Virtual Music News — October 2020

4 min readNov 9, 2020

As we head into the final months of 2020, artists and fans continue to create new ways to connecting virtually. Check out the major VR, AR and spatial audio music announcements from October below.

Augmented Reality Music News

Billie Eilish's Virtual Concert Is the Rare Livestream Done RightEight months into live music's pandemic-mandated shutdown, can livestreams offer anything we haven't already seen…
www.rollingstone.com

Sam Smith Reveals Immersive Hologram Video for 'Diamonds' on SpotifyAs Sam Smith gears up to release their new album Love Goes, the singer has released a 3D visual for " Diamonds" on…
www.rollingstone.com

Offset To Transform Into A Hologram For AXR+EXP Global Virtual Concert Series — AllHipHop.com(AllHipHop News) With the COVID-19 pandemic still affecting most of the world, recording artists are establishing…
www.google.com

ABC News RadioGoo Goo Dolls had to reschedule their tour for next summer, but to tide fans over, they’re prepping a livestream…
abcnewsradioonline.com

Smule adds Snapchat lenses to its AutoRap music appMusic apps firm Smule is the latest company to use the Snap Camera Kit launched by Snapchat’s parent company. Smule has…
musically.com

Martin Garrix Reveals Custom Postage Stamp That Gives Access to Private Augmented Reality…One fact you may not know about Martin Garrix is that he has a special affinity towards stamps. While he’s referenced it…
edm.com

Whitney Houston hologram used without permission from estate | NMEA hologram of the late Whitney Houston has been used in a livestream show — without permission from her estate. Hologram…
www.nme.com

Real Estate perform “Gone” live from a refrigerator in new music video | News | Domino“wistful melodies, guitar-driven grooves, and an all-encompassing warm vibe, but it’s strikingly more adventurous.” -…
www.dominomusic.com

Virtual Reality Music News

Janelle Monae Transforms Into a 3D Avatar for VR 'Lovecraft Country' Performanceby Stephen Daw, Billboard For a show as wonderfully weird as HBO's Lovecraft Country, the celebration around the finale…
www.hollywoodreporter.com

Alden Richards to hold virtual reality concert'Alden's Reality' lets fans get as close to the star as possible - virtually
www.rappler.com

$100m-backed VR platform Sensorium Galaxy partners with superstar DJ Carl Cox - Music Business…Superstar DJ Carl Cox has been named as the latest artist to join Sensorium Corporation, the 'social VR platform' owned…
www.musicbusinessworldwide.com

Tidal Partners With Facebook's Oculus for VR ConcertsWith the coronavirus pandemic having essentially shifted the entire live touring business into the digital realm…
www.billboard.com

Charli XCX to kick off Oculus and Tidal's VR concerts seriesWe knew that Tidal and Facebook's Oculus were working together on plans for some virtual reality concerts. Now we know…
musically.com

VR headsets let musicians play virtual gigs at iconic London venuesusicians could soon be playing virtual gigs at some of London's biggest venues thanks to pioneering technology. The VR…
www.standard.co.uk

DropLabs' EP-01 speaker shoes make for an excellent VR accessoryA good set of headphones is key for boosting immersion in a VR game. I didn't realize that a nice pair of shoes could…
www.theverge.com

BTS's Virtual Concert, Map of the Soul ON:EThe Show that Won Big with Creative Technology by Sara Conway '21 A&E Co-Editor BTS's most recent title track, "On," has…
www.thecowl.com

Lisa Bielawa Presents BRICKYARD BROADCASTA spatialized work for hundreds of musicians that will have its world premiere in a Virtual Reality (VR) environment.
www.broadwayworld.com

Major Lazer Revives 2020 Show Through VR - EDMTunesMajor Lazer is reviving his world tour through an ArcRunner VR production platform on November 18. The trio is scheduled…
www.google.com

Inside Supersphere's Plan to Bring VR Concerts Into the MainstreamBusiness The company's new platform, ArcRunner, promises to make VR experiences more attainable than ever. On Sept. 30,…
www.billboard.com

Ex Harmonix Dev Releases Abstract VR Music Experience (m)ORPH On QuestJamie has been covering the VR industry since 2014 having come from a gaming and technology background. While he loves…
www.google.com

Virtual Beings

An Experimental Record Label Wants to Turn Animations Into Pop StarsAt the virtual Burning Man festival this year was an electronic artist named Xen - an emerging act who gave a trippy…
www.rollingstone.com

Spatial Audio

Apple’s new spatial audio feature turns the AirPods Pro into a home theater for your earsSince releasing them last year, Apple has quietly continued to improve upon the AirPods Pro with firmware updates that…
www.theverge.com

Apple's new AirPods Pro spatial audio feature is here, and it lives up to the hypeThis story is part of Apple Event, our full coverage of the latest news from Apple headquarters. When I first updated…
www.cnet.com

