Voices of VR

164
Design #82

Designing for Virtual Reality. Oral history podcast featuring the pioneering artists, storytellers, and technologists driving the resurgence of virtual & augmented reality. Learn about the patterns of immersive storytelling, experiential design, ethical frameworks, & the ultimate potential of XR.

Recent Episodes
  • #1557: Apple Immersive Video Behind-the-Scenes & Overcoming Fears with “Adventure” Series Athlete
    Apr 8, 2025 – 53:32
  • #1556: “Currents” Boldly Defines a New Era of DIY 180-Degree Immersive Filmmaking with a Kit Under $5k
    Mar 29, 2025 – 57:28
  • #1555: Award-Winning Tabletop Animation “Oto’s Planet” Uses Unique Interactive Mechanic to Chose Perspective
    Mar 29, 2025 – 41:48
  • #1554: “Cosmos in Focus” Contextualizes James Webb Telescope Images in Educational Immersive Planetarium Experience
    Mar 29, 2025 – 44:37
  • #1553: The Story of Kunstkraftwerk Leipzig, and the Multi-Channel Video Translation of “Origins – Life’s Epic Journey”
    Mar 29, 2025 – 47:38
  • #1552: Fly to You Explores Stories of Separated Families in Division of Korea Using Point Clouds & 360 Video
    Mar 29, 2025 – 41:08
  • #1551: Breaking Down the Game Design of New Conducting-Inspired, Hand-Tracked, Rhythm Game “Symphoni”
    Mar 29, 2025 – 58:45
  • #1550: “EchoVision” Answers the Question ‘What is it like to see like a bat?’ with Mixed Reality, AI, & Haptics
    Mar 29, 2025 – 45:34
  • #1549: Honey Fungus Cultivates Intimacy with Nature through Embodied Actions Inspired by Fungi and Queer Ecology
    Mar 29, 2025 – 47:25
  • #1548: “1906 Atlanta Race Massacre” Uses Phone-Based AR to Volumetrically Tell a Forgotten History
    Mar 29, 2025 – 46:11
  • #1547: Simulating One-on-One Conversations about Abortion Experiences to Change Minds with “The Choice – Chapters 2 & 3”
    Mar 29, 2025 – 59:58
  • #1546: How Indigenous Storytelling is Changing Non-Proliferation Narratives in “Ways of Knowing: A Navajo Nuclear History”
    Mar 29, 2025 – 54:38
  • #1545: “Shelter” Observational 360 Documentary Shows Intimate Side of War via Ukrainian Citizen Bomb Shelters
    Mar 29, 2025 – 39:36
  • #1544: Traces: The Grief Processor Immersive Documentary Invites Groups to Learn About Grief
    Mar 29, 2025 – 53:41
  • #1543: “Proof As If Proof Were Needed” Enables Audiences to Collaboratively Edit Video Feeds via Embodied Movements
    Mar 29, 2025 – 50:21
  • #1542: Exploring the Paradox of Narratively Critiquing AI While Also Using AI to Make “The Last Practice”
    Mar 29, 2025 – 59:57
  • #1541: Virtual Being Engages in Socratic Monologue Comparing AI to Sugar in “Sweet!” Installation
    Mar 29, 2025 – 32:35
  • #1540: Hacking AI for Black Representation & the Future Dreaming of Archival Collections with Tamara Shogaolu
    Mar 29, 2025 – 51:03
  • #1539: Wandering in Open World Doc Archives in Mixed Reality with SXSW XR Jury Prize Winner “Reflections of Little Red Dot”
    Mar 29, 2025 – 56:27
  • #1538: Mixed Reality Calibration Innovations Hidden within “The Secret Life of Monsters: The Gateway Experience”
    Mar 29, 2025 – 43:51
  • 1537: NOWISWHENWEARE (the stars) Uses Low-Bit Visuals & Hundreds of Spatial Audio Speakers to Tell a Moving Story
    Mar 29, 2025 – 1:02:42
  • 1536: Spatial Audio Trends from d&b audiotechnik’s Artist Relations Manager Wayne Powell
    Mar 29, 2025 – 27:06
  • #1535: Roman Rappak’s 4th Annual “Ristband” SXSW Live Music Mixed Reality Performance Adds Spatial Audio
    Mar 29, 2025 – 31:19
  • #1534: Animated Immersive Dome Experience “Resolution: A Cinephonic Rhapsody for the Soul” Created as an Album Listening Party
    Mar 29, 2025 – 59:52
  • #1533: Web Developer Built “A Number from the Ghost” WebXR Adventures to Highlight His Music
    Mar 29, 2025 – 46:23
  • #1532: Tenderclaws’ “Face Jumping” Explores the Frontiers of Eye-Tracked Locomotion in Poetically Surreal Short
    Mar 29, 2025 – 44:01
  • #1531: In the Current of Being Uses Immersive Haptics to Tell the Story of Electroshock Conversation Therapy
    Mar 29, 2025 – 39:52
  • #1530: Six-Month Immersive Storytelling Exhibition Curated by Ana Brzezińska Opening in Namur, Belgium
    Mar 20, 2025 – 1:01:04
  • #1529: SXSW 2025 XR Experience Selection Sneak Peak with Programmer Blake Kammerdiener
    Mar 6, 2025 – 55:10
  • #1528: “Theater” App on Apple Vision Pro Features Indie-Produced Dome, Planetarium, and Stereoscopic Content
    Mar 6, 2025 – 1:03:57
  • #1527: “Lovesick” is Character-Driven, Escape Room Indie Gem of a Story
    Mar 4, 2025 – 57:32
  • #1526: Allegations that Meta’s OVRPlugin is Undermining the Spirit of OpenXR by Blocking Non-Meta Headsets on PCVR.
