Universal Music Group, Republic Records, & STYNGR Unveil Boombox on Roblox: Innovating Opportunities for Labels and Players

By DaMarko Webster

Universal Music Group (UMG) and Republic Records proudly announce the debut of Boombox, a groundbreaking music product on the Roblox platform. Developed and powered by Styngr, Boombox represents a pioneering collaboration allowing labels to dynamically introduce playlists into the gaming space. The launch kicks off with the TWICE Square experience featuring the South Korean sensation TWICE, marking a significant milestone as the most visited music experience in Roblox history.

Boombox opens up new avenues for music labels to curate, distribute, and monetize their offerings on Roblox. Leveraging STYNGR’s innovative ad-supported portable music player, Boombox not only enhances gaming experiences but also contributes to the digital personas of players, a crucial aspect in gaming identity evolution.

The development of Boombox’s backend technology is the result of a year-long collaborative effort involving UMG, Roblox, STYNGR, and Super League teams, marking a remarkable advancement and an industry milestone.

Following the success of UMG’s Beat Galaxy and Republic Records and TWICE’s TWICE Square on Roblox, Boombox is poised to revolutionize how superfans engage with their favorite music, artists, and labels, pioneering metaverse-native music discovery.

Boombox debuts within Republic’s TWICE Square, fostering a unique social multiplier effect in the gaming environment. Players can share and collectively enjoy music, with each playback instance being a monetizable event for contributing labels and artists, facilitated by STYNGR’s integration with Luminate, making play events Billboard eligible.

While TWICE Square is the inaugural adopter of Boombox, the strategy includes a phased rollout across some of the most engaging experiences on the platform over the next year, encompassing 3,500 experiences using Super League’s developer tools.

TWICE, represented by JYP Entertainment, aims to bridge the gap with their international fans through this collaboration with UMG, Republic Records, and Roblox, integrating music, technology, and fan interaction.

For labels, Boombox represents the future of fan interaction, while for developers and advertisers, it ensures reach and engagement with new audiences across the Roblox platform.

Alvaro G. Velilla, Senior Vice President of New Business at UMG, stated, “By integrating Boombox, UMG solidifies its position as a vanguard of music innovation within the gaming sector,” setting a new standard for music integration in gaming.

Tim Hrycyshyn, SVP of Digital Strategy at Republic Records, emphasized the importance of elevating fan experiences with new technologies, ensuring artists are properly recognized in this space.

Alex Tarrand, COO of STYNGR, highlighted the partnership’s goal to expand the immersive capabilities of music within Roblox experiences, noting that play events in gaming experiences will count towards the Billboard Charts for the first time, thanks to the Luminate partnership.