The BBC’s investment arm BBC Ventures has invested £500,000 in Bristol-based immersive live events specialist Condense.
Condense’s technology enables the BBC to stream live performances into game-like virtual spaces. Over the past year, BBC Radio 1’s New Music Show with Jack Saunders has worked in partnership with Condense to host a series of immersive live gigs with artists such as Gardna, Charlotte Plank and Sam Tompkins.
The artist performs in a “capture area” called the New Music Portal which ensures every movement is picked up using Condense’s capture system. The performance is transformed live into a 3D model and streamed into a virtual venue where it can be viewed from any angle. Artists and their fans can then see and interact with each other live, from anywhere.
BBC Ventures plans to explore other ways to use Condense technology to bring live and immersive experiences to audiences in areas such as sport, education and news.
Jeremy Walker, Head of BBC Ventures, said: “The New Music Portal enables the BBC to bring the best of our performances to younger audiences who are increasingly spending time in these sorts of game-like online environments. In fact, they’ve already seen massively popular music events in spaces like Fortnite – young people in their millions have gone to online concerts from megastars like Travis Scott, Billie Eilish and Ariana Grande.”
Nick Fellingham, Condense CEO, said: “This partnership positions BBC audiences at the very forefront of the evolution of what it means to be a music fan in an age where people all over the world can now come together in-game to experience live music. You can attend a gig with your cousin who lives hundreds of miles away and share a real moment with your favourite artist through the New Music Portal.”
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