Musicians Combine Virtual Reality & 360-Degree Cameras To Create Hot Music Videos

New forms of music videos are being viewed by smartphone and tablet users which use a combination of virtual reality, 360-degree cameras, and vertical videos. An example of such music videos is a six-minute VR music video released by Gorillaz, an electronic band. Within 48 hours of its upload to YouTube, the music video became viral with more than 3 million hits.

Phys.org reports that merging virtual reality and 360 experiences on mobile devices in unique ways create fantastic experiences for music video fans. Vivien Lewitt, YouTube global head of artist relations, says over 60 percent of YouTube viewers watch music videos on the smartphones and tablets.

Another artist, 19-year-old singer Bailey Bryan, used Instagram and SnapChat as the framework for the music video of her song “Own It.” The video is meant to be watched vertically on a tablet or mobile phone because it used VR technology and a 360-degree camera. It was not meant to broadcast on MTV or CMT which shows music videos.

Young the Giant, a rock band, used VR technology using smartphones or headsets to add interactivity to their recorded performance. Using a 360-degree camera, the band shot a live performance at the YouTube Space in Los Angeles. The camera shots have above, below, and throughout shots of neon-painted dancers for the music video of its song “Silvertongue.”

Daily Orange reports that Gorillaz would launch its fifth album “Humanz” on Friday. In March, the band’s new song “Saturnz Barz,” made YouTube history by having over 3 million hits within 48 hours. It was the highest debut of a VR video that used a 360-degree camera and virtual reality.

With a lot of artists using 360-degree cameras and virtual reality, the website mbryonic made a list of the top 10 best VR music videos, VR music visualizers, VR games, and VR music platforms. Number 1 on the list is the Harmonix Rockband VR which is a trailer for The Game Awards 2015.