes to concerts, NFTs and exclusive chats with artistes among other benefits.
“For fans, it is all about getting exclusive access to music, along with a host of additional features, perks and rewards not available anywhere else, directly from the artist they love. We want to bring the fans into the artist’s creative world and help foster a deeper connection that is not possible on existing streaming or social platforms,” Sarkar adds.
Percussionist Bickram Ghosh and singer-songwriter Manasi Scott are the early birds in this music tech space. Last year, both unveiled their custom-designed virtual space. Ghosh, who is back as the curator of the music section at the Serendipity Arts Festival this year, says, “My albums and film songs are available everywhere, across all platforms. Planetbickram has that and everything else that I want to share with my fans and followers. All that they will not find on any other streaming or social media platform. There is a karaoke studio where fans can record their versions of my songs as well.”
He will not just be releasing exclusive music on the platform. There will be masterclasses and tips for budding musicians too, from Ghosh’s learnings after having spent 35 years in the music industry.
Sitar player Purbayan Chatterjee, who launched Classicool.in, a fully immersive and interactive 3D metaverse platform, on April 12, shares, “The listener or a fan of a particular artiste can directly enter the artiste’s world — it’s almost like welcoming your fan into your own living room. And from there, they can access different rooms showcasing different elements of your work. The fan can get a direct preview not only of your craft but of your personality as well.”
Such showcasing has its own benefits, says Chatterjee. One can reach out to fans directly, without the need to embed information and content into third party apps. He is the first sitar player to enter the metaverse. “Another feature that will be a lot of fun is getting into my virtual studio and jamming along to the backing tracks of the songs I have created in the past. We have also integrated my music academy PAAMF on the platform, allowing budding sitar players and students across the globe to connect with us online. There is an induction course to Indian classical music as well,” he adds.
Travis Scott, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, David Guetta and even Daler Mehndi -all have performed in the metaverse as avatars in recent years.The future of music in Web3 and the metaverse was much bandied about during the pandemic, when Covid-19 induced lockdowns made offline concert-hopping a no-go show. And now that Generative AI has all but taken over our lives, exciting Web3 startups in the music tech space are keeping the conversation alive around NFTs, virtual concerts and much more.
“In the current digital landscape -where revenue from music streaming is scant for a significant number of artistes and discovery of music is getting tougher by the day — it is crucial for artistes to engage with their fans on their own terms, on their own platform. Web3 not only gives them the chance to be independent, but also allows a certain level of autonomy,” says Shatadru Sarkar, founder of Metastar Media which has come up with an immersive platform called Artisteverse.
Artisteverse aims to leverage immersive tech and Web3 innovations to bridge the gaps in traditional entertainment platforms. Imagined as a ‘Direct to Fan’ platform to help artistes better engage and monetize their core fan base, Artisteverse combines audio streaming, e-commerce, fan engagement and the metaverse to give them a custom-made virtual stage. As a one-stop-shop destination, Artisteverse will offer exclusive music videos, signature merchandise, endorsed instruments, VIP passes to concerts, NFTs and exclusive chats with artistes among other benefits.
“For fans, it is all about getting exclusive access to music, along with a host of additional features, perks and rewards not available anywhere else, directly from the artist they love. We want to bring the fans into the artist’s creative world and help foster a deeper connection that is not possible on existing streaming or social platforms,” Sarkar adds.
Percussionist Bickram Ghosh and singer-songwriter Manasi Scott are the early birds in this music tech space. Last year, both unveiled their custom-designed virtual space. Ghosh, who is back as the curator of the music section at the Serendipity Arts Festival this year, says, “My albums and film songs are available everywhere, across all platforms. Planetbickram has that and everything else that I want to share with my fans and followers. All that they will not find on any other streaming or social media platform. There is a karaoke studio where fans can record their versions of my songs as well.”
He will not just be releasing exclusive music on the platform. There will be masterclasses and tips for budding musicians too, from Ghosh’s learnings after having spent 35 years in the music industry.
Sitar player Purbayan Chatterjee, who launched Classicool.in, a fully immersive and interactive 3D metaverse platform, on April 12, shares, “The listener or a fan of a particular artiste can directly enter the artiste’s world — it’s almost like welcoming your fan into your own living room. And from there, they can access different rooms showcasing different elements of your work. The fan can get a direct preview not only of your craft but of your personality as well.”
Such showcasing has its own benefits, says Chatterjee. One can reach out to fans directly, without the need to embed information and content into third party apps. He is the first sitar player to enter the metaverse. “Another feature that will be a lot of fun is getting into my virtual studio and jamming along to the backing tracks of the songs I have created in the past. We have also integrated my music academy PAAMF on the platform, allowing budding sitar players and students across the globe to connect with us online. There is an induction course to Indian classical music as well,” he adds.
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