Music Finland opened an online showroom to enhance the export of Finnish music abroad. The virtual space enables music enthusiasts worldwide to explore the Finnish music scene.
The extended reality (XR) showroom showcases various artists and music imagery from Finland - flavoured with probably the most famous Finn of all time.
| Client | Music Finland |
| XR Production | Arilyn |
Music is an essential part of life for many of us. It cheers us up, helps us dwell in sadness, and makes us travel down memory lane - music sets the mood for any situation.
What role will Metaverse play in music's future?
Music Finland, Business Finland's unit for music export, set up an online showroom to showcase Finnish music abroad - and invite music lovers worldwide to explore the setting of the Finnish music scene.
A virtual experience as a promotion tool
Motel Finlandia is an experimental online space for exporting Finnish music and promoting music in the Metaverse. The virtual motel is inspired by movie directors Aki Kaurismäki and David Lynch.
The first version of virtual Motel Finlandia was launched during SXSW in March 2022. Music Finland utilized the virtual Motel Finlandia to promote the physical showcase event, also titled Motel Finlandia. Motel Finlandia was greeted with excitement at the SXSW event, and it has gained interest globally as well.
During the showcase event, the online space's visitors could get a drink voucher from the virtual motel and claim the drink in the real world.
Although a simple activity, not too many examples exist. Building a connection between the virtual and physical worlds was an essential element in Music Finland's marketing package in Austin.
"We created something truly different from what music export has been like. These experiments are a requirement for renewing the operations," said Turo Pekari, Innovation and Business Development Executive of Music Finland.
Content and experiences throughout the year in the online space
The virtual Motel Finlandia enables Music Finland to maintain consistent messaging during its events throughout the year and to fill the time between them with relevant content and experiences.
The first version of online Motel Finlandia presented one gig, and new artists are added to the lineup during the fall and winter of 2022–2023. The second launch also includes more interactions for the visitors to explore the eerie motel and music imagery.
Motel Finlandia is quite the opposite of what people might think when entering a virtual space. The feel is intentionally strange - not futuristic, but more of that time has stopped. The virtual Motel Finlandia lives in its own dimension, and historical layers appear little by little.
Music in the Metaverse
Motel Finlandia was Music Finland's first step towards virtual worlds. In November 2022, Music Finland participated in the Decentraland Metaverse Music Festival with two performances from Maija Kauhanen and Handshaking.
"The Metaverse will be a place to spend time, consume, and create content. Big brands and record labels are already in The Sandbox and Decentraland. It is obvious that it is an unexplored space for consumers to explore content and follow artists they love," Pekari wonders.
The online showroom takes its visitors on a strange journey to a secluded motel in the wilderness of Finland. Motel Finlandia lies somewhere between the real world and the otherworldly. Who is the famous Finn in the bar?
Welcome to Motel Finlandia, where Finns are not what they seem:
