How Concert LED Wristbands Work | WSJ Tech Behind

Whether it’s Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, Coldplay’s World Tour or a BTS K-Pop show, light-up wristbands or light sticks have become an expected part of the concert experience.
WSJ goes behind the scenes with PixMob, a leading concert LED company, to see how they use “old tech” to build creative light shows, essentially turning the crowd into a video canvas.
0:00 Wristbands at Live Events
0:47 Radio Frequency
2:57 Infrared
4:42 Bluetooth
Tech Behind
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#Concerts #Tech #WSJ

[@scferro]

The IR virtual “spotlights” are such a clever idea!! I love seeing old school tech repurposed in cool new ways.

[@Songs-lr4wt]

Even in Celine Dion tour in 2019-20, they used drones that changes colours and moves extensively.

[@bwoogie]

as soon as i heard that they used IR i thought it was such a bad idea... IR requires you to be in line of sight for it to work. Then I saw them mask the signal with a gobo to make shapes i thought it was such a brilliant idea. They literally took a disadvantage of the technology and made it into an advantage.

[@karthikramprakash]

@@bwoogie I thought the same way too 😅

[@derpmellow2]

Now that I know how they work, I can’t wait to draw a giant weener in the crowd!

[@alexandercoriolanus]

This was actually something I really wanted to know

[@PenStallone-iz5mf]

Supreme Court Justices in the US should only have 16 year terms

[@jabescript]

​@@PenStallone-iz5mfwrong video buddy

[@jhwardius]

lol

[@TariqulDipu]

Last year I went to a Coldplay concert in Frankfurt and I got to experience this awesome light wrist band. It really makes you feel like you’re an important part of the whole show and exponentially increases your excitement and adrenaline rush. The event organizers told us that their bands are made from compostable plant based plastics

[@CHMichael]

Oil - is plant based

[@SHAILESH506]

Hello, do you know any specific website which shows upcoming concerts in Germany?

[@jamesstevens9213]

The microchip is obviously not biodegradable

[@CHMichael]

@James Stevens notice the " organizers told us" if he would believe that there is compostable plant based plastic - he'd just state it as a fact.

[@salomon102]

These wristbands are made from PLA

[@parkds]

“PixMob won’t say if they are involved in Taylor Swift’s Eras tour” except, you know, for the fact that PixMob is literally printed with 1/2 inch tall letters on the wrist bands that are handed out at her shows.

[@stayupthetree]

Lol right! Came here to point that out. Horrible research by news agency

[@rosonowski]

@@stayupthetree It's not horrible research, it's PixMob probably being under an NDA - why do you think it it shows you the connection right then?

[@444music8]

@@rosonowski well trees aren’t capable of critical thought 😂

[@MrNoipe]

@@rosonowski it doesn't matter that PixMob is under NDA, the point of a news agency is to do independent research. It's clear that here they did not bother to investigate.

[@Termsofseve]

@@MrNoipe or maybe it's because them disclosing information that their interviewee is not supposed to hand out can get people in trouble, regardless of whether or not this information was provided by the interviewee themselves? laws are very complicated beasts, and companies generally do not want to accidentally break them just so they can say stuff everyone already knows

[@winterbelle03]

ive been to a few kpop concerts and wondered how this works. i think its really cool and for kpop, i like how to get to keep a piece of the concert and a symbol of the group even after its all over. i hope the wristbands used in most events are being sanitized and reused. i think the lightshow is so cool because you get the best view of it up in the nosebleeds, so it makes even the "worst" seats worth it.

[@heyitzLou]

They finally had this at Coachella this year. It was a fun experience and made it more immersive.

[@Tanks_In_Space]

At least those celebrities who tell us to save the planet don't feel guilty about the mountains of waste they create.

[@Kwint.]

