As we cover the ongoing debate about YouTube and music, we’re seeing positive partnerships around the platform as well as negativity.
Take Warner Music’s decision to start filming artist interviews in 360 degrees, for distribution on YouTube as part of the buzz around virtual reality (VR).
First to get the treatment is Canadian artist Lights, who’s been interviewed about her favourite things while walking round a room containing them – with fans able to rotate the camera using their smartphone or Google Cardboard headset to look at them.
An interview may be a less whizzy use of VR than live performance footage, but it’s clear WMG is experimenting with the format.
“Fans have always wanted to get closer to the artists they love and VR 360 degree technology allows them to feel even closer now,” said WMG’s SVP of global marketing Beth Appleton. “This immersive interview with Lights is the first of many we’ll be shooting with artists across the WMG roster.”
Also interesting for us is the Pop Flash brand – or sub-brand since it appears to have emerged from WMG’s Topsify department – whose YouTube channel the Lights interview is published on, and which was quietly launched a year ago.
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