Rhythm City is a new “social roleplay experience” that will be based around music and exist inside Roblox. It has been developed by Warner Music Group (WMG) alongside metaverse gaming company Gamefam.
It is in part a music discovery initiative but also a revenue driver through the sale of digital items that will exist exclusively within the Roblox sphere.
Users can adopt a number of music-centric roles within the game – including producer, DJ and dancer – and interact with other users as well as compete in music challenges.
There is the promise of virtual concerts and other events featuring a number of Warner acts. The first confirmed event is Saweetie performing a Super Bowl virtual concert on 11th February. After the live performance, it will be re-aired every hour until 13th February.
Warner is keen to stress this is merely a continuation of its, and its acts’, long-running association with Roblox (WMG invested in it in early 2021), noting previous initiatives involving artists such as Twenty One Pilots, Why Don’t We, Ava Max, David Guetta and Royal Blood.
“As our lives become increasingly digital, exciting opportunities are opening up for artists and fans to engage and interact”, said Oana Ruxandra, chief digital officer & EVP of business development at WMG, ahead of the full launch. “WMG is focused on facilitating the foundations of these new experiences by building and experimenting across evolving ecosystems. This partnership with Gamefam sees WMG creating a place for artists and audiences to come together to define and contextualize their communities within living spaces.”
This marks a step-change for music in Roblox, where a full experience is being created rather than undertaking (expensive) one-off events or partnerships.
The types of acts Warner puts forward for involvement here will speak volumes about the specific audiences they are targeting.
“With the launch of Rhythm City, WMG continues their pursuit to push creative boundaries while providing new tools and resources for artists to build and extend their fan communities in this new digital era,” said Warner in a statement.
