Hatsune Miku

Who is Hatsune Miku?

Hatsune Miku is a Vocaloid software voicebank and virtual idol created and marketed by Crypton Future Media, code-named CV01 and first released on August 31, 2007. Her voice samples were recorded from voice actress Saki Fujita, and the character is personified as a sixteen-year-old girl with long turquoise twin tails used across music, merchandise, and live projection concerts. citeturn2search12turn2search13

Miku’s software has evolved across Yamaha’s Vocaloid engines and Crypton’s Piapro Studio, with multilingual voice libraries released for Japanese, English, and Chinese. The Piapro portal and official Crypton materials present Miku as both a singing synthesizer product and a collaborative character platform for creators. citeturn2search12turn2search1

Her visual identity was created by illustrator KEI and emphasizes a futuristic, music‑and‑technology aesthetic that leaves room for broad fan reinterpretation. That flexible visual design has helped Miku appear in games, fashion projects, and stage productions worldwide. citeturn5search2turn2search12

Content Type & Format

Hatsune Miku appears as recorded music and official music videos, short-form social clips, and long-form concert videos on major platforms such as YouTube alongside branded posts on other social channels. Crypton and partner labels distribute studio releases while user communities publish hundreds of thousands of fan songs and visual works that use her voicebank. citeturn2search1turn2search12

Miku’s content themes center on original music across pop, electronic, and experimental genres, plus crossover projects in gaming, fashion, and art. Official and fan productions range from single-track releases and album collections to rhythm-game tie-ins and special event songs, showing how Hatsune Miku’s content spans recorded, interactive, and game formats. citeturn2search12turn1search2

Interaction with audiences happens through virtual concerts (holographic projection and large-scale staged shows), livestreamed appearances and festival events, creator contests, and community platforms that encourage remixing and reuse under Crypton’s character guidelines. These formats keep Miku active both as a software instrument and as a participatory cultural figure. citeturn0news18turn3search1

Hatsune Miku Collaborations and Campaigns

Tell Your World (Google Chrome Campaign): Google Chrome x Hatsune Miku. In 2011–2012, the Livetune song Tell Your World was used in a Google Chrome campaign that showcased creator culture and helped bring Miku into a global advertising spotlight via a widely viewed commercial and music video. The project combined a commercial spot and music video formats to emphasize online creativity. citeturn3search2turn3search1

THE END (Vocaloid Opera): Louis Vuitton / Marc Jacobs x Hatsune Miku. Premiered at the Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media in 2012, THE END was an opera in which Hatsune Miku performed as the principally featured virtual presence, with stage costumes by Louis Vuitton and a digital, multi‑screen theatrical production. The work toured internationally and used immersive projection and spatial audio. citeturn4search1turn4search6

Corolla + Miku (Toyota Corolla Campaign): Toyota x Hatsune Miku. In 2011 Toyota used Hatsune Miku in a promotional campaign for the 2011 Corolla aimed at Asian American and global markets, including an augmented reality app experience and sponsorship of Miku’s U.S. concert appearance during Anime Expo. The campaign ran across TV, digital, and event formats with AR and video assets. citeturn6search3turn6search6

Project Voltage (Pokémon feat. Hatsune Miku): The Pokémon Company x Hatsune Miku. Launched in 2023, Project Voltage paired Hatsune Miku with Pokémon in an art and music collaboration that released themed artwork and new songs by notable Vocaloid producers, distributed online and in promotional content tied to Pokémon platforms. citeturn1search15

Fortnite Collaboration (Epic Games): Fortnite x Hatsune Miku. In January 2025, Hatsune Miku appeared in Fortnite with new character outfits, music tracks, and cosmetic items tied to the game’s music festival content, delivering in‑game skins and jam tracks across shop and seasonal pass formats. citeturn1news14

Miku Stomp Product Release: Korg x Hatsune Miku. In 2014 Korg released the Miku Stomp, an effects pedal inspired by Miku’s vocal character; the product positioned Miku within music hardware culture and appeared in music retail and media coverage. citeturn2search12