Spotify Island Reimagines The Streaming Service As A Video Game Inside Roblox

gamespot.com:

Spotify is entering the gaming market. The company has announced Spotify Island, a new location inside Roblox where fans can meet up, take on missions, buy band merch, and celebrate music together in the metaverse. Spotify has described the island as as a «paradise of sound» that aims to bring fans and artists closer together.

This is Spotify's first big push into gaming (and they are the first streaming music platform to have a live destination inside Roblox) but Spotify and gaming are already connected. Spotify has 2.2 million gaming-related playlists, the company said in a presentation attended by GameSpot. The arrival of Spotify Island in Roblox today, May 3, is Spotify's attempt to reach the next generation of fans (and subscribers), executives Alia Calhoun (global head of partner marketing) and Abby Stewart (director of business development) said.

An interactive experience, Spotify Island is a «reimagining» of the Spotify brand as a video game via Roblox. Players will immediately notice the island's green color scheme, which is meant to match Spotify's official branding. Spotify Island itself is described as a meeting place for players to play, explore, and connect, with the aim of bringing artists and fans closer together. The gameplay involves platforming and parkour; players can collect items spread throughout the island and track their progress on a leaderboard.

One of the key components to Spotify Island--and the appeal for artists, in particular--is merch sales. Spotify is partnering with artists to sell virtual merch that Roblox users can use on Spotify Island and throughout Roblox. Similar to how Spotify pays artists for streams of music, artists will also receive a cut of virtual merch sales via Roblox.

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