LOS ANGELES,CALIF – July 13, 2022 -- AmazeVR and SM Entertainment will form Studio A, a joint venture that will produce immersive VR concerts using AmazeVR’s proprietary VR concert creation tools while drawing on the extensive network of artists in K-pop and beyond through SM.
Virtual reality concert platform AmazeVR has signed a joint venture deal with Asia’s premier entertainment group SM Entertainment and Studio KWANGYA, SM Entertainment’s metaversal content production. Together, the two will launch Studio A, which will be based in Seoul, South Korea.
SM Entertainment is South Korea’s largest entertainment company pioneering and leading the global emergence of K-pop since its establishment in 1995. SM Entertainment has an interest in applying technology to the entertainment business, and is grafting virtual reality into the activities of its artists.
AmazeVR will bring its VR concert creation tools to Studio A, allowing the company to efficiently create high-quality VR concerts. These tools include AmazeVR’s custom 3D VR camera and stage setup, Unreal Engine-based VR VFX Tools, and AI modules to automate manual tasks. Concerts will be distributed exclusively through AmazeVR’s VR music metaverse service and SM’s VR metaverse service.
“SM is excited to expand our market to include metaverse content for artists using AmazeVR’s industry-leading VR technologies and proprietary concert creation tools. We’ve had a great interest in this market and see the opportunity for our artists in the metaverse,” says Sung-su Lee, CEO of SM Entertainment. “AmazeVR shares the same vision for this next generation of music.”
Recently, SM's new girl group Aespa has made their debut both IRL and in the metaverse. They announced a deal with Warner Records in early June 2022 and played their first US live show at Coachella 2022. Other artists on SM’s roster include NCT, Super Junior, Girls' Generation, Shinee, Exo, Red Velvet, SuperM, TVXQ, and BoA.
Studio A will source SM's artists, along with other K-pop and Asian artists, and further AmazeVR’s impact as the industry-leading VR concert creation and distribution platform service. “We’re thrilled at the prospect of working with SM to collaborate with K-pop and other Asian artists, as well as other Asian music companies, through our new partnership. They’ve influenced K-pop globally, united the music industry across the continent, and brought unique and energetic performances to worldwide audiences,” says AmazeVR Co-CEO Ernest Lee. “We’re going to see some phenomenal VR concerts.”
AmazeVR captivated fans this summer during a U.S.-based VR Concert tour with global rap icon Megan Thee Stallion and her Enter Thee Hottieverse tour. The AmazeVR team traveled from city to city with VR headsets, wowing fans with the highest quality VR performances available. With this partnership, AmazeVR will expand VR concert production by sourcing K-pop and Asian artists and broadening content diversity. Their ultimate goal is to bring fans from all around the world closer to their favorite artists through their global platform.
“Our JV partnership with SM Entertainment will deliver mesmerizing, fully immersive VR concerts featuring mega K-Pop stars. Never before have fans been able to experience their favorite artists in such an intimate and personal way. Get ready to see captivating choreography as the music comes to life, with the fan center stage,” says AmazeVR Co-CEO Steve Lee.
About AmazeVR
AmazeVR is a VR concert platform company that brings fans closer to artists than ever before.
Headquartered in LA with offices in Seoul, AmazeVR creates experiences with renowned, bold artists, featuring crystal clarity and unprecedented proximity through live-action 3D footage combined with environments using a proprietary Unreal Engine-based VFX pipeline.
AmazeVR creates VR concerts in fantastical new worlds that are widely accessible to fans, distributing through movie theaters and eventually at-home VR. For more information, visit amazevr.com.
About SM Entertainment Group
SM Entertainment Co., Ltd. is one of Korea's largest entertainment companies founded in 1995 by producer Soo-Man Lee, widely known as the "Founder of K-pop". The company has developed and popularized numerous K-pop stars with huge global fandoms, and is known for having led the global K-pop phenomenon. Representative of the entertainment industry in Asia, the company operates its own comprehensive entertainment business including artist development, record label services, talent agency services, music production, music publishing, event management, and concert production.