Somnium Space, the open, persistent VR world that has been dominating the OpenSea NFT trading charts for weeks on end has added several key features to their platform.
The new features are undoubtedly only a few of the many additions the company has up their sleeves, but they’re fundamental nonetheless. With these recent additions, Somnium supports many new types of activities, monetization models and ways to socialize, cooperate and share.
Note that this list is by no means exhaustive as many features have been added and are added weekly.
Display and sell crypto art (NFT’s)
Somnium has a Builder tool, which you can use to create structures. It features a whole range of ready to use objects, including but not limited to walls, roofs, windows, lights, trees and furniture. With those you can make amazing and elaborate structures, as demonstrated by the many builds that have appeared in Somnium Space in recent months.
As your account is linked to a wallet address, the Builder also gives you direct access to your OpenSea NFT’s. You can simply drag and drop them directly into your scene. So if you have created or purchased some crypto art, putting it on display is easy.
And even better, the NFT’s can be purchased directly from within VR. No suprise crypto artists are thrilled.
Seeing the crypto art community merge seamlessly with a Virtual Reality creator platform is something truly amazing to behold. To build a museum in Somnium Space within 24 hours, while making my first direct sale in VR just a couple of hours later.
A crypto artist
The possibilities are sheer endless. Many have understood this, which is why so many shops and galleries are being created and opened in Somnium right now.
If you are a crypto artist and are looking for a revolutionary new way to display, market and sell your art, Somnium Space is definitely something you should look into.
In case you wonder how you can get land or how to build a gallery, keep reading.
Rent (out) parcels
Until now you could only build on parcels you owned. A brand new addition to the platform however allows parcel owners (landlords) to give others access to their parcels. Once this access has been granted, the other person can use the Builder tool to create any structure he or she likes.
This feature opens up for a whole range of options. Let’s imagine you’re a crypto artist, but you do not have a parcel in Somnium Space. With this new feature you can rent a parcel from someone else for a specific amount of time, create a gallery and put your works on display.
Another use case is that you own a parcel, but do not want to go through the hassle (which it really isn’t) of building something yourself. With the new feature you can simply grant a Somnium architect/builder access and let them build something for you.
Hire a builder
‘Hire a builder’ is not a feature as such, it just a logical consequence of the ability to grant others access to your parcel.
Again, imagine you are a crypto artist. You found someone you can rent a parcel from. But now you want to focus on what you do best, which is creating art, and not learn a new tool to build your gallery.
You find a Somnium architect, agree with the parcel owner that the architect gets access to the parcel for a limited time, and then…sit back and relax. The architect/builder will do the gallery building for you. When the gallery has been finished the parcel owner grants access back to you and you are all set. Use the builder to put your art on display and you are in business and a VR gallery owner.
At the time of writing, only a few days after these new features were rolled out, there is already a lot of activity in the ‘construction business’. For example, the following striking gallery was created by builder @snakebite for a client.
Stream audio
This feature has been around for several weeks and it has triggered some really interesting activities. For one, live music clubs opened their virtual doors to the public, the most prominent one being Club Hex, a modern looking structure destined to be Somnium’s number one dance temple.
What is really interesting is that Club Hex issues NFT tickets, which grants users access (the early birds could even get lifetime access tickets). But more about ticketing systems in later articles.
Club Hex is not the only night club. There are several great destinations if you are looking for a fun night out and want to socialize with other people to the beats of great music. For instance, there is D2D, a waterfront after hours club promising live DJ’s, Liquid DnB, melodic techno and deep house on three different levels: Night room, Dawn set and chill.
But streaming music is of course only one of the use cases and we are sure we will see a lot more in the weeks and months to come.
What if you are a crypto artist, got hold of a parcel and a gallery and put some of your best works on display; can you also enhance the visitor experience with sounds or music? That’s a yes. With only a few clicks in the Builder tool you can create the perfect atmosphere, unique for your gallery. Again, if you do not want to do this yourself, your Somnium architect/builder will be happy to help.
What’s in store?
There’s a whole range of features, either already released or in the pipeline. Without doubt they will further enrich the platform, allow for more and more streamlined monetization models, new and even deeper experiences and more ways to have fun.
But there is no reason to wait if you have art you want the people of Somnium Space to enjoy it. You can either buy your own parcel and build a gallery or simply rent a place. Put your artwork on the walls, organize a grand opening and you’re in business.
Useful links
To hire a builder or rent a parcel, go to Somnium’s Discord and reach out to the community. They are there to help with whatever questions you may have.
To join Somnium, go to their website.
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