Teaming with Warner Music Group, the company is gamifying concerts to reach Gen Z and Gen Alpha fans.
Bebe Rexha is the latest musical act to join a growing market for metaverse concerts.
LA-based developer Gamefam has partnered with Warner Music Group (WMG) to develop a free virtual concert headlined by the popstar that will launch in Warner’s music-themed Roblox world Harmony Hills on July 28, and re-run throughout the weekend.
This new collaboration with WMG strengthens Roblox’s position as a leader in the virtual concert space for younger demos like under-13s, who made up 47% of its daily active users in Q2 2022, according to its financial report for the quarter.
Rexha herself is popular among kids, recently performing her Grammy-nominated single “I’m Good (Blue)” at the 2023 Kids’ Choice Awards. Her discography includes a song for Disney’s Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019) and songwriting credits for artists like Selena Gomez, Eminem and Nick Jonas.
She joins acts like Elton John and Lil Nas X, who have already done virtual concerts. This growing market has demonstrated strong potential to capture the kids and teen demos, says Gamefam’s chief business officer Ricardo Briceno.
“Metaverse concerts allow both up-and-coming and well-known artists to cultivate relationships with a new generation of Gen Z and Gen Alpha fans,” he says. “In a single weekend, they can reach millions of fans—many more than some of the largest concert tours.”
Rexha’s concert is Gamefam’s latest effort to bridge music and the metaverse. Most recently, it teamed with WMG to launch a family-friendly SuperBowl concert in February with hip-hop artist Saweetie. (According to Gamefam, the show generated 7.5 million visits in a week, plus a 96% player rating, making it the highest-rated Roblox concert to date.)
Virtual shows are not only more affordable than real-life concerts, but they also offer opportunities for interactivity, which is what makes them so appealing to kids, says Briceno.
In Rexha’s concert (pictured below), 1970s-themed sets will transform based on each song, and concert-goers can also go on scavenger hunts during the show to unlock virtual rewards. “We take players on gamified, narrative musical journeys where they can engage with their friends while actively participating in the performance,” says Briceno.
In a bid to attract more brands and simplify the process of foraying onto the platform, Roblox unveiled a new program last month to connect IP owners with game developers, creators and ad companies that are experienced in reaching Roblox audiences.