I went to Coldplay last summer at the olympiastadium in Berlin, now the lights made the show so much better

[@LLUEVE]

Coldplay owns this tech. A father and son proposed this tech in 2012 to the band for the Mylo Xyloto tour. The bought it and then licensed it out. (XyloBands) The father and son get $1 for every ticket sold at all these concerts. It’s a pretty awesome sight to see! (It’s also how Top Golf tracks your ball)

[@tichu7]

I still have mine from that concert!

[@iamJAYTKAY]

That tour was so amazing

[@MondoMiami]

When your music sucks so much that you have to strap gimmicks onto the audience to keep them awake.

[@natashafernandez6709]

They were ahead of the game, stadium kings fr

[@gflai.official]

yes, you are right...

[@blankswiftiegaming8998]

Eras Tour lighting was so immersive

[@jstelm]

I first encountered these at Gaga last summer. Really cool and immersive but just seems to create lots of e-waste. Another commenters said there were places to return them but didn’t see any at our venue. Hopefully they are getting reused in most places.

[@CHMichael]

No they don't

[@johnlucas6683]

No way these kinds of things are reused. Probably so cheap to mass produce.

[@mackit]

This was my first thought about this. Cool experience, but this is an INSANE amount of ewaste being created! Like, a semi trailer full of landfill every show

[@gypsysoul12]

When we went to a Coldplay concert, there were people by the exit to collect these after the concert was over.

[@iam.damian]

I kept it to make it work again.

[@AllycatlovesAG]

I recently got my first kpop lightstick for an upcoming concert, and I'm so excited to see what the lights will emit! My version doesn't have an app, so I haven't seen in synk to music yet. I love how creative some kpop lightsticks can be like Cherry Bullet, The Boyz etc

[@jessica33313]

Same! I have Twice one! It was so beautiful to see!

[@tobinspiller2056]

The infrared technology is genius

[@satyris410]

the implementation is innovative, the technology is ancient

[@natec1]

The IR thing is actually so genius and it makes so much sense!!

[@kenwoodburn5244]

These were incredible at the Taylor Swift Eras Tour; lit up the whole stadium and was so cool

[@sanynava9160]

My bro went to a Taylor Swift show ? Sus.....

[@adamwolfhard342]

@@sanynava9160going to concert makes u gay now?😭😭

[@neil.santos]

@@sanynava9160 bro needs to touch grass

[@jamesssharpe]

@@sanynava9160and what. she’s an amazing performer

[@sanynava9160]

@@jamesssharpe okay heshe

[@aryanahmed3301]

The sheer amount of disposable electronic waste being generated 😭

[@Ineksi]

That's why the usual "Pixel" isn't a giveaway. It's meant as a handout that is supposed to be returned.

[@cbools]

Wore one of the Xylobands at Eurovision this year.. really lit up the show

[@agarengames3101]

This is so cool because it’s so simple yet so advanced at the same time. I hope one day I can come up with a cool product like this

[@Xylobands]

and for the record ... we yes Started, created and brought he whole Led Wearable thing to music in 2010 with COLDPLAY ... .. great things are coming soon

[@Cyber_Chriis]

The thing that stunned me the most was the simple physical mask they’d used for the heart shape :D

[@Tmrfe0962]

And don’t forget how it adds to our landfills! Yippie!

[@sidoitsu8179]

As a J-Pop fan especially a Hinatazaka46 fan I do have my doubts about these controlled light sticks, they might be usefull at concerts with a lot casual fans, who do not know the fan choreographies by heart, to give them a memorable concert. But for hardcore fans light sticks are a way to communicate with the members on stage by creating their own fans choreographies. E.g. when Hinatazaka46 got their song Joyfull Love the group also got a commercial campaign were each member had to wear a dress in a different colour and in the video they had to form a line and it looks like a rainbow. The first time the group performed this song at a concert the fans dyed the arena in rainbow colours and all members felt the love of the fandom. Since then the song is performed at all concerts and the fans take pride to prepare for the moment the song is announced.

[@deepak-dhankhar]

Now, I understood the logic behind Coldplay's mesmerizing concert.

