A Whole New Spin: 3 Reasons Why 360-Degree Music Videos Are the Future

MTV has barely aired a music video in 10 years, but that doesn’t mean the art form hasn’t continued to evolve online. In fact, the growing popularity of streaming video coupled with a sharp drop in price for high-definition cameras and video production software has made it possible for a whole new generation of bands and solo artists to flex their creative muscle and create that much coveted buzz.

Take Belgian artist Noa Neal, for example. The pop star was almost completely unknown in the United States until March, when a video for her song “Graffiti” hit the Web and turned her into an overnight success. The single-shot video features Neal dancing and singing as she travels down a graffiti-lined alley on the back of a tractor trailer, but it also has a feature that made it completely unlike any other music video up to that point: It was shot with a 4K-quality 360-degree camera. By hitting the directional keys on their keyboard, viewers can literally move the camera anywhere they want. Look left and you might see a breakdancer spinning on his head. Turn the camera completely around, and you can watch Neal’s band performing.

“Graffiti” was just the first in a wave of interactive 360-degree music videos to appear, and artists are continuing to experiment with the format in surprising and ingenious ways. Haven’t had a chance to experience the 360-degree music video yet? Well, allow us to introduce you to a technology that has the potential to completely change the way we experience music.

360 Videos Are a New Spin on an Old Trick

In reality, 360-degree music videos are just the latest advancement to an idea that’s been around for more than 100 years. As far back as 1840, photographers were taking multiple photographs and stitching them together to create a panoramic view of a scene. The technology got a huge bump in the 1990s with the the birth of digital photography, which enabled anyone to quickly snap a few shots in every direction and create fully interactive “tours” of offices, sports arenas and national monuments.

The 360-degree video is really just the logical next step, one that requires a little boost in processing power and a camera system sophisticated enough to capture video at 40 frames per second in multiple directions. For creators, the trick is coordinating or choreographing a full 360 degrees of captivating visual content. A regular camera only captures about 90 degree of viewing area, so you’re basically making four movies at once.

The Equipment Is Relatively Inexpensive

According to TrustedReviews.com, Neal’s “Grafiiti” was shot using 6 Go Pro cameras mounted in a circle on a single camera rig. The footage was then processed on a computer powered by an Intel Core i7 chip and stitched together with Kolor’s Autopano Video Pro software. Other popular 360-degree videos such as Avicii’s “Waiting For Love” and Bjork’s “Stonemilker” have used similar setups to achieve the effect.

For a few thousand dollars, artists can have everything they need to create these videos, and it’s only going to get easier and cheaper. Camera manufacturers like Bublcam and Ricoh have recently developed cameras made specifically for shooting 360-degree video without the need for special software or a custom rig. It might soon be a rarity to watch a music video that isn’t shot in 360 degrees.

Everyone Is Jumping on Board

It can be difficult to tell when an innovation is just a fad and when it has real staying power, but 360-degree videos look like they’re here to stay. Youtube was an early adopter, announcing in March that they would support the format and would even create a specific platform for uploading and viewing videos. Similarly, Google has updated its Chrome browser for seamless integration of the technology, which isn’t too surprising when you consider the popularity of their 360-degree Streetview function on Google Maps.

And the potential uses of 360-degree video go well beyond music videos. The 4K video quality means it won’t be long before we see live concerts, sporting events or even blockbuster films shot completely in 360 degrees. As The Dish Insider’s Guide recently explained, consumers are starting to make the jump to 4K TVs, and they’re hungry for innovative content that takes full advantage of the technology. Interactive 360 degree videos fall right in that spot.