New Spotify patent reveals company's 3D Audio ambitions - Music Business WorldwideThere's a notable omission from Daniel Ek's mission statement for Spotify to become the world's No.1 audio platform: a…
www.musicbusinessworldwide.com

Upcoming Virtual Events

Armin van Buuren Announces Series of VR Performances via Sensorium GalaxyAs the global pandemic continues to delay the return of live music, artists have worked tirelessly to keep their virtual…
www.google.com

Virtual Music News — October 2020

Augmented Reality Music News

Billie Eilish's Virtual Concert Is the Rare Livestream Done Right

Eight months into live music's pandemic-mandated shutdown, can livestreams offer anything we haven't already seen…

Sam Smith Reveals Immersive Hologram Video for 'Diamonds' on Spotify

As Sam Smith gears up to release their new album Love Goes, the singer has released a 3D visual for " Diamonds" on…

Offset To Transform Into A Hologram For AXR+EXP Global Virtual Concert Series — AllHipHop.com

(AllHipHop News) With the COVID-19 pandemic still affecting most of the world, recording artists are establishing…

ABC News Radio

Goo Goo Dolls had to reschedule their tour for next summer, but to tide fans over, they’re prepping a livestream…

Smule adds Snapchat lenses to its AutoRap music app

Music apps firm Smule is the latest company to use the Snap Camera Kit launched by Snapchat’s parent company. Smule has…

Martin Garrix Reveals Custom Postage Stamp That Gives Access to Private Augmented Reality…

One fact you may not know about Martin Garrix is that he has a special affinity towards stamps. While he’s referenced it…

Whitney Houston hologram used without permission from estate | NME

A hologram of the late Whitney Houston has been used in a livestream show — without permission from her estate. Hologram…

Real Estate perform “Gone” live from a refrigerator in new music video | News | Domino

“wistful melodies, guitar-driven grooves, and an all-encompassing warm vibe, but it’s strikingly more adventurous.” -…

Virtual Reality Music News

Janelle Monae Transforms Into a 3D Avatar for VR 'Lovecraft Country' Performance

by Stephen Daw, Billboard For a show as wonderfully weird as HBO's Lovecraft Country, the celebration around the finale…

Alden Richards to hold virtual reality concert

'Alden's Reality' lets fans get as close to the star as possible - virtually

$100m-backed VR platform Sensorium Galaxy partners with superstar DJ Carl Cox - Music Business…

Superstar DJ Carl Cox has been named as the latest artist to join Sensorium Corporation, the 'social VR platform' owned…

Tidal Partners With Facebook's Oculus for VR Concerts

With the coronavirus pandemic having essentially shifted the entire live touring business into the digital realm…

Charli XCX to kick off Oculus and Tidal's VR concerts series

We knew that Tidal and Facebook's Oculus were working together on plans for some virtual reality concerts. Now we know…

VR headsets let musicians play virtual gigs at iconic London venues

usicians could soon be playing virtual gigs at some of London's biggest venues thanks to pioneering technology. The VR…

DropLabs' EP-01 speaker shoes make for an excellent VR accessory

A good set of headphones is key for boosting immersion in a VR game. I didn't realize that a nice pair of shoes could…

BTS's Virtual Concert, Map of the Soul ON:E

The Show that Won Big with Creative Technology by Sara Conway '21 A&E Co-Editor BTS's most recent title track, "On," has…

Lisa Bielawa Presents BRICKYARD BROADCAST

A spatialized work for hundreds of musicians that will have its world premiere in a Virtual Reality (VR) environment.

Major Lazer Revives 2020 Show Through VR - EDMTunes

Major Lazer is reviving his world tour through an ArcRunner VR production platform on November 18. The trio is scheduled…

Inside Supersphere's Plan to Bring VR Concerts Into the Mainstream

Business The company's new platform, ArcRunner, promises to make VR experiences more attainable than ever. On Sept. 30,…

Ex Harmonix Dev Releases Abstract VR Music Experience (m)ORPH On Quest

Jamie has been covering the VR industry since 2014 having come from a gaming and technology background. While he loves…

Virtual Beings

An Experimental Record Label Wants to Turn Animations Into Pop Stars

At the virtual Burning Man festival this year was an electronic artist named Xen - an emerging act who gave a trippy…

Spatial Audio

Apple’s new spatial audio feature turns the AirPods Pro into a home theater for your ears

Since releasing them last year, Apple has quietly continued to improve upon the AirPods Pro with firmware updates that…

Apple's new AirPods Pro spatial audio feature is here, and it lives up to the hype

This story is part of Apple Event, our full coverage of the latest news from Apple headquarters. When I first updated…

New Spotify patent reveals company's 3D Audio ambitions - Music Business Worldwide

There's a notable omission from Daniel Ek's mission statement for Spotify to become the world's No.1 audio platform: a…

Upcoming Virtual Events

Armin van Buuren Announces Series of VR Performances via Sensorium Galaxy

As the global pandemic continues to delay the return of live music, artists have worked tirelessly to keep their virtual…

Written by Amy LaMeyer