BBC Ventures has made its first investment since it was set up two years ago.
The investment arm is putting £500,000 into Bristol-based 3D video streaming platform Condense.
The BBC says that by investing in Condense it is backing British creativity, innovation, and technology.
Over the last year, BBC Radio 1’s New Music Show with Jack Saunders has been hosting an innovative series of immersive live gigs with artists like Gardna, Charlotte Plank and Sam Tompkins. The immersive gigs, produced with Condense, let fans feel like they are in the room with the artist as they perform by entering a virtual venue called the New Music Portal.
Using Condense technology, the artists performances are captured and live-streamed as “true-to-life” video. Fans can also join live events as an avatar on their mobile or laptop and move around the venue like a video game.
“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,” said Nick Fellingham, Condense’s CEO. “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.”
Condense’s technology also provides us the option to pre-record performances nd play them back “as live” to audiences in the virtual venue.
The BBC intends to continue with the immersive gigs as part of Saunders’ programme.
