Spotify took its first steps into the metaverse in May 2022 with the launch of Spotify Island on gaming platform Roblox.
It has since added extensions devoted to K-Pop and hip-hop. Now it’s getting… Zekeys, Seahorns and Tambos? No, not the latest super-niche genres to emerge in the deeper corners of the streaming service.
These are virtual pets, each of which is crossed with a musical instrument. Players will be able to collect them by completing challenges dotted around the island.
That’s fun, and they launch today, but Music Ally is more interested in upcoming features with an even stronger musical focus.
Spotify is planning to launch a ‘Soundsphere’ on the island with a range of virtual musical “beatmakers, instruments, and equipment” for people to play with. There will also be a studio, called ‘Dashboard’, where they can create full tracks using beats and samples from Soundtrap.
Wait, that Soundtrap? The online music-making studio that Spotify just sold back to its founders five and a half years after acquiring it? That’ll be the one.
While Spotify Island’s Dashboard will have been in development before that sale was announced, it’s an indication that Spotify will continue working with Soundtrap as an independent company.
(Spotify has also published a blog post today promoting a Soundtrap partnership with producer Bad Snacks, so the parting of ways does appear to be amicable.)
The final new feature coming to Spotify Island is called Soundwaves, and it’s the most intriguing.
“Players will be able to grab a board and ride the waves of their favorite songs, tracks, Soundtrap mixes, and artist releases, with the waves changing in size, color, and intensity depending on the music,” is how Spotify described it.
Properly-licensed commercial music, in Roblox, as an interactive element for players? That’s quite a big step forward for the games platform, so we’ll be very interested in what tracks and artists are featured.
Spotify said that Soundsphere, Dashboard and Soundwaves will go live on its Roblox island “over the next couple of months”.
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