British start-up, WOLF (The World’s Online Festival) is entering the metaverse with a creative blend of audio and visual content; transforming listen-only content into 3D cinematic visual events in its latest feature, Showreel.
WOLF allows users to chat, entertain, and perform on a virtual themed stage, whether it be a main stage, a beach or in a studio. The patented Showreel feature is set to revolutionise the app with its ability to take a live audio broadcast and instantly turn it into a visual virtual reality gig.
Nodding to the interoperability of the metaverse, Showreel offers audio content creators a virtual space where humans can share experiences in new ways. Engaging in each other’s work and building upon the creativity of others to generate totally original shared online experiences.
Within WOLF, content creators can perform in live shows where there are multiple means of audience participation. Created in-house by the team’s developers in Newcastle, the idea of Showreel is that everyone in the show – creator and audience – can be involved in a user generated interactive festival experience.
The audience can jump on stage with the performers if the producers allow them to engage with them. They can use the new DJ functionality to add their own sound effects or audio experiences to the show, overlaid upon what’s already going on, as the functionality develops. While this is happening, the performers can see the audience’s messages, emoji and GIFs in real-time in the text chat area, and immediately gain an articulation of their audience’s sentiment and comments, which they can react to in real time – something you can’t do at a real-world gig.
Visually, the virtual reality can then be live streamed instantly as a video or recorded for future playback and sharing on YouTube or any other channels. Virtual reality mini snippets or edited highlights packages can be editorially created, for the performers and producers to share on social media channels.
Showreel gives content creators the opportunity to capture and share their shows, outside of the app, across multiple other platforms such as YouTube.
The British startup has attracted over a million users in its first year, with particular success in the Middle Eastern market where users seek platforms where they can engage with a community in a way they feel comfortable with.
Gary Knight WOLF CEO, says: “The metaverse will be the biggest thing to happen online in the next decade. The possibilities are infinite and for us, Showreel is a demonstration of what we can create in the future. Merging audio with 3D, cinematic visual events, gives our users a virtually shared space to entertain and connect with others in a virtual world.
“Showreel will maintain the sense of community we have among our users but we’re adding in some physical presence and real-time interaction. It plays elements of the audio performance without compromising anonymity – an important feature for the MENA audience.”
WOLF, which launched last year just as the global pandemic began, presents up to 100 festival shows on the app per day. Each performance has the option to use Showreel and transform audio into a visual piece of content as well.
The enhanced feature comes as social audio enjoys being the hot topic in the world of social networks right now. The combination of a global lockdown and Clubhouse bursting onto the scene has accelerated the growth of audio over the past year.
Gary Knight, WOLF CEO, continues: “It’s exciting to see the popularity of audio as a medium, but for there to be enough space for multiple versions of the same thing, just like there is for streaming and video, brands need to have a clear value proposition for their users. For us, entering the metaverse with Showreel enables us to deliver more than just audio, but in a way that continues to meet our users’ needs.
“Showreel is a neat way of blending audio and visual together while the app continues to deliver a unique way to experience the magic of real-world festivals, something we’ve all missed, to a digital world. It isn’t focused on live camera content which satisfies our users’ needs who may not want to be on camera.
“We’re delighted to offer our community an opportunity to share their engaging content across other platforms that are more visually led and thus, further help them to increase their following and become more well-known in the audio space.”
WOLF is a free app available to download on Apple and Google Play app stores.
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