Kelly Clarkson, Jamiroquai added to virtual reality platform
MelodyVR, the only licensed music virtual reality (VR) company, has partnered with four new artists, bringing shows from Kelly Clarkson, Jamiroquai, Bullet For My Valentine and Plan B to its platform.
MelodyVR captured Clarkson’s recent hometown show in Dallas, allowing viewers to watch the show from nine different perspectives, including from on stage, through the MelodyVR app on participating VR headsets.
Clarkson, who describes the the experience of watching the VR shows as “weird, but awesome”, says the VR platform is a good way for fans who are unable to attend her concerts to see the show.
“I’m pleased to be able to share this show in an exciting and immersive way, thanks to the team at MelodyVR”
The music VR company teamed up with Jamiroquai at London’s O2 Arena (20,000-cap.). Lead singer Jay Kay comments: “The O2 has always been a special gig for me, and the last two were no exception. I’m pleased to be able to share this show with you in an exciting and immersive way, thanks to the team at MelodyVR.”
Bullet For My Valentine’s Alexandra Palace (10,400-cap.) concert and Plan B’s O2 Brixton Academy (4,920-cap.) show also appear on the VR platform.
MelodyVR has broadcast multiple performances since its first ‘Live in VR’ event in December 2018. The company has partnered with a range of international artists to build a library of virtual reality music experiences. Shows by the Streets, Thomas Rhett, Rudimental, Calum Scott and the Horrors appeared on the platform earlier this year.
The MelodyVR app is available on Oculus Go and GearVR devices.
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Ticketmaster partners with Comcast to sell tickets through cable TV
In what has been labelled an “industry-first,” Ticketmaster has announced a partnership with US-based telecommunications company Comcast to enable prospective concertgoers to purchase tickets directly through their television screens.
Comcast Xfinity X1 subscribers will be able to search nearby concerts and upcoming dates and “request” tickets through their TV’s set top box. Once requested, a text message code is sent to users, who are able to finalise their purchase online.
The 2019 The Meaning of Life tour from American singer Kelly Clarkson is the first to be promoted through the service. Using the X1’s voice control feature, users can say “Kelly Clarkson Tour” into their remote and be redirected to a Clarkson-specific screen with access to exclusive presale tickets. The two companies have confirmed the integration will be rolled out across a number of concerts in the future.
“This partnership with Comcast is a groundbreaking way to discover events and buy tickets.”
Speaking about this newest partnership, Ticketmaster’s senior vice president and general manager for distributed commerce Dan Armstrong comments, “Our team is always thinking of new ways to reach more fans by extending Ticketmaster’s open platform.
“This partnership with Comcast is a groundbreaking way to discover events and buy tickets.”
This newest feature is the latest technological expansion for Ticketmaster. Last month, Ticketmaster partnered with Samsung’s Bixby virtual assistant to allow users to purchase tickets via the voice control feature on their smartphones. Additionally, the ticketing platform also has third-party integrations with Facebook, Spotify, Groupon, BandsinTown and Youtube.
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KC goes live with new Facebook streaming service
Kelly Clarkson has become the first high-profile artist to take advantage of Facebook’s recently introduced Live feature, launching a week-long series of mini-concerts live-streamed from the singer’s home to her 15 million+ Facebook fans.
Kicking off on Monday with a cover of Otis Redding’s ‘These Arms of Mine’ and continuing yesterday with Foreigner’s ‘I Want to Know What Love Is’, the American Idol winner’s five #KCgoesLIVE concerts are designed to build hype for a big announcement (her “coolest” one ever, she says) on Friday.
“Instead of doing a boring press release, I thought it would be cool to do something kind of my style to announce something,” she says. Monday’s concert has so far been viewed over 1.5m times, while Tuesday’s is currently on 1.1m.
“Instead of doing a boring press release, I thought it would be cool to do something kind of my style to announce something”
Facebook Live is a direct competitor to Twitter’s standalone live video service, Periscope (it of accidentally streaming The Cure fame).
Facebook’s EMEA vice-president in Europe, Nicola Mendelsohn, last week told Forbes that the social network would likely be “all video” by 2021.
In December Facebook announced that ticketing companies would be able to sell directly tickets through its event pages. So far Ticketmaster, Eventbrite and white-label service Ticketbud have implemented the functionality.
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