[@kodakkevin]

I'm such a fan of artists and engineers pushing the envelope with old tech. Kind of similar to how Christopher Nolan keeps proving how far the film format can be taken, I feel like people move onto new tech too fast and we rarely achieve the fullest potential of older more accessible tech that hasn't been mastered yet!

[@karolylovasz]

what makes you feel that way?

[@dapeacock27]

Wow! Love how the moving heads have been overhauled to do this. Very cool idea

[@kavindarox]

Kudos to the Coldplay for taking the music era to a next level ❤

[@Robo94100]

This is actually entirely Coldplay's tech, at least as far as music touring goes. They bought up the idea from a guy called Jason back prior to the Mylo Xyloto tour (hence Xylobands) and have been using it ever since. Generally they now license it out for other people to use at their own concerts too, but I still remember those early days where Coldplay were the only ones who could do this.

[@LuizHartkopf]

nope, Coldplay might've been the first ones to use it in the USA. other's have used this in Korea/china waaaaay before that, even in the 90s

[@Robo94100]

@@LuizHartkopf I’m not sure what technology they were using in the 90’s, but I’m referring to the specific technologies that Coldplay now has the patents for, and allowed the technology to be used in even more innovative ways than similar examples previously. Also I feel it necessary as a Brit to point out Coldplay aren’t from the US haha 🇬🇧

[@ORGGStudios]

I was a bit sad that Coldplay wasn't mentioned at the start and only as an example at the mid/end of the video. When Coldplay had the xylobands for the first time everyone was speaking about it. It was so unique and new. Adds such an amazing new layer to the light design of the show

[@jas_bataille]

Well... if that's "entirely Coldplay's tech" and if Coldplay own Xyloband and has patented their technology... then it *can't* be entirely Coldplay's tech now, can it? I get the point you're trying to make, which is to point out who the "inventors" where but... I mean they're not going to sell their patents to someone else (at least I don't think so). Montreal is the city with the most festivals in the world and we are known worldwide for being top providers of anything you want in the event industry with several companies ranking very very high (Solotech being 3rd biggest event tech company in the world). What I mean is, I would be more than surprised, since Xylobadn is still very much in activity, that Pixmob is based on their patents. They (or more likely someone on their team with the name of the band being incorporated so the patent belongs to "Coldplay") wouldn't sell that tech, and no Montreal start-up would have the capital to get a patent like that. Nope, they figured that one out on their own, and it's different enough that it doesn't infringe the patent. So, not entirely Coldplay tech... I mean I really don't think so.

[@iamJAYTKAY]

and they did it because of when bands used to have fans hold up lighters

[@mwehehehe5279]

The BTS Army bomb lightstick has got to be the coolest that I've seen in a concert. It can even make words and gradients

[@HeelerHouse]

PIXMOB is involved with The Eras Tour, I attended it in Nashville and the wristband says PIXMOB on the bottom

[@samandarsodiqjonov8632]

Awesome technology

[@wbarbour1]

Good explanation of an admittedly interesting application of technology. Though, one wonders about the amount of un-recycled e-waste generated and the amount of lithium thrown into landfills. It’s not difficult to expect 10 million of these to be thrown away in a year. You can even see the non-releasable polyester cinch wristbands in the animations, implying that returning at the venue is very unlikely.

[@speeder172]

while Reading the comment section, only you seemed to care about this ... how crazy.

[@TheTransitmtl]

​@@speeder172What are you talking about. Theres tons of comments about this and if the e-waste wasn't your first reaction that means you are a selfish unnaware person

[@speeder172]

@@TheTransitmtl hey mate, don't need to be like this, on my desktop, I had to scroll very low to see someone carrying about it

[@user-vc3xv9nc8r]

So much fun at the eras!

[@hrtlsbstrd]

Neat! Now, how can we do this without all the e-waste 🤔

[@dondrapichrust]

Cool idea, love the sum up: old tech but new creative use

[@speakerblasterz]

These human creations are (for lack of better words) intriguing.

