20 STREAMPUNK Live Music
billions of dollars’ worth of ticket sale losses. A study published by the trade publication Pollstar purported that, in a worst-case scenario, the industry could lose almost $9 billion if coronavirus quarantines don’t lift by the end of the year – and that’s just in missed ticket sales. The figure is much higher when you factor in associated businesses like transportation, production, marketing, concessions, security, sponsorships and more. Losses aren’t just financial, either; concerts are also highly emotional, often cathartic experiences that are essential for strengthening the bonds between artists and their fans. Live streaming is the next best thing to an in-person show, and artists of all statures have raced to organise virtual events for their fans. Interestingly, Twitch – usually a gamer haven – has become the platform of choice for many artists. Why? While Instagram and Facebook offer an easy option to reach people en masse, Twitch provides a better deal for artists who are finding this time particularly challenging – socially and financially. Ducky (real name: Morgan Neiman), who has had an on-again and off-again relationship with Twitch over the past two years, explains: “It’s more community- oriented than Facebook and Instagram, and much more interactive. You can cheer, chat, subscribe, gift subscriptions and use custom emotes for your channel. It’s also heavily focused on earning.” She took an extended break from the streaming service when her touring schedule made it difficult to maintain an active online presence but, with tours off the cards for the foreseeable, has been tuning into her Twitch channel on the daily. “I’ve loved Twitch since I began DJing on it; I think it’s an amazing way to connect with fans,” she enthuses. BUSINESS BUSKING The normalisation of live streaming could be revolutionary for the music business, since it has the potential to scale concerts to the same level as recorded music. The biggest artists could reach hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of viewers around the world with a single show. In a virtual world, it’s also much easier for fans to jump from one show to the next and build their own self-directed line-up. But the business model for this burgeoning live stream ecosystem is proving challenging. Everyday consumers aren’t paying for live streams, and a lot of recent virtual shows have been held for free or to raise money for charity. DJ D-Nice has hosted multiple ‘Club
SOUND OF MUSIC As a result of the coronavirus lockdown, artists and musicians are turning to live streaming to connect with fans
Quarantine’ marathon DJ sessions from his Los Angeles apartment on Instagram, with the likes of Michelle Obama and Joe Biden tuning in. And Kali Uchis, a Colombian artist, took requests for covers via the same streaming medium, and later donated $10,000 to the CDC. It’s definitely true that these artists weren’t in it to make money, but those who are struggling to make ends meet should find themselves a platform that isn’t a full-time social networking, part-time live streaming service. YouTube, a video service, allows artists to livestream performances, with
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