| There is a burgeoning new online market for | | | | or dance and interact with the other avatars |
| musicians of all types. Recording artists, | | | | onsite. While partying there, they may converse |
| performers, singer/songwriters, turntablists, | | | | with the others in text chat about any given topic. |
| playlist DJs, karaoke aficionados, and more can | | | | As a musician, you are also able to see the local |
| find paying audiences in Second Life. | | | | chat, thereby providing you with a direct |
| Second Life | | | | communication channel between you and your |
| So what is Second Life? It is an online 3D virtual | | | | fans. This provides a higher level of interactivity |
| world, or Metaverse, where people meet and | | | | than typically possible in real life. |
| interact with each other through digital 'avatars' in | | | | Employment in Second Life music |
| a virtual landscape. Visually, this Metaverse bears | | | | There are several broad categories of musicians |
| a passing resemblance to Massively Multiplayer | | | | performing within Second Life. Linden Labs makes |
| Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) such as | | | | an official distinction between Live performance |
| World of Warcraft. However, this resemblance | | | | and other forms of music: |
| carries no further than the 'look' of such | | | | A live performance in Second Life is presented by |
| MMORPGs. Second Life is an alternative universe | | | | a person who is represented in-world by an |
| where avatars (people) are free to carry out | | | | avatar, and is creating the performance in |
| whatever activities they wish. In my mind, the | | | | real-time, streaming the audio (or audio and video) |
| three qualities of such a metaverse that | | | | portions into Second Life as they are being |
| distinguish it from an MMORPG are: | | | | created. |
| | | | Playing back a previously recorded performance, |
| 1. There is no previously defined goal or objective | | | | whether audio, video or Second Life machinima, is |
| by which one may 'win'. Instead, avatars live the | | | | generally not considered to be a live performance |
| life of their choosing. | | | | if there are no live elements performed while the |
| 2. Everything inworld is created by the residents. | | | | audience is watching the show. |
| With enough talent and time, you can recreate | | | | We do not intend to imply here that either Live |
| every thing you would encounter in the | | | | or non-live music is superior to another. This is |
| metaverse -- be it a house, a landform, an article | | | | just being pointed out in order to understand how |
| of clothing, a manner of moving, or any other | | | | to present your performance consistent with |
| 'thing', tangible or intangible, that can be discerned. | | | | inworld norms. If you are presenting a playlist DJ |
| 3. Second Life has a freely functioning real | | | | type performance, it would be a breach of |
| economy, with a unit of currency that is freely | | | | protocol to list this as a Live Music event -- |
| exchanged to and from US dollars. Size of the | | | | however, it would indeed be appropriate to list it |
| economy | | | | under the Nightlife/Entertainment event category. |
| So how big is this potential marketplace? Linden | | | | And the variety of opportunities is quite |
| Lab, the creator of Second Life, reports that | | | | staggering. I have seen the following types of |
| over $1 Billion in resident-to-resident transactions | | | | acts, all paid for their performances: |
| have been made since the inception of the | | | | - Playlist DJs performing various styles of music |
| metaverse. In 2010, the projected figure is in | | | | for the dancing enjoyment of the venue's patrons |
| excess of $500 Million per year, and growing | | | | - Scratch or BeatMatch DJs creating unique |
| quickly. As quoted from San Francisco Business | | | | layered performances using prerecorded tracks |
| Times: | | | | and synthesizers for real-time creation |
| In 2008, Second Life users spent more than $360 | | | | - Singer/songwriter types with a guitar or |
| million on virtual goods ranging from land to | | | | keyboard and vocals |
| designer shoes to lavish homes. The Second Life | | | | - People singing over Karaoke backing tracks of |
| economy almost doubled in size - 94 percent up - | | | | hit songs |
| between the second quarter of 2009 and the | | | | - Solo musicians performing with backing tracks of |
| same period in 2008. User-to-user transactions | | | | their own creation |
| now amount to nearly $50 million per month. | | | | - Duos, trios, and full groups completely live |
| To put this figure in perspective, in 2009, all sales | | | | - 'Tribute' acts, where the 'musicians' construct |
| of digital downloads of music combined totaled | | | | and animate elaborate imitations of chart-topping |
| about $1.9 Billion -- barely a little over three times | | | | groups -- to the original recordings by those |
| the size of Second Life's economy. Indeed, | | | | groups |
| Second Life's economy is larger than the GDP of | | | | - 'Role Play' or 'listening' sessions where original |
| some real countries. | | | | artists mime performances to their own |
| Music and other economic activity | | | | recordings Much as in real life, some |
| Of course, not all this money reflects musical | | | | performances are the main focus of the venue, |
| purchases. There are many other activities and | | | | and others are an adjunct to some other |
| goods vying for the avatar consumer's dollar. | | | | commercial or social venture -- such as a mall |
| Again from the aforementioned source: | | | | opening, or a mingler. There are also inworld |
| In total, users around the world have spent | | | | opportunities to sell digital downloads of your |
| roughly 115,000 years in Second Life socializing, | | | | music -- either limited to playing inworld or as |
| attending live concerts, creating, selling and | | | | universal mp3s. |
| shopping for virtual goods, learning languages, | | | | Is it for you? |
| attending business meetings etc. User hours grew | | | | After reading the above, you may be eager to |
| 33 percent year-over-year to an all-time high of | | | | delve into Second Life as another marketplace for |
| 126 million in the second quarter of this year.... | | | | your musical endeavors. As you can see, the |
| However, music does represent a significant part | | | | opportunities are nearly endless. Further, it costs |
| of the overall inworld economy. At any moment | | | | nothing to try your hand at it -- plus, it's just a |
| of the night or day, there are multiple | | | | whole lot of fun. No matter what sort of musician |
| performances occurring across the grid. Rock, | | | | you may be, there is another market waiting for |
| Country, Hip Hop, or Americana... solos, duos, | | | | you in Second Life. |
| bands... some completely live, some with backing | | | | This is but one article in a series on opportunities |
| tracks, some doing mimed 'role play'... about any | | | | for musicians in Second Life. Further articles will |
| form of music you can imagine can find a | | | | cover resources, technical issues, groups and |
| worldwide audience on Second Life. | | | | organizations, revenue streams, publicity outlets, |
| At any given moment, there are dozens of | | | | and more. Next up, however, will be a brief |
| thousands of people logged in as their avatars to | | | | overview of the software required to pipe your |
| the Second Life virtual world, or 'grid'. And for | | | | music inworld. I hope you join us in this journey to |
| many of these people, attending musical events is | | | | a strange and wonderful new world. In the |
| their primary reason for being inworld. They visit | | | | meantime, you may wish to do some early |
| virtual venues, hosting musicians on their stages, | | | | exploring on your own -- it is free to get started! |
| at virtual concerts. There they can sit and listen, | | | | |