You could soon be experiencing live music on a VR headset

"Oh my God, that 10-minute drum solo was amazing."
"Oh my God, that 10-minute drum solo was amazing."

If you love live music but aren't exactly onboard with the idea of enjoying a 'shared experience' with other people (most of whom you find a bit annoying), the news that concert promoter Live Nation is teaming up with virtual reality content provider NextVR to start broadcasting gigs to VR headsets might be just what you've been waiting to hear.

USA Today reports that there will be compatibility with both the Samsung Gear VR and Oculus Rift headsets, which will need to be connected to a smartphone running the NextVR app. You'll then be able to choose where you want to stand - next to your favourite band member or backstage, for example.

To enable this kind of immersive experience, between two and ten VR cameras will be used at the shows, though we don't yet know whose gigs are going to be covered. USA Today reports that the VR concerts will be launching this summer, initially for free and then possibly on a pay-per-view basis.

Of course, even technology as advanced as this won't be able to recreate the complete gig experience. For that, you'll need to stand in a virtual queue when you visit the bathroom, and throw an obscene amount of money in the bin every time you grab a beer from your fridge.

Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.