Last year we got a tease that LEGO and Universal Music Group were working on a collaboration. Today we have official details of the new theme – LEGO Vidiyo – to be released on March 1st.

Here’s how LEGO describe it…

“Accessed through a unique mashup of LEGO elements, minifigures, music, augmented reality and a vibrant new App, LEGO VIDIYO will be filled with endless combinations of editing options unlocked through new special effect ‘BeatBits’. Young creators can enjoy and experiment with their own individual styles and ways of bringing music videos to life.”

Here’s a quick video overview

So how does it work?

• Choose one of the many songs in the App from a broad variety of established artists – both contemporary chart toppers and instantly recognisable classics.
• Create your band from a vibrant collection of new, physical minifigures, which can be customised and brought to life in different scales through AR technology in the VIDIYO App.
• Line up special effects in the form of ‘BeatBits’ and place them on the scanning stage. BeatBits are decorated 2×2 square LEGO elements, which once scanned unlock digital effects that let you control everything from video and music styles to scene effects. Creators can see their vision realised by choosing anything from black and white bling effects, to confetti showers and even X-ray vision. They can also add audio effects such as DJ scratching, mouse voice or sax solo, as well as fun signature character moves and gimmicks, from breakdancing to surfing on a shark…
• Set the stage. From parks to bedrooms and backyards to brick-built models, LEGO VIDIYO music videos can live anywhere. In just three seconds, your location is scanned and production countdown starts.
• Hitting the selected BeatBits in the App, children then take creative control of their own music video production, triggering dance moves and audio/video effects in an amazing 60 second performance, which can be trimmed down to 5, 10, 15 or 20 second shareable clips.
• Clips can then be uploaded to the App feed, but only once the content has passed moderation. Any content featuring personally-identifiable information, such as children starring in the video, will not be approved for App feed upload, but can be stored locally in-App, to be enjoyed in-person with friends or family members.

Check out a gallery of additional images and infographic below.