As we know, music and creative play are incredibly important in the lives of children. Research from both the LEGO Group and Universal Music Group (UMG) reveals:

• 89% of parents say music helps build creative skills, while 83% say it helps build confidence
• 94% of parents believe playing with LEGO bricks helps develop creativity, 91% say it improves problem-solving, and 89% say it builds confidence.
• 74% of children​ aged 5-12 say music helps them connect with friends with over half of children aged 6-10 confirming they listen to music every day.
• 76% of both parents & children aged 5-12 believe music helps them express who they are​​.
• 81% of parents say music brings families together and helps them bond with their kids.​​ 
• 92% of parents and 95% of children aged 5-12 say LEGO play is fun for the whole family.

This is why LEGO and UMG are launching upcoming platform LEGO® VIDIYO on 1 March 2020, which provides a refreshing opportunity for children to express themselves creatively. By putting children in charge of their own music video productions, children can both discover music and harness their passion for it through an immersive, positive and safe social experience.

LEGO VIDIYO requires verified parental consent – along with anonymity –  and external moderation of all content uploaded to the App feed, so parents can be reassured their child is unleashing their creativity while staying safe online.

Accessed through a unique mashup of LEGO elements, minifigures, music, augmented reality and a vibrant new App, LEGO VIDIYO will be filled with endless combinations of editing options unlocked through new special effect ‘BeatBits’. Young creators can enjoy and experiment with their own individual styles and ways of bringing music videos to life. Here’s how it works:

• Choose one of the many songs in the App from a broad variety of established artists – both contemporary chart toppers and instantly recognisable classics.
• Create your band from a vibrant collection of new, physical minifigures, which can be customised and brought to life in different scales through AR technology in the VIDIYO App.
• Line up special effects in the form of ‘BeatBits’ and place them on the scanning stage. BeatBits are decorated 2×2 square LEGO elements, which once scanned unlock digital effects that let you control everything from video and music styles to scene effects. Creators can see their vision realised by choosing anything from black and white bling effects, to confetti showers and even X-ray vision. They can also add audio effects such as DJ scratching, mouse voice or sax solo, as well as fun signature character moves and gimmicks, from breakdancing to surfing on a shark…
• Set the stage. From parks to bedrooms and backyards to brick-built models, LEGO VIDIYO music videos can live anywhere. In just three seconds, your location is scanned and production countdown starts. 
• Hitting the selected BeatBits in the App, children then take creative control of their own music video production, triggering dance moves and audio/video effects in an amazing 60 second performance, which can be trimmed down to 5, 10, 15 or 20 second shareable clips.
• Clips can then be uploaded to the App feed, but only once the content has passed moderation. Any content featuring personally-identifiable information, such as children starring in the video, will not be approved for App feed upload, but can be stored locally in-App, to be enjoyed in-person with friends or family members.

In blending these elements, children can experience LEGO play in a way never seen before. Using new AR technology, this will be the first-time children can play with minifigures in real-life scale and at a super-sized scale, in addition to the iconic minifigure scale. The App lets children style all of their band members, select names for their band, design album covers and much more!

New music, challenges, and inspirational content will be added regularly to the App to keep gameplay fresh and encourage children to continue developing their creative skills. The challenges are designed to help young creators transform their videos from simple performances to exciting and dynamic productions, while ensuring they take full advantage of the wide range of features LEGO VIDIYO has to offer through new unique BeatBits.

“We want to feed the imagination of the next generation of creatives, providing a new canvas for kids to creatively express themselves,” said Julia Goldin, Chief Marketing Officer, the LEGO Group.

“Research shows over three quarters (79%) of parents globally wish their children had more creative confidence, so we’re launching LEGO VIDYO to help make that happen. We know children are always chasing new ways to experiment creatively, and LEGO VIDIYO is here to help all kids with a passion for music unleash their creativity through LEGO building and music video production. We can’t wait to see what they come up with!”

The platform launches on 1 March 2021: watch this space.