Last Saturday, I posted a little article all about the Metaverse. It’s something most people don’t really understand yet, and I include myself in those ranks. Truth be told, I suspect the true capabilities of the Metaverse aren’t even known to us yet – be it the good ones and inevitably, the bad.
But I do know virtual reality is going to be part of this, opening up the prospect of seeing your favourite DJ without ever leaving your house – and possibly without them leaving theirs. And this is something which sellers of DJ equipment – amongst other things – Pioneer have noticed too.
This week on their Instagram page, they featured this awfully curious looking video, featuring at least four different people doing a DJ set. And what I can’t help but suspect is a blatant attempt from Pioneer at parody, all four DJs are wearing sunglasses and trying to look moody whilst playing blander than bland tech-house…
The reaction from the comments section is quite telling – it’s almost completely negative. Most respondents seem to hate it, saying there’s no substitute for DJing in front of a real life audience. And they may well be right in that. But they’re missing something here – and they’re not going to like it.
The reason Pioneer are getting involved with this is money. They’re a business. They know which way the wind is blowing on this. Virtual reality presents them with opportunities to sell equipment to DJs who want it and subscriptions to DJs who can’t necessarily afford the equipment. It also means they can make DJing significantly easier to get into.
They make no secret of it, either – this was their response to one person who expressed criticism…
Which might prove a problem for the more established DJs in the long run. Let’s say you’re based in London and have been booked for an event in New York. They have to pay to fly you out there, for a hotel and so forth. But a virtual DJ based in Sacramento – all the way on the other side of the USA – needs nothing of the sort. He can do the job from his own house.
These developments have massive implications for DJs in the future. And I honestly don’t believe DJs yet realise it…
