STAYING ALIVE WITH LIVESTREAMS
In a DJ Magazine article by Cherie Hu, Twitch was originally used as a video game live streaming platform but became increasingly popular in the EDM community during the pandemic. Even though the platform was already popular in the gaming industry, it hadn't been widely explored by the music industry. In a blog post from iHeartRaves, artists and festivals like Seven Lions, Alison Wonderland, Slander, Dr. Fresch, EDC, and Tomorrowland started using Twitch to keep the show going.
Some artists are even using live streams to their advantage. For Excision, he cleverly switched from Lost Lands, a dubstep festival in Ohio, to Couch Lands. Rather than simply cancel the event, he changed with the times and gave his audience a new experience with a live-streamed festival. This event was official with Couch Lands merchandise to prove it.
Even though the Livestream experience is different, it’s an example of how the music industry is adapting to the changing times. DJs are performing to listeners from all over the world, continuing to release new music and keeping the EDM community intact. However, live streams still create new challenges for artists.
In a Pitchfork article by Shawn Reynaldo, issues like income, access to equipment, and licensing have been common obstacles for DJs using streaming platforms. Most performers are not getting paid for their Live Stream performances, but that could change as live-streams become a part of the music industry. However, many DJs face battling licensing and copyright issues. Even though it is an uphill battle for many EDM artists, they are doing what they can to continue performing.
However, it looks like live stream events aren’t going to go away anytime soon. When in-person events eventually make a comeback, studies have shown that live streams will continue to be a part of the listener experience. In a commissioned study by United Talent Agency, 70% of concertgoers plan to continue watching live stream concerts after the pandemic is over. So hopefully, all of the Livestream kinks get worked out soon.
Unfortunately, the challenges don’t stop there. Once in-person events do return, there is a lot of speculation about the requirements for venues, attendees and performers. There have been a few concerts during the pandemic that have served as a trial run for these requirements. According to a USA Today article by Gary Dinges, venues will most likely have to have limited capacity, take temperatures at the door, have sanitizing stations, have socially distanced seating arrangements, and require face masks.
Even though in-person events probably won’t happen for a couple of months, if not longer, it’s still something the entertainment industry is trying to prepare for. Hopefully, the pandemic is in its last stages so live events can resume and the music industry can start to recover from the massive amount of damage the pandemic has caused them