[@Liz_ArdE]

These are really cool to experience. It's amazing how much you feel included in a stadium sized venue and how cool it is to see every single person in the stadium.

[@SfinxVid]

Was at a New Years Eve event 10 years ago where I first saw those wristbands, it’s a nice addition to the overall immersion!

[@euphoriaaaa3900]

Lightsticks definitely i feel are the top at this game when it comes to it. Its not a one-time thing, its customizable, and the use of bluetooth definitely makes for a better experience. its definitely a fan FAN thing though, and i think just a kpop thing too.

[@jas_bataille]

Not sure how Bluetooth makes it for a better experience. I don't want to have to fiddle with an app for my expensive souvenir to work, and I certainly don't want it connected to thousands of other phones inter-connected into one giant hub. I don't know what kind of thing they can scan once you give them permission. Whereas the wrist band is 100% fool proof, free, doesn't distract from the concert, 100% private... I'd say for the intended purpose, I'd take the wristband any day.

[@jessica33313]

@@jas_batailleI went to a twice concert and it automatically worked. No Bluetooth connection needed!

[@tracy419]

​@@jas_batailleyou aren't connected to thousands of phones, you're just receiving the Bluetooth signal. And from what they are showing, the light show is much more detailed and it sounds like they are reusable rather than used once and toss in the trash. It's a totally different experience and doesn't connect you to everyone else. I've never used either so no skin in the game, just pointing out the difference.

[@maplenerd22]

@@jas_bataille The lightsticks themselves have bluetooth. Some of them have an app that allows you to connect to it and customize the colors.

[@brownpaperbag6159]

@@jas_bataille Recently the tech has been updated to automatically connect your lightstick to the venue's controllers, a good example is BTS. Before you had to either connect the light to your phone, or via a venue booth. Now just turning your light to bluetooth mode will automatically connect it to the controller. So now it'll work similarly to the light bands that performers and festivals use.

[@Jim58223]

4:45 didn't it start in Japan with idol otaku?

[@_aidid]

How amazing the wristband technology is! The controller must be liking her cool job of controlling the lights of so many people ✨

[@djdsf]

I got one of these over 8 years ago at a Tiesto show at a club in Miami.

[@UpUpDnDnLtRtLtRtBAStart]

Tech - gotta love it.

[@kaka47144]

Nice , and creative to make show look memorable

[@pumpkinhill4570]

I wanted to say, “welcome to 2009”, but looking it up the first recorded use was a Hideki Saijo concert in 1974 rofl. Still, the synchronized ones have been around since at least the first Hatsune Miku live performances. You guys are really behind the times!

[@jhwardius]

I thought it was a cool video. I assume most people like myself don't know about this tech even if it is old

[@nadie-qm8rq]

More than anything, making it sound like a western thing when in korea and japan had been around for decades, was annoying

[@maplenerd22]

@@nadie-qm8rq In the video it specifically said it started in Korea. 🤦‍♂ But this infrared version of the technology is started in the west.

[@mugglescakesniffer3943]

Wow, what creativity that started from the lowly lighter.

[@RangieNZ]

The selfie-camera on your phone (-not the main camera), can often see/pickup infrared. It would be interesting to use a selfie camera to capture the transmissions and then work out how to trigger the devices afterwards.

[@horrgakx]

I had no idea these existed - awesome!

[@jackeysmith19]

Iv literally been wondering about this for ages

[@CHMichael]

Sounds pretty new.

[@prabhatlamichhane8505]

The ir tech is soo genius🤯🤯

[@zhisu2665]

Lightsticks are an important piece of Kpop culture and it's seen as insulting if a group after years isn't given one. they don't get thrown out after one use and are proud displays.

[@liljohnnygogo]

Lol blame their label. They don’t want to pay

[@nanakorobiyaoki9191]

​@@liljohnnygogowhy blame anyone? The fans are happy to pay

[@tiagorochedo]

I have my Coldplay's Xylobands and Spice Girls' Pixmob!!! They remind me all the concerts!

