In July 4, 2019 – Social VR platform, Sansar, has announced a new partnership with independent EDM label, Monstercat, to bring live music and entertainment into virtual reality with ‘Monstercat: Call of the Wild Experience’. The virtual world offers fans a venue for live events and entertainment – from concerts to meet-and-greets to exclusive fan quests and giveaways – while also allowing artists to reach a global audience with a single performance.
Monstercat: Call of the Wild Experience will officially open its doors on July 12, when Monstercat will throw a virtual celebration for its eight-year anniversary. Free and premium tickets are currently on-sale for the show, which features performances from more than a dozen Monstercat artists, and which will be followed by regular shows every week, starting with Monstercat: Call of the Wild – hosted in Sansar every Wednesday at 1 PM PT.
The Sansar platform includes features such as Avatar Broadcasting, where a single performance can be broadcast to unlimited numbers of people, allowing artists to reach audiences across the globe without being restricted by geography. Fans are then able to see artists that may not tour to their cities. Through ticketing and virtual commerce, performers can monetize their work in a new way.
“Partnerships like these help us realize the very best of what virtual reality has to offer: access, connection, immersion – the feeling that we’re part of something bigger, no matter who we are or where we live,” said Ebbe Altberg, CEO of Linden Lab. “With the Call of the Wild Experience, we’re giving fans all over the world the chance to connect in a shared experience with other fans and the artists they love, but more than that, we’re using gaming to elevate the concert experience – questing, raffles, special in-game prizes, across both VR and PC. This is the future of live music, and we’re excited to have Monstercat on board.”
According to Monstercat, the foray into VR builds not only on a commitment to innovative live entertainment, but also on a broader ethos of access and discovery. Since 2011, the label has earned fans by connecting with them through the channels they already use, such as YouTube, Mixer, and Twitch. As a result, Monstercat is the most followed music channel on both Twitch and Mixer; a licensed music provider for Psyonix (developers of Rocket League); has thousands of content creators that use their music in their content everyday; and held live shows spanning 7 countries and 26 cities in 2018.
With Sansar, Monstercat can bring music directly to fans – allowing users anywhere feel like they have a front row seat to live shows, Furthermore, Sansar has helped to make the Monstercat universe tangible, and something that fans can see and explore for themselves.
“We’re offering our fans something truly unique in the Monstercat: Call of the Wild Experience – their own space to meet, connect and share creative ideas with each other,” said Dan Scarcelli, Head of Programming at Monstercat. “Social VR has the power to transform how communities gather online, and we’re thrilled to be leading the charge with Sansar.”
“The Sansar team has been amazing to work with,” added Gavin Johnson, Head of Gaming at Monstercat. “They really went the distance from conceptualization to launch to make sure the Monstercat world was as imagined by our team.”
Tickets for Monstercat’s anniversary party are available now. Ahead of the opening, fans are encouraged to check out the Call of the Wild Lobby, where they can explore, play games, and unlock hidden clues about the July 12 line-up.
Image credit: Sansar
About the author
Sam Sprigg
Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.
