Mozart might have once said that music is made to be heard – but this is 2017, and the world has evolved immensely. And in a world where we are pushing the limits on everything imaginable, why not extend that mindset to music?
This is exactly why Google is working on a software experiment that would allow its users to “see” music as they hear it. The software, called Inside Music, is designed to peel away the many layers of sound that make up a song.
For the new Inside Music experiment, Google has collaborated with the popular podcast Song Exploder as well as a number of artists. But how does it work?
In sum: the platform navigates to the Inside Music website and chooses one of the available songs. The site then switches to WebVR format, where you can listen to the song and simultaneously see a full 360-degree view of several virtual balls, each with a music layer from the song you are listening to. You can turn off each layer by clicking on the ball that represents that element so you can listen to the individual part of that track.
You can even watch and interact with Inside Music from inside a VR headset, but you can also see and click on the app from your smartphone or desktop web browser. For those a little more Java savvy, you can also check out the source code from Inside Music via GitHub and create visualization layers for your own tracks.
We know you love to listen to music, and many would argue you can even feel it. Well, now you have an extra sense to add to the picture. Check out the video for yourself below.
