Augmented Reality for Music Marketing and Live Streaming

We are now living in an attention economy where it is increasingly challenging to effectively engage consumers. In the music industry, advertising and promotion efforts are further complicated by a landscape in which fans are saturated with options for experiencing music, usually for free. These two factors make it critical for music promoters and marketers to seek innovative methods for engaging the consumer. One increasingly popular technique for capturing consumer attention involves the use of augmented reality technology. For the unfamiliar, augmented reality (AR) essentially overlays information on a live view of the real world, usually through a device’s camera.
Though the technology has been in research and development for decades, it has recently become mainstream largely due to the FLARToolkit which enables the development of web sites in which visitors can experience AR with a webcam. Over the past year, augmented reality has been featured in a number of high profile web campaigns for BMW, Doritos, and GE among many others.  It was also used throughout a recent issue of Esquire magazine.
Considering this trend, I recently explored how AR could be used in the context of the music business by developing a series of demos. These experiments described below illustrate how AR can be utilized for both music marketing efforts and live streamed interviews and performances.

Interactive Album Cover (AR Album Cover)

• -Special markers are printed on the front or back of an album cover.

• -Fans visit a website and hold the marker in front of a webcam.

• -An album cover is transformed into a music video and a 3D photo cube.

• -Could be used to showcase exclusive video and audio content only available in augmented reality

• -Feature could encourage physical album sales.

• -Try it out here.

Interactive Promotional Flyer (AR Flyer)

• -Special markers are printed on the front or back of a promo flyer.

• -Fans visit a website and hold the flyer marker in front of a webcam.

• -The flyer turns into a concert performed on your desk.

• -An AR flyer could be utilized to promote upcoming concerts with teaser performances.

• -Star musicians could use AR flyers to deliver special messages to fans.

• -Try it out here

Appear in a Concert With Your Favorite Artist

• -Interactive retail kiosks equipped live cameras and large screens could deliver augmented reality experiences in a store. Here’s an example.

• -Kiosks could promote a label’s roster by allowing fans to take photos and videos of themselves standing with augmented reality band members.

• -After registering on a website at the kiosk, fans could share these videos and photos with friends using e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, or e-mail.

• -Try it out here.

Live Streaming Visual Effects

• -Live streaming of artist performances is becoming common with major acts such as the Foo Fighters and Tori Amos embracing it as a way to bring live music to their fans.

• -Where appropriate, AR techniques could be used to create virtual logos, pyrotechnics, back up dancers, and videowalls that appear on stage with an artist as their performances are streamed on the internet.

• -Could facilitate a low cost virtual set for web casting

• -Try it out here.

Conclusion

Currently, the most practical way to reach consumers with AR is through a webpage viewed on webcam equipped computers. The reach of AR marketing and promotion will expand as the number of AR capable mobile phones and retail kiosks increase. The Apple iPhone along with most Android devices and many Nokia phones are technically capable of running fiducial marker based AR applications similar to those created with the FLARtoolkit. Furthermore, the increasing use of in store digital signage should encourage the profileration of AR capable retail kiosks.

Undoubtedly, AR is an attention grabbing consumer engagement technique. However, to prevent being dismissed as a technical gimmick, it must be smartly utilized in a way which delivers consumer value in the form of unique content and compelling interactive experiences.

Source : devblog.lp33.tv