AR Instagram Filters For The Music Industry

AR social filters brings bands and musicians straight into the user’s home. Relying on technology and social media, the music industry is able to reach audiences much faster than ever before.

Music has long been a unifying force that transcends borders and connects people from all walks of life. Nowadays, it’s more accessible than ever, with virtually everyone around the globe tuning in to their favorite tunes. Let’s set aside those few unique individuals who don’t listen to music for now and focus on the rest of us who are truly captivated by it. Although our love for music remains constant, the way we consume and promote it has evolved dramatically, particularly among younger demographics.

Gone are the days when musicians relied solely on TV and radio to gain exposure. Today, social media presence and streaming numbers are the new benchmarks of success. It’s no secret that live gigs and merchandise sales are the primary revenue sources for musicians, making effective marketing strategies essential for building a loyal fan base and driving event ticket sales.

As music has always been intertwined with creativity and technological innovation, it’s only fitting that cutting-edge tools are employed in marketing campaigns. One of the most popular and effective trends in music marketing is the use of social augmented reality (AR) filters, which cleverly harness user-generated content featuring an artist’s music. By dominating Instagram stories and other social platforms, musicians can make a splash, capture attention, and skyrocket to the top.

While social media and AR Instagram filters are undeniably engaging and interactive, reaching vast numbers of users, musicians and bands should also consider the demographics of their audience. It’s no revelation that Gen Z and millennials are the prime target audiences for AR filter campaigns. If your fan base largely comprises these age groups, incorporating social AR filters into your promotional strategy for your next release could be a game-changer.

How They’re Using AR Instagram Filters For The Music Industry

Whether musicians want to promote their album launch, reach a new audience, reignite the love of an old classic or simply engage fans in a new interactive way, AR filters are a powerful and creative tool for achieving this. Below are some different ways of using AR Instagram filters for the music industry.

1. Bring Album Cover Art To Life

Here’s a fantastic example of cover art coming to life with the help of an AR social filter. This innovative approach features Kanye West’s iconic Graduation album in 3D, tracked and positioned with precision. By using this AR filter, you now have the power to place the captivating Graduation album cover anywhere your heart desires!

AR Instagram Filters For The Music Industry

2. Creating music experiences that transport users into the music video

Renowned UK artist Kylie Minogue introduced an AR Filter on her Instagram named ‘Disco Spirit’. This filter takes a slightly different approach, featuring Kylie herself rather than the user. However, it still delivers an incredible music-focused experience, and one can easily envision how it could be adapted to include the user. The filter was derived from a performance of her latest album and skillfully merges motion capture with virtual effects through the use of Spark AR tools.

3. Promoting an album launch

This particular AR filter wasn’t designed specifically for an album launch; in fact, it was created to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the legendary AC/DC song, “Highway to Hell.” The filter’s concept is inspired by the album’s design, making it a fitting example to discuss. As users interact with the filter, it generates a fiery effect and adds devil horns to their appearance, allowing them to unleash their inner rockstar.

4. Gamified, Shareable Experiences

Zayn Malik, the former One Direction member, launched an engaging AR game filter to coincide with one of his music releases. While the game is quite simple to play, it remains entertaining and highly shareable. As expected, his latest track serves as the background music. Combining an interactive game filter that encourages sharing with a song release is a brilliant strategy for capturing significant attention on Instagram.

Not to be upstaged, Liam Payne, another former member of One Direction, also developed an AR gaming filter. This game featured his latest music release, a track called “Stack It Up,” as the background sound. With its retro ’90s vibe and entertaining gameplay, the filter undoubtedly found success. In fact, it was nominated for a Drum Digital Award. It seems that either the award committee is quite fond of Liam, or the creator behind the filter understands the immense value of generating earned media through such innovative AR activations.

Artists Leveraging AR Filters To Generate Merch Sales

As we mentioned before, merch is king, well maybe the gig is king but the merch has to be a queen or at least a jack when it comes to generating revenue for musicians and artists. When listeners become fans and then fanatics they tend to get pretty into buying just about anything artists have to offer them. However just like the release of any product, it really all comes down to how much attention you can generate among the target audience. And as we have highlighted before, AR filters can be an excellent tool for garnering some additional attention.

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1. Nipsey Hussle

Nipsey Hussle used AR Filters as a part of his promotional strategy. Most of you might already know that Nipsey Hussle owns a clothing brand called marathon. In order to boost sales and get more market share, Nipsey utilised the power of AR filters. He created an AR filter that could detect a logo and then place a graphic onto the tshirt virtually. This AR filter generated a lot of revenue for Nipsey. Sold 1000 units in less than 24 hours netting a net profit of $100,000.

2. Nicky Minaj

You may have heard of Nicky Minaj? Maybe? Well Nicky also dropped an AR filter with the sole purpose of promoting her necklace and accessories from her latest album “Queen”. This AR filter allows the user to try on the products before purchasing them. The necklace was sold out within 24 hours of launch. Well done Ms Minaj!

Future Of Augmented Reality in The Music Industry

As the most accessible form of immersive technology, Augmented Reality (AR) has rapidly emerged as an easy and effective way for artists to captivate their fans. The COVID-19 pandemic has further accelerated this trend, as musicians and promoters had to cancel tours and search for alternative methods to connect with their audiences, and potentially generate additional revenue.

Based on the advancements and innovations witnessed in the past two years, it appears that AR will become even more deeply ingrained in how musicians engage with their fans. A number of prominent artists, including The Weeknd, Travis Scott, and John Legend, have already embraced augmented or mixed-reality concerts. As the technology becomes more cost-effective to implement and user-friendly for the audience, this trend is likely to continue expanding and shaping the future of the music industry.