UX and Music: What Does The Future Hold?
The beginning of 2020 saw many of us prepare for a year like no other. For a lot of people, 2020 was supposed to be the year. The year of seeing new cities and countries, the year of spending more time with loved ones, the year of learning new things — the year of living more. That was until a global pandemic happened.
COVID-19 has shaken up every industry imaginable. The music industry in particular has suffered as live events were cancelled, leaving music artists’ income relying on streaming platforms and promoters and agencies wondering what to do next. However, ‘next’ is not enough, social distancing measures mean that the music industry is going to have to survey what to do for the future of music and live events, not just for the year ahead.
One thing that is certain is that design will play a crucial role in how we consume music, whether that is through streaming or the replacement of physical performances. At the beginning of lockdown phones were flooded with notifications from Instagram reminding people that yet another celebrity was making use of Instagram’s ‘Live’ feature to put on a performance for fans; enabling users to watch their favourite artists virtually from their own home.
Digital worlds took centre stage in April when video games, live events and artificial intelligence collided as Travis Scott performed virtual concerts on the online video game, Fortnite. The rapper’s sets were no longer than 10 minutes, but attracted more that 27 million players and provided phenomenal PR for Scott as the numbers of his social media channels climbed. His partnership with one of the world’s most popular games has issued one of many new post-pandemic experiences.
We spoke to the three upcoming artists from our last webinar on how the pandemic has affected their careers, and what they think the future will hold for the music industry:
Annie is a pop singer/songwriter who embodies powerful, heartfelt vocals with flamboyant style. As a teenager, she washed cars for singing lessons which then earned her a full scholarship to hone her skills at the Trinity College of Music.
How has the pandemic affected your career?
It’s helped me take a moment to learn technology sides that I had been trying to avoid, like learning to live stream properly. It’s also helped me meet many other musicians via Zoom chats that are held by other organisations and has encouraged me to do so much more and be more productive.
How important is technology and design to your career?
I’m starting to learn more about technology, algorithms rule the world for the most part; it’s so easy to live without tech, but so much easier to live with all the advantages it brings. With music and any presentation to the world design is key; it’s an offering of something similar and offers a window of excitement regardless of the type of design that comfort breeds trust and is half the way to gaining attention for longer than if without. I think about design for my artwork, photos, styling, website, business cards and the way I create music is a design. They call it sound design when it’s music set to a visual but audio alone, when done with intention is a design where each element operates in the same way as a visual design.
What do you think the future for live events will be like? Is this something that excites or scares you?
I think live events and festivals will go back to what they are. I have seen tours continue as a live stream only available within the scheduled territories and on scheduled dates, this I think is a smart way to continue touring and reach audiences especially for new and low funded tours to continue. Technology has made it so easy and quick to obtain, there is a chance to tailor performances for each territory with minimal cost and I’m very excited for change as it feels accessible for everyone to get a piece of the pie.
Neela Germaine is a singer who loves anything from ASAP Rocky to David Bowie, and uses singing as a way to be in charge of her emotional expressions.. She has fond memories of singing along to her parents’ music which has shaped her love for music that sparks memories, moods and moments.
How has the pandemic affected your career?
In many ways positively, it’s given me time to focus, reflect and find my feet, but it’s also created opportunities and chances to expand, explore and connect in different ways. It’s also encouraged me to play my instrument and try different ways to perform — I’m not always going to be able to have people to play or perform with so it’s good to be able to do as much for yourself as possible; now we have the time to learn new skills.
What do you think are the current challenges for musicians?
It can seem limiting and scary when platforms you’re used to working with or ways of reaching your audience have been closed. I think the challenge is finding ways to reconnect and be accessible and successful in a way that works with the current climate. There’s also that organic energy and feeling at a gig or live show that’s just irreplaceable. I think musicians should focus on what they have and how to make it better rather than what’s been lost. Everything will come together in time.
How would you feel about your live event being showcased via augmented reality or virtual reality?
Nervous as it’s stripped down and involves me being probably at my most exposed, but then comfortable as it’s my own space and I’m in control. I think the sound is the most important thing, nothing will be perfect but if something is good at its base, anything else is extra.
VVN by stage, Vivienne Isebor to her friends and family. As well as being a singer/songwriter who featured on The Voice UK earlier this year, VVN also practises spoken-word and as a mental health worker, is one of the key workers many of us have been clapping for.
How has the pandemic affected your career?
The pandemic has stopped one of my favourite parts of being a singer which is the live performances. I normally have a weekly residency in a restaurant and numerous gigs in between this which have all been cancelled. Being cut off from crowd interaction and the joy of live music has been very difficult; it’s wonderful we have so much access to technology to try and bridge that gap.
What do you think are the current challenges for musicians?
Getting paid! Live performers are in a very difficult situation so trying to adapt to this and find other streams of income is going to be tough; not to mention that all of us will be thinking the same thing so a lot of time clashes may occur.
What do you think the future for live events will be like? Is this something that excites or scares you?
I think there will be a bigger market for online performances and gigs than ever before. It is always impossible until it happens, so now we know we can do it I’m sure it will grow. However, for me, live performance will always have my heart. The feeling of a crowd and the interactions is something I absolutely love and cannot wait to get back to. I wouldn’t say the change scares me, or necessarily excites me either.
Interested in more of the topic? Catch our free webinar on the 18th where we discuss UX and Music further; this time in Paris! Find tickets here.
Author: Sophie Hall
