Music is all about the way it makes you feel. Think about all the things that make your favorite song so special to you. Maybe it’s because you identify with the lyrics and they take you back to fond memories or perhaps the notes of every instrument blend together so well that it brings you to a state of euphoria. What makes music so beautiful is that you can experience it in so many ways. These days it’s not just something you can hear; now it’s something you can touch.

In a previous post, I talked about how a company in England developed the Sound Shirt, an artificially intelligent wearable shirt designed to help those who are hearing-impaired experience music through real-time rhythmic vibrations. An innovation like this has a lot of potential to shake up the music industry as artists are always looking for new ways to enhance the music consumption experience for their fans. Over the years we’ve seen massive improvements for the visuals artists use during their shows and concerts (for example, the virtual stages that were used during the 2020 MTV VMAs were absolutely phenomenal!), so naturally it would make sense for the music industry to introduce another sensory component to music delivery and performances. People don’t always realize it but there are nonverbal and soundless ways to experience music. As a matter of fact, we do so all the time and those nonverbal elements play a significant role in what we take away from music. Think about every time you go to a concert or even if you just turn the volume up high on a speaker. You can feel the music pulsating in your ears and through your body like a rush of adrenaline and it helps you to appreciate the sounds and words that you do hear even more.

Now imagine if every time you put your headphones in, you were also able to wear a device like the one pictured above. The way the device would work is that it would learn the rhythms and melodic patterns of the song you’re listening to in order to generate haptic sensations that match up with each beat. And it wouldn’t have to stop there. Virtual reality glasses or goggles can be implemented as well for a more visual and interactive experience, like that of a concert. The idea of a 3-in-1 “listening” experience is one that simply can’t be beat. Audiences find immersive experiences to be more impactful which could really influence their purchasing decisions. The more they get to engage, the more they’d be willing to buy. Most importantly, however, a device like this could truly disrupt multiple sectors of the music industry such as music-streaming, headphones manufacturers, live events, etc. Artists who want to standout among others in a saturated market would be wise to pivot to this new experiential strategy to provide fans with something they can’t get elsewhere. The new age of music has potential to be 3-dimensional – one you can hear, see and touch.

 

Sources:

https://www.livedesignonline.com/concerts/fans-escape-to-a-virtual-nyc-during-2020-mtv-vmas

https://time.com/collection/best-inventions-2020/5911419/cutecircuit-soundshirt/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-fashion-music-haptic-jacket/high-tech-jacket-allows-deaf-people-to-feel-the-music-idUSKBN1WO16Phttps://www.allerin.com/blog/giving-the-music-industry-a-new-voice-with-iot

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-fashion-music-haptic-jacket/high-tech-jacket-allows-deaf-people-to-feel-the-music-idUSKBN1WO16Phttps://www.allerin.com/blog/giving-the-music-industry-a-new-voice-with-iot

https://www.allerin.com/blog/giving-the-music-industry-a-new-voice-with-iot

What a Feeling! AI is Making it Possible to Consume Music Through Rhythmic Vibrations in Clothing