Photo Credit: Insomniac
About one month back, Roblox launched listening parties, dubbing the happenings “a new way to release music.” Now, the popular platform has inked an official partnership agreement with Insomniac’s Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC), which is set to become “the first music festival to be held on Roblox.”
Roblox Corporation (NYSE: RBLX) and EDC – scheduled to return to Las Vegas this weekend – just recently announced their unique agreement. Under the deal, Roblox and the Insomniac-owned music festival have established a “persistent world” called World Party (the space opened today), and fans can “watch and enjoy sets on the virtual stages” therein.
An EDC “pre-show” is slated to kick off on Roblox this Friday, October 22nd, and players will have the chance to “join the festival in the metaverse” between Saturday the 23rd and Monday the 25th. And in terms of the experience associated with this virtual edition of the roughly 500,000-attendee EDM event – which was canceled in 2020 and delayed in 2021 – fans will be able to enjoy “any of the over 50 performances throughout the weekend.” (North of 200 artists are booked for the in-person component of EDC Las Vegas 2021, however.)
Additionally, Roblox has created digital EDC “areas like cosmicMEADOW, circuitGROUNDS, Camp EDC, Pixel Forest and more,” while “artists themselves will also jump into the metaverse through server hopping and meet and greets.” Lastly, the seemingly all-encompassing offering “will feature mini-games that allow fans to race through the vast world, collect cuddly animals, dance battle against friends, and build their home in Camp EDC,” and guests can “win real and virtual merchandise.”
Addressing the deal in a statement, Pasquale Rotella, founder and CEO of Insomniac (a substantial portion of which belongs to Live Nation), appeared to emphasize that the virtual counterpart of EDC Las Vegas will reach all manner of new fans. EDC attendees must be at least 18 years old, and Roblox indicated in a regulatory filing ahead of its IPO that “54% of our users were under the age of 13” during the nine months ending on September 30th, 2020.
“This experience takes the creativity and inspiration behind EDC and all other festivals and events to new heights,” Rotella said in part. “Bringing our vision to life digitally and opening up the wonder and magic of EDC to anyone of any age, no matter where they are. As we say at EDC, ‘All Are Welcome Here.’”
And in a statement of his own, Roblox VP and global head of music Jon Vlassopulos – whose company late last month settled a lawsuit filed by the National Music Publishers’ Association – made clear that similar projects are in the works.
“We are excited to offer more amazing permanent music worlds like this one in the coming months as we continue to help the music industry engage with our global audience in new and unprecedented ways,” relayed the Tribalist founder and CEO Vlassopulos.
September also saw Roblox team up with Warner Music Group – which participated in the platform’s more than half-billion-dollar pre-IPO raise – on a Twenty One Pilots concert. Separately, Travis Scott reportedly earned $20 million from his Fortnite show in 2020, with the lion’s share of the sum having reportedly derived from digital-merchandise sales.