Jazz label Blue Note, Goes Virtual Reality!
Rivet VR, in partnership with Blue Note Entertainment Group, announced the launch of the Rivet Music mobile app. Based out of New York’s legendary Blue Note Jazz Club, Rivet VR’s focus is virtual reality and 360-degree video, and 3D audio content capture, production and distribution, providing new immersive music and entertainment experiences for fans through various platforms. For its first wave of content capturing, Blue Note Jazz Club has been outfitted with multiple 360-degree camera rigs, immersive 3D and binaural audio capturing equipment, and a state of the art production suite specifically designed to accommodate live and post-production for both video and audio technologies. Blue Note is the first venue in the world to be exclusively outfitted for on-going 360-degree and VR capture.
With the Rivet Music app, now available as a free download for iOS devices in the App Store, users have the ability to watch recorded and live concerts in both 360 degrees and virtual reality on a mobile device. The proprietary app is a first of its kind in the industry, providing an immersive experience to watch world-renowned artists at high-profile venues.
Rivet Music launches with a wide variety of on-demand content that can be purchased à la carte (currently priced at $2.99 to $3.99 for previously recorded content). Featured artists include Terence Blanchard, The Soul Rebels, Lou Donaldson Quartet, The Latin Side of Horance Silver with Conrad Herwig featuring Michel Camilo, and Lee England Jr.. Immersive live stream events will be announced in the coming weeks.
Intel showcased the Rivet Music app and technology in action during the Intel keynote presentation at COMPUTEX 2016 in Taipei. Presented by Diane Bryant, executive vice president and general manager of the Data Center Group at Intel, conference attendees experienced a rare 360 degree and VR performance by GRAMMY award winning rock band Living Colour, live-streamed from Blue Note New York using hardware-assisted 4K video delivery powered by the new Intel Xeon processor E3v5 family. “With Intel’s support, Rivet is able to revolutionize the way people consume and experience music,” says Cory Haber, CEO of Rivet Media.
“Advances in technology have always led to innovation and the work that Rivet VR and Blue Note are doing to enhance the live music experience is yet another powerful example,” said Lisa Spelman, general manager of Data Center Marketing at Intel. “Bringing music to life with Intel Xeon processors leads to a richer, more immersive experience for the listener.”
Rivet Music app users also have the option to simultaneously experience Rivet Music content in virtual reality with a Blue Note-branded Google Cardboard headset (a low-cost virtual reality platform developed by Google for use with a fold-out cardboard mount for a mobile phone).
“Fans dictate where the music industry is heading,” says Tsion Bensusan, COO and co-owner of Blue Note Entertainment Group. “Full immersion of video and audio is the next frontier for music, and the experiences we’ve seen fans have by using the Rivet VR app is a testament to that shift.”
Rivet VR is currently developing an Android version of Rivet Music as well as a desktop version built for use with the Oculus Rift headset and other VR headsets.
While Blue Note Jazz Club is the first venue to expand into this area, Blue Note Entertainment Group venues such as BB King Blues Club and Highline Ballroom will follow in the coming months. Additionally, the company plans to offer this expertise as a service to broader, third-party industry colleagues, such as live music festivals, as it looks for new ways to create premium content for its users.
Source: Blue Note
