AR magic powered by Snap & plai studio has redefined the live music experience.

Phones are ubiquitous at concerts. Instead of viewing phones as a nuisance, Snapchat wanted to see how we could make each phone an active part of the show. The system developed by plai enables artists to extend their creative from the stage into an immersive digital layer, giving each fan unique experiences and content opportunities with augmented reality.

Rather than creating one-off AR moments that could distract from the show, plai developed a singular AR lens that would react in realtime to the music. This created a frictionless experience for fans, allowing them to jump in and out of the AR on their terms, knowing that it would always be there, always with something new and exciting.

An AR DJ worked alongside the Kygo team to trigger the AR effects much like a VJ or lighting tech does at a live show. The visuals changed with each song to match the stage visual and light show, moved to the beat, and amplified the drops.

Fans that used the Kygo AR experience were treated to an immersive 360 degree world around them that elevated the entire performance. The experience also unlocked fan creativity, enabling them to create one of a kind content that stood out from the thousands of other videos captured with a standard camera. The experience was delivered in realtime to over 22,000 fans at Kygo headline shows in London and Ibiza.

We’re excited to apply this technology outside of music, bringing interactive AR experiences to sports and other live events.