About
Hatsune Miku is the world's most famous virtual pop star, created by Crypton Future Media in Sapporo, Japan and released in August 2007 as voice synthesiser software built on Yamaha's Vocaloid technology. Her name translates as the First Sound from the Future. Rather than a single creator, Miku was designed as a creative platform: anyone could purchase the software, input a melody and lyrics, and have Miku sing it, which generated an enormous community of fan-made music now numbering over 180,000 original songs. This decentralised model made her genuinely global and user-owned in a way no other virtual persona has matched. She is presented as a 16-year-old with blue twin tails and has performed holographic live concerts at arenas worldwide, including sold-out runs in Japan, the United States, and Europe, and she opened for Lady Gaga on the ARTPOP Ball tour. She has appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman, collaborated with Toyota, Google and Louis Vuitton, and holds a place in Japan's cultural export ecosystem alongside anime and gaming. As of 2026 she has over 4.5 million YouTube subscribers, about 900,000 Instagram followers, and close to one million TikTok followers. Crypton Future Media runs annual events called Magical Mirai combining a 3DCG holographic concert with a fan exhibition. Hatsune Miku is the oldest and most user-led virtual influencer in the world.