Musical Metaverse: vision, opportunities, and challenges

Area of Science:

• * Digital interaction and virtual environments
• * Music technology and virtual reality
• * Digital arts and entertainment

Background:

• * The metaverse is a virtual world parallel to the physical one, where users interact via avatars.
• * Music is a key activity within the metaverse, leading to the concept of the Musical Metaverse (MM).
• * The MM is an emerging field with significant, yet unexplored, potential and challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To present a vision for the Musical Metaverse (MM).
• * To discuss current and future opportunities for music industry stakeholders within the MM.
• * To identify critical issues hindering the MM's development and adoption.

Main Methods:

• * Conceptual analysis and visioning of the Musical Metaverse.
• * Review of current metaverse implementations related to music.
• * Identification and categorization of challenges (technical, artistic, ethical, sustainability, regulatory).

Main Results:

• * The MM presents diverse opportunities for artists, businesses, and audiences in virtual spaces.
• * Key challenges include technological limitations, artistic innovation, ethical considerations, sustainability, and regulatory frameworks.
• * Addressing these challenges is crucial for efficient, creative, and responsible MM development.

Conclusions:

• * The Musical Metaverse is a rapidly evolving concept with substantial potential.
• * Proactive identification and mitigation of challenges are essential for realizing the MM's full capabilities.
• * This research provides guidelines for developers to create improved virtual musical experiences.