Online Entertainment Trends to Follow for 2021!
What are the top trend ideas for the coming year?
Welcome to the new year, or is it, 2020 has brought surprises and changes to the whole world.
As people have shifted their routines and daily lives, the impact on the entertainment industry has been huge, to say the least. People crave entertainment, and the industry is adapting to keep up with the pandemic taking hold across the World!
So how is the future going to look over the next months and years ahead? Let's take a look at some trends for the coming year ahead…
Podcasts are the future!
Podcast popularity has been on the rise before 2020, but the recent worldwide events have made them even more popular now with so many people using podcasts as a great way to promote themselves and their business.
Podcasts are an excellent option for many people for they cover every topic, genera imaginable and are easily accessible on a mobile, computer, or tablet — you can listen virtually anywhere and at any time.
One of the new trends in the entertainment industry in 2021 will be podcasting events.
Video Streaming
Video streaming is the most popular of the industries experiencing 2020 high. With widespread mobile use and easy access to the internet, using any number of streaming services — to and watch your favorite programs and listen to more great music.
Over the last few years, the number of streaming platforms has grown significantly. Netflix and Hulu started the trend a few years ago, but Amazon Prime, Disney+, and others have significantly increased the market selection over the past few years and this is only going to get stronger!
Video Social Media
Seeing Tik Tok’s explosion in popularity this year, there’s no doubt that video-based social media is taking over and will continue to morph into next year and beyond!
Instagram recently released “reels,” which are a fun short-form video that incorporates text and music.
Video Calling
With the recent, abrupt decrease in face-to-face social time, webcams and camera phones save friendships and keep families connected, which is a great thing!
Zoom at the moment is leading the trend, with other social media outlets scrambling to keep up. Multi-user video calls are an asset to maintaining social connections these days.
There’s no doubt that video calling platforms’ technology will only improve this year.
Augmented & Virtual Reality space
PokemonGO took the world by storm in 2019, making the notion of augmented reality games accessible to players all over the world.
AR creates the “world of the game” using a player’s smartphone camera and adding a fantasy layer on top.
Virtual reality is a step above AR, creating fully-immersive experiences for the user or player. VR requires special equipment, but as this technology becomes more accessible, the possibilities are expansive.
Some industries that are embracing VR technology are theme parks, gyms, and museums.
E-sports
Another trend in the booming computer gaming industry is esports. Unlike traditional sports, esports are games played entirely on a computer in a competitive environment.
Competitive gaming is gaining so much interest that more and more games are played by “professionals.”
Esports is an excellent option, for they don’t require travel or formal teams to function. Players from around the world can compete from just their computer screen and of course their comfort of the armchair!
Cloud Gaming
This new trend in the gaming world creates another way for players to socialize while playing a game from home.
Animal Crossing became such a hit earlier in the year because you can play on multiple devices (Nintendo Switch or PC), and it boasts a strong social element.
Xbox has jumped on the cloud gaming scene, introducing the “Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.” The pass gives access to over 100 games that can be played across different devices, including Android.
The conclusion so far!
The entertainment industry is in a rapid state of adaptation and, to be honest, this is a good thing. Virtual entertainment with a social twist will continue to thrive as people look for distraction.
Video services and podcasts will always be reliable players in the industry as long as new material continues to entice and enrich the viewer, this is an exciting time!
By Peter Moore