[@jazzybeat28]

Hos sustainable is this experience? What happens after the show with these devices?

[@birajkhadka3904]

people are supposed to drop them into large pouches at the exit so that they can be re used but a lot of people just take them home instead.

[@HiThisIsMine]

@@birajkhadka3904 - only to be thrown in a drawer or dark corner and never be used again…

[@nearimagineer4385]

I'm not sure about the wristbands but the kpop lightsticks are bought with fans own money and taken home as souvenirs. You can then re-use them if you're lucky enough to see the same band again. I own multiple and have used them quite a few times and when they're not in use, they're on a display shelf in my place

[@AriFriedman22]

They did do it at the eras tour! Under the band it says PIXMOB

[@CityWaLk4u]

Fantastic concerts led

[@shreya1631]

As someone who goes to many concerts, I don't think any of the wristband technology truly matches the level of lightwork at BTS concerts. It's so detailed and beautiful that the $60 for the lightstick is totally worth it. It's just not really comparable to the wristband tech that western artists use.

[@sejalbhawar0613]

True ARMY Bomb is very luminouos too!

[@evacody1249]

Trans Siberin Orchestra. That is all.

[@pinkcloud8182]

i use my BTS lightstick as a flashlight outside concerts 😂

[@priyas1229]

I was looking for this comment 💜

[@vaishnvie]

Ikrrrrrr💜💜💜

[@bas.242]

Visual Dj! Thats something ive never even considered 😮

[@amayernican]

I went to a Flaming Lips New Years Eve show in the early '00s and they went through the crowd and handed out Lazer pointers. We WERE part of the show. It was beautiful.

[@baxthered]

ow, those were my eyes!

[@T3H8]

seems dangerous for the band and the crowd to have a bunch of lasers shining every which way

[@amayernican]

@@T3H8 No, no one was harmed.

[@thatpitter]

Infared and Gobos. Never would have guessed, but genius

[@SixSilverStones]

IR spotlights are GENIUS!

[@weightycarlos]

To experience a concert with a lightstick is something I need in my life at least once. 😭

[@jjb4367]

Very informative, thank you!

[@JukkaliMx]

Thank you for this. I went to the Taylor Swift concert in Mexico City, and was wondering how they did shapes in the basically-disposable LED bands in the crowd, without having an assigned seat number, or connected to an app.

[@awdhootkanawade]

Switching to IR from Rf seems like evolving backwards but I kinda like the approach , because am not the only one thinking about exchanging rf band paired with my seating position with completely different row person

[@nev3rcut]

I never gotten these once in my life, only the flash your phones but those will literally light up an ENTIRE STADIUM. Take Garth Brooks "The River" for instance in Baton Rogue last year where over 100 thousands people literally lighted up an entire stadium. It was fn cool

[@andreavigano6070]

this is amazing!! part of my dream job!! thanks for sharing

[@laniehrlich9271]

The first time I experienced this tech was light up ear hats at DisneyLand! I’ve used the same hats in California and Paris

[@nagesh007]

Amazing 😍

[@partymarty6969]

This is great stuff! 🤘👽🤘

[@planefan082]

In the future it would be really cool to see these things standardized so that even a properly equipped smartphone could be used to join in, or being able to get one you like, keep it and use it for multiple events

[@the_rzh]

There is no incentive for the manufacturers to do this. So they will continue to be one time use and end up in landfills.

[@planefan082]

@@the_rzh That's what regulation is for.

[@marissa1341]

The BTS lightstick does that. You buy it for about $60, Bluetooth it and use the app in your phone to enter your seat number. From there, the control booth will synchronize lights for certain songs, write messages, and turn them off when needed. It's something you keep. It's also great to use as a flashlight 😅

[@jaytrumpwins5739]

HOW COOL IS THAT

[@nurdeapurnamasari8530]

thanks for the insight ❤

[@raunaqmalhotra456]

This is what the Eras tour uses. I went to the eras tour and I still have the wristband with me. It says PIXMOB at the back. Taylor uses the Infrared wristbands.