    Feb 28, 2025 – 45:32
  • #1525: Niantic’s “Into the Scaniverse” Maps Over 50k Gaussian Splats from Around the World on Quest and WebXR
    Feb 28, 2025 – 1:00:03
  • #1524: HTC Viverse Leverages Open Web Tech in Aim to Become ‘YouTube of 3D Content’
    Feb 26, 2025 – 1:04:42
  • #1523: XR & AI Ethics & State of the Industry Discussion with Polys Ombudsperson Winners
    Feb 21, 2025 – 59:43
  • #1522: A Survey of Spatial Audio Formats with 1618 Digital’s Oliver Kadel
    Jan 29, 2025 – 50:52
  • #1521: New glTF External Reference Format Combines Multiple Assets into a Scene
    Jan 29, 2025 – 58:09
  • #1520: Design Breakdown of One-on-One Immersive Theatre piece TM with Ontroerend Goed’s Alexander Devriendt
    Jan 29, 2025 – 1:05:55
  • #1519: “The Reality of Hope” Sundance Short Doc Features Journey from VRChat Friend to Organ Donor
    Jan 25, 2025 – 59:53
  • #1518: The Socratic Immersive Experience with Agnes Callard and her book “Open Socrates”
    Jan 20, 2025 – 1:07:27
  • #1517: LBE Lessons Learned from 20-Venue Tour of “In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats” with Producer Dan Tucker
    Dec 23, 2024 – 41:19
  • #1516: Myriam Achard on Phi Studio’s Expansion into LBE Distribution & the Fusion of Immersive Art at Phi Contemporary
    Dec 23, 2024 – 42:23
  • #1515: VR Researcher Julia Scott-Stevenson on Embodiment in Story & Why Docs are Perfect to Explore AI
    Dec 23, 2024 – 43:52
  • #1514: Creating GenAI Flower Ecosystem with “Future Botanica” AR App
    Dec 23, 2024 – 1:00:49
  • #1513: From News Scan to GenAI Irish Sean-nós Songs in “You Can Sing Me on My Way” Audio Installation
    Dec 23, 2024 – 52:59
  • #1512: DocLab Immersive Non-Fiction Winner “Me, A Depiction” Performance Installation Confronts Objectifying Gaze
    Dec 23, 2024 – 43:28
  • #1511: Cultivating Virtual LGBTQIA+ Safe Spaces in VRChat with “Dollhouse for Queer Imaginaries”
    Dec 23, 2024 – 46:55
  • #1510: Poetic VR Exploration of Iranian Protest Blinding in “Speechless Witness of a Wandering Tree”
    Dec 23, 2024 – 43:40
  • #1509: Virtual Architecture Vibes Part 2: “Limbophobia” VR & Dome at IDFA DocLab
    Dec 23, 2024 – 57:42
  • #1508: Virtual Architecture Vibes Part 1: “Limbotopia” VR & Dome at Film Gate Interactive
    Dec 23, 2024 – 38:18
Recent Reviews
  • Kcrosley
    Clown Show
    Host is a clown. Show is right-wing propaganda disguised as tech discussion. Weirdest f-ing pod I’ve ever heard, but not in a good way. Typical show: Interview with weirdo who wouldn’t even have been covered in Mondo 2000. Host: What about Schopenhauer’s “Theory of The Bland”? Guest: ummm whut? Host: Well I talked with Guest about [verbatim restatement of what guest said] and they said [verbatim restatement of what guest said]. Host: Awkward monologue about Schopenhauer’s “Theory of the Bland” and the intersection of fascism and magic mushrooms.
