KU Leuven and AB research social challenges and search for solutions through the lens of culture and nightlife. Up next: a panel discussion about the influence of new technologies on the way we experience music. 

In recent years, the ‘metaverse’ has grown to one of the most used (and misused) buzzwords in the entertainment and gaming sector. There is no concrete definition, and visions on how the metaverse should look and who should control it differ wildly. In the meantime, artists like Travis Scott and Lil Nas X have managed to reach millions of fans via concerts in Fortnite and Roblox, AB built the virtual concert hall ‘Nouvelle Belgique’ and virtual artists fill arenas in Korea while more and more artists are releasing their music as NFTs. 

This gives rise to a number of important questions. What exactly is the metaverse? Will games become the new concert venues? What criteria does a metaverse have to meet in order to create meaningful experiences for artists and fans? And what about ethical issues in the virtual world?  

Through a few brief keynotes and a subsequent panel discussion, we will try to figure out what ‘the metaverse’ means exactly and in which ways it will change the way we experience music.  

Keynotes:  

• Pieter Van Leugenhagen / co-founder Yondr (yondr.io) and author of ‘Welcome to the Metaverse’ 
• Roman Rappak / co-founder of Ristband (ristband.co) and frontman of the band Miro Shot 

Panel discussion:  

• Adalberto Simeone (KU Leuven) 
• Marijke Wouters (Venly) 
• Roman Rappak (Ristband) 
• Pieter Van Leugenhagen (Yondr)  

The discussion will be moderated by Allie Weiss (Ethics Coordinator in International Game Development at the International DAE School).