Live Coding in the Metaverse

Networked, immersive, shared virtual environments are on the rise under the concept of the metaverse. Behind all the hype, however, it is an excellent opportunity for networked and virtual music performances using live coding. Especially in recent years, the use of metaverse environments for live coding performances has seen an upsurge due to the constraints of the global pandemic. While the performances are mostly integrated as 2D video streams into environments such as Mozilla Hubs, it seems reasonable to integrate browser-based live coding languages into these environments. This paper describes developing and integrating two live coding languages based on the Bytebeat concept into metaverse systems. They enable real-time live coding within a virtual environment, even collaboratively, with immersive capabilities through spatial audio rendering and the use of VR and AR devices. In addition, different art experiences through the visual composition of the environments can be created. We will show the development and benefits of the live coding languages implemented and the artistic possibilities these virtual environments offer.