IMMUSE Interview with Scott Clark

We had the pleasure of speaking with Scott Clark from Immuse – an innovative platform that combines immersive music with augmented reality.

Scott shared with us his vision for Immuse but also shared with us some of the challenges he faced while developing Immuse, and how he overcame them. He also gave us some insights into the future of immersive music and how he sees the industry evolving in the coming years.

One of the most exciting things about Immuse is that it can be used by both musicians and music fans. Musicians can use the platform to create unique, interactive experiences for their fans, while fans can use it to explore and discover new music in a more engaging way.

Photo: Scott Clark ©Immuse

Tell us about you! Can you tell us more about Immuse, what is it that you do and strive for?

IMMUSE = Immersive Music, a new paradigm where music is paired with Augmented Reality scenes, visuals and effects. This creates richer myth and narrative for Artists and their songs, while giving fans a deeper way to engage, create and share their own content and experiences.  We call these Visual Singles, sold as digital collectibles, accessible in the Immuse AR App.

As more and more elements of our personal identity turn digital in nature, we see an opportunity to create robust AR content packages, wearables, and collectibles that musicians and fans can have fun with.

How does the Immuse app work?

Once the scene is in place, by tapping the REMIX button, the song will start over and a ‘visual mix board’ will appear.  There are 4 buttons to slide up and down to unlock and explore all the visual variables baked into the scene. You become the creator of your scene.  At anytime you can tap the RECORD button to film and share your own AR Music Video.

We have noticed your impressive collaborations with clients like: Qualcomm, Google, Tesla, Warner Music- Are there any big collaborations you hope for in the future?

We’ve had the pleasure of working with a lot of great brands but our core focus now is on Bands and Musicians. We’ve done work with Warner Music, Rhino Records, DJ Nora en Pure, and of course all the artists in our Season One drops. We aspire to partner with big acts with big fanbases who see and understand the value in digital experiences, much like the Gorillaz just released.

On that note, what is the company’s vision for the future?

That’s a big question. We see our mission as co-creating a world made richer through art & music, with new forms of entertainment and content where digital experiences are merged into the physical world, where the emotional and cathartic impact of music can be experienced, co-created, and shared at another level.  All this, with a new economic model of shared value creation between artists, fans and their communities at large.

Do you think AR will change the music industry of tomorrow?

Yes! And we’re doing our best to change it right now.  Digital experience and personal identity through digital content continues to become more and more prominent in our everyday lives. This trend – especially as AR glasses emerge – has the potential to fundamentally alter how we experience and value music, adding immersive, multisensory experiences.

That’s the music itself, but the fan experience, digital content, merch, UGC content creation – all of that can be unlocked through AR.

How do you select the artists you collaborate with?

Ultimately it’s about musicians with superfans. Having a rabid fanbase with those who attend concerts, buy merch, and create content like Reels and TikTok videos – those are the Artists and fan communities who will enjoy this the most. We’ve worked with Web3 natives, indie artists, as well as with legacy bands with the major labels.  We don’t focus on a particular genre, but we do look for Artists who are enthusiastic about engaging with their fans, interested in new creative, and enjoy using technology. Ideally we prefer bands or musicians who are actively recording and/or touring, looking for new ways to release music, promote a tour, etc. with the added benefits of Web3 co-ownership with their fans.

For our first round of drops, Brady Clark, our head of artist rights and relations put together a diverse group of artists across genres and various levels of Web3 and NFT familiarity. This Season One included NiftySax and TK as Web3 natives, while Wax Owls, Behrouz, and Tia P. dropped their first ever NFTs through Immuse.

Can anyone apply and be part of a creative collaboration?

Yes, that’s the long term goal – a marketplace where 3D creators and musicians collab to create and release visual music experiences.  At this current juncture, we are being more curatorial and hands on and would be delighted to hear from other 3D creators out there.  We have only just begun the experiments and discovery process of this intersection of AR and Music and we welcome all Creators to visit : https://www.immuse.xyz/creators and send us a note.

How can a collector and/or artist benefit from Immuse?

Anything you collect usually has personal meaning and interest for you beyond the monetary value. So right off the bat, this is about fans enjoying and experiencing music in a new way, with co-creation, UGC, and content sharing baked in. Much like collecting vinyl, it’s about the experience with your full presence and attention. Unlike vinyl, however, our AR content goes with you wherever you want, is a tool to integrate music and art into your personal environment, and provides entertainment anywhere as you Remix, Record and Share.

For Musicians, this is an opportunity to activate your fans, gamify and reward them, share content, and yes, make some money.  Selling digital experiences direct to fans is way more profitable than simple audio streams, and your fans are then empowered, in partnership with you, to create content and spread the love, both in UGC media and in IRL experiences.

In the bear future, these AR experiences will be placeable in persistent AR where others can discover and enjoy the scene. This visit can be like a ticketed AR performance, generating revenues shared between the owner and the musician. This is the root mechanic of our token system, turning your collectibles into cash flow.

What’s next for Immuse?

Right now it’s all about App downloads, content sharing, and earning feedback from the 3D Artists and music community at large.  We are selling all of our Season 1 AR Visual Music experiences at https://drops.immuse.xyz/  and the App is available for free on the App store, more info and a link can be found here : https://www.immuse.xyz/gettheapp

We are actively raising a seed round and looking to forge new partnerships with Musicians, their labels, managers, agents, etc. as well as 3D Artists and other AR creators and platforms. We love to learn and hear more from the AR community and welcome having folks join us and talk to us on Discord or other social platforms.

We hope you enjoyed reading this interview and learn more about Immuse and the possibilities of immersive music paired with augmented reality. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out Immuse and see it in action.