5G is the next generation of cellular connectivity that will change how we live, work, play. This also affects how we musicians create, manage, distribute, and promote our work.
5G cellular connectivity will change the music industry in three ways: by increasing demand for wireless streaming services; enabling new types of immersive experiences with VR and AR technology; and providing a more reliable connection to deliver on-demand content.
All of that, enabled on the ubiquitous mobile phones that almost everyone carries, stays glued to, and can't live without.
According to Deloitte, at least 33% of respondents in the U.K had encountered problems with mobile data quality when commuting. 5G should enable operators in the U.K to meet the rising demand for mobile data over the coming years.
Further, a huge proportion of 18‑24-year-olds watching short‑form video on their smartphones increased 11 percentage points to 45 percent in the year to mid‑2018.
Between 2016 and 2017, average data usage per SIM increased by almost 50 percent, from 1.3 gigabytes (GB) to 1.9 GB.
By 2025, U.K mobile phone users (each person may have more than one SIM) to consume an average of 90 GB per month, compared to 7 GB presently.
Most UK citizens (83 percent) live in a city. Cities and upcoming metropolitan areas also likely where 5G adoption will be rolled out first and will be adopted faster.
How will 5G impact you as a music artist? How will musicians explore opportunities with the advent of 5G cellular connectivity?
This blog explores ways that will help you consider how the introduction of this next-generation connectivity could change your career in music.
Emerging Tech = Emerging Opportunities For Music Industry
Promising new ways of engagement (both digital and offline) are now a reality, thanks to 5G.
According to Verizon, Capitol Music Group, Motown Records and Verizon’s 5G Labs are creating an Emerging Tech and Emerging Artist program that will use 5G and Multi-Access Edge Computing.
This program also features several technology collaborations with Capitol Music Group and Motown emerging artists throughout the year.
As a music artist, you can take advantage of the advanced content production technology at Verizon’s 5G Lab which also includes a 5G-powered virtual production stage, volumetric capture studio, and a myriad of tools for creators, media, and entertainment partners.
For instance, Motown recording artist TheHxliday will perform EP “The Most Beautiful Disaster”. The immersive performance will be available in 180-degree live streams on TheHxliday’s YouTube and Facebook pages(among others).
This is just the beginning of what’s possible with 5G, tech collaborations, the entertainment industry at large, and for the music industry specifically.
5G cellular connectivity, and the benefits for the music industry
We are all connected. Wireless connectivity is something that we take for granted. 5G connectivity also known as fifth-generation (or more simply, just "fifth") cellular connectivity promises faster Internet speeds on mobile -- it is a wireless technology that will enable high-speed and low latency connections for everything from streaming video to multiplayer games.
As of early 2019, most people in the U.K (and the rest of the world) still use the fourth generation (or "fourth" or 4G) cellular connectivity networks which offer speeds up to 100 Mbps on mobile.
The fifth-generation (5G) can deliver speeds as slow as gigabits per second.
Think about how that affects change for the music industry: Your fans or audiences can consume your music faster, easier, and without any delays.
As a music artist, your ability to create new music, distribute your music, promote your music tracks, and everything else you do that hinges on the power of the Internet will only feel like it's all on steroids.
Embrace the future of streaming services like Spotify or Apple Music with 5G
With the advent of a new type of cellular connection, mobile data speeds will increase to up to 20 gigabytes per second.
This will allow for smoother streaming and quality audio playback on your devices as well as more robust downloading with augmented speed from things like "instant video downloads"
Apart from everything else you do to promote yourself as a music artist (such as live streaming, podcasts, videos, and more), there's also the much faster and wider distribution of music distribution giants such as Spotify and Apple Music.
Live Streams, Live Videos, & Live Concerts: Powering Up With 5G
Until now, the limitations of 4G LTE networks made anything that streams live a tad unsuitable for delivering high-quality video content (such as those with Live streams, live videos, or live concerts).
With 5G, think of "bulking up" on anything "live". For all of us musicians, it's music to our ears (pun intended).
The new, faster networks can handle live video streams much better than before.
With this, it's no surprise that more people are looking to watch concerts and videos online in real-time -- something the old LTE network couldn't realistically support with its slower speeds.
How are you going to embrace 5G connectivity as it rolls out in the U.K? If you are from elsewhere, are you anywhere near the 5G adoption curve?
Tell us all about your experiences with 5G, or how you feel about 5G changing the way you produce, distribute, and promote your music work?
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