LN unveils new augmented-reality products

Live Nation has unveiled a suite of new augmented-reality (AR) products designed to enable artists and brands to connect with fans at its festivals and concerts.

Revealed today (20 June) at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in France, the AR solutions include products allowing fans to stream events live, get festival line-up info, create custom festival photos and virtually experience being backstage.

The first brand to take advantage of the technology is Korean carmaker Hyundai, which will use the 25th Music Midtown festival in Atlanta, Georgia, to showcase its new Sonata model.

The five Live Nation AR products currently in development are:

• AR Livestream: By downloading a participating festival app (for example, Music Midtown), fans can click on the livestream and point their phone to a flat surface, on which a rotatable 3D, four-sided viewer will appear to view selected performances live from the festival
• AR VIP Access: Using 360° cameras, fans both on and off site will be able to virtually experience vantage points typically reserved for industry insiders, such as side stage, backstage and FOH sound desk
• AR Fest Lens: Users attending select festivals will be able to point their smartphone toward any of the stages and a line-up will appear identifying which artists will be performing, as well as upcoming acts, ensuring fans don’t miss their favourite artists
• AR Intermission: AR Intermission allows brands to “creatively reimagine what the stage can look like in between sets”, enabling corporate partners to create entertainment experiences for fans at concerts and festivals
• AR Photo Opp: AR Photo Opp identifies “iconic and/or branded backdrops” at festivals or venues, letting users take photos overlaid with 3D AR filters “that effectively blend the digital and physical worlds”

“More than 90% of live music fans globally say brands can enhance the live experience, and augmented reality presents endless opportunities,” says Kevin Chernett, Live Nation’s EVP of global partnerships and content distribution.

“The ability to drive culture through creativity while also adding value to fans allows brands to elevate expectations at live music events.”

Coachella, produced by rival promoter AEG, debuted its own AR experience at this year’s event, providing fans with AR filters that superimposed space-themed objects onto the Sahara stage and throughout the tent.

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