Hatsune Miku

Hatsune Miku is a digital mascot and a voicebank for Vocaloid singing synthesizer software.

Developed by Crypton Future Media, she is personified as a sixteen-year-old girl with long, turquoise twintails. Her name is a combination of Japanese words meaning "the first sound of the future." This name reflects her role as the first entry in the Character Vocal Series, also known as the CV Series. Miku is marketed as a virtual idol who can perform live in virtual concerts. During these shows, she appears as an animated holographic projection. This is achieved through a rear-cast projection onto a specially coated glass screen.

Creating music with Miku involves complex singing synthesizing technologies. She utilizes engines from Yamaha Corporation, including Vocaloid 2, Vocaloid 3, and Vocaloid 4. Users also employ Piapro Studio, which is a standalone singing synthesizer editor. The foundation of her voice is based on vocal samples from Japanese voice actress Saki Fujita. These samples consist of single Japanese phonics. When users string these phonics together, they create full lyrics and phrases. This allows for precise control over how the digital voice sings a song.

To expand the range of her voice, Crypton released an add-on called Hatsune Miku Append in 2010. This software provides six distinct timbres, or vocal qualities, for the user. These include Soft, Sweet, Dark, Vivid, Bright, and Light. Each timbre offers a different emotional character, such as a mature and melancholic tone or an innocent and angelic quality. While a seventh falsetto voicebank was recorded, it was not released as an independent product. Later updates, such as Hatsune Miku V4X, introduced the EVEC system. This system uses recorded vowels to allow users to achieve different vocal tones, specifically Power and Soft, alongside consonants.

Development of the character began with a specific goal from Crypton Future Media. They wanted the software to have a highly appealing visual image to ensure its success. Manga artist Kei Garō was tasked with designing Miku's appearance. He was given the direction that she should be an android. His color scheme was based on the signature turquoise color of Yamaha synthesizers. Even her clothing includes details like a computer interface on her left sleeve. Miku was officially released on August 31, 2007, as the third commercially sold Vocaloid library.

Miku has achieved massive commercial success and global recognition. She was the first Japanese Vocaloid to use the Japanese version of the Vocaloid 2 engine. By July 2008, she had sold 40,000 units, averaging about 300 units per week. By January 2011, sales reached 60,000 units. In 2012, the Nomura Research Institute estimated that Miku brand goods sales reached many billions of yen. Her reach is truly international, as she became a trilingual product. She offers vocal libraries in Japanese, English, and Mandarin Chinese.

Her influence extends far beyond music software into various industries and fan cultures. In 2008, Good Smile Racing began licensing her content for motorsports. They used her art to decorate racing cars, such as a BMW Z4.

Miku also has a strong presence in winter festivals in Sapporo. There, she is celebrated through "Snow Miku" designs, which change every year. These designs are often chosen through contests and can include themes like "Fluffy Coat Snow Miku." Even the physical sculptures at these festivals have become notable, though one large snow sculpture famously collapsed in 2012.

Finally, Miku has fostered a massive collaborative culture online. Platforms like Nico Nico Douga allowed fans to post original songs and animations. This led to a boom in fan-made content, including 3D animations made with the freeware MikuMikuDance. This collaborative spirit includes the creation of derivative characters, such as Akita Neru. Fans also participate through cosplay, where they dress as the character. This interconnected system of music, art, and technology has turned a piece of software into a global cultural phenomenon.