From Travis Scott’s Fortnite takeover to FIFA playlists rivaling Spotify for discovery, this mashup of two massive industries is redefining how we experience music. But here’s the twist: while games are sprinting ahead with tech, music is still shuffling along to decades-old licensing models. That’s where platforms like STYNGR come in.
STYNGR’s co-founders, Alex Tarrand and Oleg Butenko, saw the disconnect between the fast, flexible needs of game developers and the sluggish systems of the music industry. Their solution? A tech platform that makes it seamless for games to integrate music, opening up new possibilities for personalization, in-game radio, and even music as microtransactions or emotes. Think *Post Malone* as your victory theme or a *Lizzo* lyric as an audio emote—it’s all about self-expression in virtual worlds.
But this goes beyond convenience. Music is evolving into a tool for identity in games, much like skins and avatars. The ability to curate your in-game soundscape isn’t just fun—it’s cultural. Music has always been the pulse of youth movements, and now games are taking that legacy and remixing it for the digital age.
From Roblox’s Boombox feature, where players carry digital ghetto blasters, to the idea of digital-first bands existing entirely in virtual spaces, the future is wild and wide open. Games are becoming the new hub for music discovery, and as Gen Z and Gen Alpha spend more time in these spaces, it’s only a matter of time before in-game radio, ultra-short tracks for emotes, and liveops-style albums become the norm.
At Diva, we see this as a massive moment for creative reinvention. Gaming and music are both cultural cornerstones, and as they intertwine, the possibilities for players, artists, and developers are limitless (just look at the recent announcement from Naughty Dog on their collaboration with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross who’ll be scoring Intergalactic's soundtrack). It’s not just about entertainment—it’s about creating new cultural currencies.
So, here’s the question: what role will your brand play in this new sonic frontier?
Read the full playable futures article here
