Orchestra: A Toolbox for Live Music Performances in a Web-Based Metaverse

As the potential of networked multiuser virtual environments increases under the concept of the metaverse, so do the interest and artistic possibilities of using them for live music performances. Live performances in online metaverse environments offer an easy and environmentally friendly way to bring together artists and audiences from all over the world. Virtualization also enables countless possibilities for designing and creating artistic experiences and new performance practices. For many years, live performances have been established on various virtual platforms, which differ significantly in terms of possible performance practices, user interaction, immersion, and usability. With Orchestra, we are developing an open-source toolbox that uses the Web Audio Application Programming Interface to realize live performances with various performance practices for web-based metaverse environments. Possibilities vary from live streaming of volumetric audio and video, live coding in multiple (including audiovisual) programming languages, to performing with generative algorithms or virtual instruments developed in Pure Data. These can be combined in various ways and also be used for telematic/networked music ensembles, interactive virtual installations, or novel performance concepts. In this paper, we describe the development and scope of the Orchestra toolbox, as well as use cases that illustrate the artistic possibilities.