Today was a lightbulb kind of day for me. I have a friend who loves the idea of Web3 and the metaverse as much as I do and we send each other Instagram videos about the latest videos. Today he sent me a video about Miller Lite opening up a bar in Decentraland, check it out: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CZvxKCmlebe/ Some might say, well that's dumb, you can't drink actual beer here, and stop there. But that's not the point, is it? Here is what I see: I see an established brand giving Miller Lite drinkers a place to feel comfortable and to engage in a digital world. I see a place to hang out with friends who may be in other parts of the world, friends that maybe once upon a time you went to a bar to drink with. I see a place for live bands to play for the comfort of their home and find new fans outside of the local venues. I see a digital way to watch sports together. I see a place for gathering. And Miller Lite in our subconscious as we engage. Most importantly for me as a composer, foley, and voice-over artist, however ... is that I hear sounds. I hear a bartender that interacts with you through voice, I hear the sounds of others talking in the bar, I hear drums and the opening of ice-cold beer fridges. I hear immersion through audio and voice. Think about Youtube and its content creators for one moment. What do the most engaging and professional once have, besides great content? They have a recognizable brand. We can hear the type of music they use, the logo and the introductory sounds of their videos. Let's stay in the realm of the virtual and go with one of the biggest names in youtube gaming streaming for a second: Dr. Disrespect. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0EEPwyRWC4 I want to talk about the sounds, because well, hi, 'sound is our first language'. Apart from the long-term brand it creates, it engages the audience on an emotional level. The first 10 minutes don't even have any other interaction with Dr. Disrespect whatsoever. But as you get into a live stream, you see how much music, transitions in sound, sound effects create a world in which people stay to be entertained and watch. Now, imagine that this Youtube channel is a 2D version of the Metaverse. In this new 3D version of Youtube, we see so many more possibilities for better engagement, fans, and the use of audio to create immersion. (Decentraland below)
Rather than all the fans of the stream watching from a little chat screen, they can actually join the virtual world where Dr Disrespect's world resides. They can interact with each other, create a new community, games can be played, advertisers can sponsor events for the fans.
You could have ads that are all laying around the Dr. Disrespect world without interrupting the stream, creating the organic feel every single person who has ever watched an ad actually wants.
If you've stayed to read all this then you must know what this means for creators. It is a new avenue for more creativity and the need for our work will only increase. For us at Arcadian Sounds, it means we get to create music, unique sound effects and foley for worlds, and voices for your bartenders, or whatever you may need for the people checking out your world.
And I for one, can't wait.