The gaming industry has increasingly become a nice little earner for the music industry. According to ERA [the UK trade body for film, music and video game retail] the value of the UK gaming market has risen to £3.9bn, making up 51% of the entertainment market’s revenue of £7.5bn. 

So as numbers go- we can assume that gaming is pretty popular right? And, with the popularity of gaming, comes the popularity of the music that’s picked to heighten ones gaming experience.  

Since the late 90’s games such as Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater put licensed music at the forefront. And some games have since become better known for their soundtracks as apposed to the game itself. Take Grand Theft Auto for example, which allows the player to tune into different radio stations whilst they’re driving. To this day, Fifa is a go-to for some, to discover a new-favourite artist. 

And unsurprisingly, there’s a lot in it for the artists themselves. The Aerosmiths themed version of Guitar Hero astoundingly made the band more money that any of their albums did. Plus, a carefully placed song in a well known game can open up an entire new fan-base for an artist.

Just last year, the game Fortnite took things to another level with their partnership with Marshmello. Gamers were urged to log in and join the ‘showtime mode’ at 7pm, where they were treated to a virtual concert. Whilst you might imagine there was some disconnect between the gamer and the virtual set up they were watching, Marshmello- in avatar form encouraged interaction, urging players to make their avatars dance along to his set. There were even virtual beachballs thrown around in the audience!  Although the concert lasted only 10 minutes, a whopping 10.7 million ‘attendees’ tuned in, and there’s been a sizeable 46+ million views on YouTube since. 

With the popularity of gaming being on a steady increase, it’s a opportunity for both the music, and gaming industry.