Hello everyone and welcome to ZD Tech, ZDNet’s daily editorial podcast. My name is Guillaume Serries and today I explain to you why Spotify is teaming up with video game platform Roblox.
Yes for sure, you know Spotify. But maybe you don’t know – yet – Roblox. So what is it ? Well, ask your kid! Alright, ok, I’ll explain.
Spotify Island
Roblox has been a free-to-play online video game platform for children and teenagers since 2005. What to play of course, therefore, but also to create games. The platform brings together 40 million players daily.
Well, Spotify has decided that it will be the first music and podcast streamer to have an official presence in Roblox.
To do this, the Swede has just launched in Roblox “Spotify Island”, a virtual place where artists and fans can play online, unlock exclusive content and buy merchandise from the artists. In detail, Spotify Island takes the form of a virtual continent surrounded by a multitude of themed islands, which players can explore. How ? They will be able to interact by walking, running, jumping, touching and picking up various objects.
Music and video games, the right mix
Also included in this universe is a soundtrack powered by Soundtrap, one of Spotify’s audio creation tools. Rest assured, you can pause the music and skip tracks.
So what is Spotify doing in the Roblox universe? Well, that’s one hell of a bet. “We’re giving gamers the ability to be creators and really feel like the artist is performing themselves,” Spotify said. Players will therefore be able to create sounds on virtual beatmaker machines powered by Soundtrap. They will also be able to move on a virtual “stage” to interact with virtual objects.
Above all, the launch of the Spotify universe in Roblox comes at a time when music has become an important competitive advantage for online gaming platforms. Yes, you understood correctly, more and more players are choosing their games based on the music and the presence of the artists. A trend that should strengthen with the upcoming arrival of the metaverse on VR screens and headsets.
An example ?
Fortnite, as early as 2020, led the way with its virtual Travis Scott concert, followed by an Ariana Grande concert last year. And this year, the Coachella music festival was honored on its platform.
Roblox is no exception. The gaming platform organized its first virtual concert in 2020 with, excuse me, Lil Nas X at the head of the gondola. And last year, Roblox forged a partnership with Sony Music.
Finally, it should be noted that Spotify already hosts more than 2.2 million video game-related playlists on its platform. And with this partnership, the Swedish giant seeks to reach a younger generation.