  • AECcommunications.com
    WTH, this is everything but VR
    I have not been able to finish one show, it’s painful! I wanted to listen to cutting edge VR. But I have to listen to the geopolitical ramifications that take up 75% of the show. No thanks!
  • CIXLIV
    Kent is truly important
    Kent and his historical recording of the VR space is incredibly valuable to the capturing of the ebbs and flows of our industry. An invaluable chronicle for the future of technology.
  • ElevenKrause
    Invaluable insights
    A great resource for understanding what’s happening in VR with a critical overlay of the moral and social implications.
  • Dnsndjamnxmxks
    So impressed with the show
    I’m a college student barely learning about the VR scene and this is hands down my favorite podcast for learning about the different ways in which this medium can positively enhance various sectors of industry. The host is sooo good and always gets really interesting people to interview. Great podcast please keep it up it’s so impressive that you’ve been so consistent for the last 5 years good on you!!
  • Alex from New York City
    Kent is the gold standard
    So much of the VR industry still feels rough around the edges and experimental, so it's refreshing just how professional Kent has been with the Voices of VR podcast right from the beginning. Seriously, it feels like something you should have to pay some enormous corporate fee for, and I'm enormously grateful we don't have to. Support Ken on Patreon so he can keep doing what he's doing!
  • drewgillespie11233
    Theme song is hard pill to swallow...
    Big fan of show, but PLEASE CHANGE THE THEME SONG it makes it so i dont want to listen to your episodes anymore. Very distracting, because i get excited by the show. Sounds too much like a idiotic conspriracy theory show, hard to take seriously. Maybe like a cheesey xfiles knock off. Topics are always really interesting, want to continue with it. WOULD ALSO CHANGE THE THUMBNAIL IMAGE, it looks too new age mystical... too over the top psychedelic. I love trippy art (and psilocybin) but it looks really aged. Hard for me to want to share it, ppl wont take me seriously if these things arent changed.
  • TitleistSJ
    Thoughtful and educational
    What I love about this podcast is depth. It's educational and approacheable for an average listener, but every episode also has a lot of depth for the listener who wants to get deeper into each topic. Really appreciate the thoughtfulness of Kent's interview questions!
  • flippier
    Voices Oh!
    voices of vr like a shootin star he zips around the globe thank god he aint a germ-o-phobe go go ken bye just "dive right in" do or do not my take-away "is that" there is no try
  • Tin Ear No More
    Required Listening For VR/AR Beginners & Beyond
    Thinking about getting into VR/AR? Been in VR/AR for awhile and trying to get a better handle on the ecosystem? If that's a yes to either of these questions--or the million other reasons people are hunting for quality content to help learn and understand the emerging world of VR/AR--than it's time to listen to Voices of VR. Kent has the most thorough understanding of the VR/AR landscape and goes deep in his interviews without loosing his listeners' interest. He can draw parallels and close loops in a discussion that encompass artistic intent and technical specifications. Truly, there is no one more qualified than Kent to document the evolution of this new medium and no podcast as outstanding as Voices of VR.
  • ResponsibleReviewer
    This is THE VR podcast.
    Very focused on every aspect of VR. No fluff. No irrelevant stories having nothing at all to do with VR. So far every episode has provided me insight and indepth analysis. Good stuff.
  • Felixblacke
    Must Subscribe
    It's incredible how much quality content is produced by this podcast. Multiple weekly digestible episodes where he interviews someone in the field and then gives an analysis of that interview. A great foundational podcast for the emerging industry. If you are at all interested in developing for VR this is a must subscribe.
  • 1amNick
    My favorite VR podcast!
    Every episode is very informative and entertaining. Since I can't quite afford a VR setup yet, this podcast keeps me in the loop with all the stuff that happens in the background.
  • Krytaus
    Nice podcast
    Easily the best VR podcast I have listened to!
  • Bocabierta
    Some of the best tech reporting, VR or not
    Kent Bye’s ability to interview both academics, entertainers, engineers, businesspeople, and artists in the world of virtual reality makes him the best reporter on the scene. Dive right in.
  • Tuism
    Awe-inspiring
    I didn't care much for VR. Then I tried the Vive. Then I listened to Kent from current, backwards till about 500. Then I spent 5 weeks camped out at a company 1400km from my home that has a Vive so I could jam and prototype on it. Now I'm on episode 400, and it's still all very very exciting. Kent is doing incredibly important work, getting this very important conversation going, documenting it, spreading it.
