Crypton Future Media definitely hit the jackpot when they synthetic voice software Hatsune Miku. Making use of Yamaha’s Vocaloid (voice+android) technology, aspiring producers were able to get an artificial idol, Hatsune Miku, to sing their songs for them. This created a whole new market in Japan, as the program was unlike no other. The Vocaloid series has since then boomed in popularity, sprouting more than a million derivative artworks and more than a hundred thousand fan-made songs.  Holographic images of the Vocaloids actually even perform concerts all over the globe, with heaps of people swarming to see them.

I was fascinated at the Vocaloid series just due to the sheer genius of Crypton Future Media that created the idea. I believe that this level of popularity would not have been born with just the voice-synthesizing software, it was the idea of packaging it with its own character that spawned the franchise that is now known as Hatsune Miku. Because she is not a real idol, Crypton is also able to save tremendous amounts of money as even the concerts that are held mainly consist of virtual data. A true example of how innovation can change the world.

Source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2013/09/29/hatsune-miku-vocaloid-singer/2877767/   (video on link for reference apart from article)