[@EleyReiHer]

It is so cool. It is real time and part of the show!

[@shivangrawat3]

I’ve had this question for so long how does it work. Finally got an answer.

[@hkm3933]

I worked as a volunteer for the Coldplay concert! changed batteries for more than 60000 such bands 🥴😌

[@hangandrew]

Had my first experience with these at Coachella weekend 1 this year! Blackpink and Bad Bunny lol

[@AnimilesYT]

If I were to design a system I also would've gone for something as complicated as the ones in Korea. Not because it's better, but because I'm always overthinking things and making it way more complicated than it needs to be. It's so genius to use old-school tech in such a smart way. It really is a reminder that we need to stay open minded and look at old technologies for true innovation

[@green64]

short, on point, good video. Good information for a normal person, but enough for a Tekkie!

[@melsyoutube]

i wanna go to a show like this someday

[@andreasotto1977]

While the technology behind this is fascinating and the view is undoubtedly mesmerising, the second thought that came to my mind was, "What an enormous amount of e-waste this produces event by event".

[@Xiefux]

i assume they can reuse these wristbands

[@andreasotto1977]

@@Xiefux theoretically, yes. But are they actually collected for reuse after each concert?

[@Xiefux]

@@andreasotto1977 i dont know, never been to such a concert

[@jhwardius]

they don't collect them at least at the concerts I've been to. it probably isn't that much e-waste because of how small the chips are but it definitely is a big waste of plastic

[@obaytimur]

I went to a Coldplay concert and they were collecting after the show. They even made a cute competition by showing recycling rates of the previous shows to encourage you to recycle better than other fans.

[@davidperry4013]

It would be awesome if this trickles down to smaller events like weddings and school dances.

[@PHC24]

Larc en Ciel was one of the earlier user of this technology during their 2014 concert in japan national stadium , to be honest, it was mind blowing.........

[@emilym6311]

These were being used in Japan and Korea already in 2015

[@SebDarke]

Would have been nice to mention the waste issue

[@SoBoss300]

Very cool!

[@djmarga4422]

Thank you

[@nombreaqure3401]

can’t imagine how long it takes to distribute these out to each of the thousands of seats and collect these all again 😮‍💨

[@caturlifelive]

Amazing

[@Soulfulgirl740]

Can only think of coldplay for this ❤️

[@deborakartika8895]

thanks for answering my curiosity😂😂

[@sejalbhawar0613]

The way am craving to go at concert for them and being part of show wearing this cool tech !!! Oh my ARMY heart 💜🥲

[@scwfan08]

Crazy. That's the first time I hear about this

[@raskltube]

thats so cool

[@stacieberries]

so cool!!!!

[@288theabe]

Very cool! One thing I’m not a fan of though is the environmental impact. There’ll always be at least one idiot who throws them away in the garbage

[@markylon]

Did you not read that the plastic is made from compostable plant materials?

[@teamracer2000]

@@markylonthe battery too ?

[@markylon]

@@teamracer2000 batteries can be recycled.

[@teamracer2000]

@@markylon Yes but you need a lot of energy. And little batteries are not so easy to recycle.

[@TheTransitmtl]

​@@markylonIt's compostable in adequate facilities. Most people will just throw them out

[@beacuyog238]

I’m studying electronics engineering and this thing is fun yet I can only imagine the hassle of programming of this simple device, especially this big number of people will be a challenge but I bet these people are really good and experienced.

[@roben999]

Amazing👏😲

[@SkipFlem]

back in my day...all we needed was a bic lighter...

[@shontelhorneonline]

Had the at The Weeknd and it was amazing

[@abrahamrodriguezpineda1848]

It’s been 10 years since Coldplay invented this!

[@cammysan]

Makes me think of Disney's Glow with the Show ears from over a decade ago