  • Sean Tarrant
    The Definitive VR Podcast
    The Voices of VR podcast is fantastic and Kent Bye is a terrific host. The broad range of guests, experts from every possible discipline relating to VR, provide insight and inspiration for anyone working in or looking to learn more about this emerging medium. The podcast also functions as an important historical document. In years to come it will be fascinating to listen back to these early conversations in which the shape of the metaverse gradually takes form. As host, Kent does a great job of filling in the gaps in the story. At times going all the way back to the earliest explorations by academics and the military, and always looking forward to the ultimate potential of VR, he is a thoughtful and genuine guide with a warm voice and a relaxed interviewing style. Check it out. You won’t be disappointed.
  • Pinky Gonzales
    Jam packed with relevance
    I don't know how Kent Bye keeps up with the pace of releasing new podcasts near daily, but I'm glad he does. This is an outstanding interview-style podcast on the absolute bleeding edge of VR innovation, issues and events. Could not recommend more highly to anyone in or exploring a career in the virtual arts.
  • Dalopi
    Devoted reporter sharing amazing stories
    Kent does an amazing job running his own news feed, helping those who share the similar interest in VR. Each day I am learning new things on this ever evolving and fresh tech. This is the best podcast if you want to stay on the frontier of VR.
  • heyaRizzo
    Great discussions + variety of content, guests and fields
    Remarkable diversity! Clear editing, constant updates, and not so much get-to-know-you conversation with the guests or other goofing off. The interviews also get into the backgrounds and goals of the guests versus only what the organizations are working on, which adds some great insight.
  • Oscar2014
    Best VR coverage
    I've learned so much about VR just from listening to Kent's podcast. Voices of VR goes above and beyond on representing VR community in the best way possible.
  • Nic DiPalma
    Most insightful and fascinating podcast on this emerging technology.
    So many perspectives presented and represented in this podcast. A variety of VR/AR pioneers bring their expertise into a conversation with host, Kent Bye, for a great lstening+learning experience. It's an indespensible source of research for me, personally, and for my business strategy.
  • MDog69
    Updated frequently, great interviews
    Best podcast to learn about VR!
  • Jfoster760
    Great Podcast!
    Really interesting podcast covering latest developments concerning VR and AR, and where the things may be heading in the future.
  • LukaszMuzyka
    Awesome
    I listen to it every day. Keep it up!
  • mbcauley
    Great interviews, great interviewer
    This is a very informative podcast about VR with regular updates and covers a wide range of topics related to the technology from games and entertainment to arts, educational applications and medicine. Kent has a way of going into each subject with depth and clarity that is really facisinating to listen to.
  • alameyer
    Useful, current, informative
    Kent Bye and the Voices of VR podcast is critical listening both for those beginning their VR learning journey and for those already immersed into the space. With poignant questions and significant knowledge of VR/AR, Kent guides the speakers in interesting and useful conversations in a quickly changing and high growth industry. The vast library of podcasts covers a wide range of topics across all areas of VR from hardware, software platforms, content creation, and more. Many thanks to Kent for informing a growing community of VR users and influencers.
  • 333uuu
    Educational, entertaining, exciting
    Every episode is an education, and a variety of guests speaking on all sorts of interesting subjects from the technical to the artistic to the cultural to the spiritual. Kent is an excellent interviewer, keeping his guests on track while putting them at ease and allowing each to deliver their perspectives in their own styles.
  • Gmoney2748
    Awesome interviews
    Great way to pass time while waiting on my rift headset. Every interview seems to offer a unique perspective on what VR has to offer. It really is awesome to hear that so much passion is behind this innovative tech.
  • Killa_Kyle
    Best podcast on VR
    This podcast is exactly what I was looking for. Kent interviews the some of the best and brightest in VR. It's great to hear people discuss their ideas and visions for this up and coming medium
  • bmchan
    This is the best podcast on VR/AR
    No silly bantor here. The quality of this podcast is excellent. He gets top, industry leading individuals. The podcasts are under 30 minutes and the questions show a deep understanding to VR. I support this podcast with a monthly donation as well.
  • Rogue leaderr
    Simply the best VR podcast
    I’ve been looking actively for VR podcasts and there are some good ones out there but voices of VR is clearly the best. Knowledgable host + great guests = VR gold.
  • AntonTheWolf
    Fantastic Interviewer.
    This podcast is easily one of the most informative and interesting vr podcasts out there. Great interviews with a ton of information crammed into the show. A must for anyone wanting to stay up on the latest breakthroughs in the technology and psychology of vr/ar.
  • Benz145
    Thoughtful, informative interviews
    Kent speaks with the core of the VR community to connect you directly to the folks building the industry and asks the questions that you would as an educated and enthusiastic observer of the space. This podcast is info-dense and highly recommended.
  • Ross Turk
    Great interview focused podcast
    I listen to all the vr podcasts and this one is becoming my favorite. interesting interviews short and to the point. Keep up the great work!
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