Live Streaming For Artists, Brands, Events

Introduction

Streaming already dominates music listening and the overall recorded music industry. Few artists could count on healthy royalty income from record sales, or even digital downloads, to be a significant source of income to fund their creative lives. Even for many of the most prominent artists, touring and merchandise sales served as their primary economic engine.

And now this.

The pandemic has rocked musicians’ world to the core yet again -- and, this time, to a previously almost unfathomable magnitude. In an instant, the mass Coronavirus threat cancelled tours and festivals or postponed them indefinitely (same can be said for athletes and sporting events of course). Even mighty Coachella was not immune to this insidious global virus, and was forced to reinvent itself as video-driven “Couchella” for its April 2020 dates. Now touring and merchandising revenues are simply gone, not to mention overall real world engagement with fans. Faced with this daunting new world order – which is downright economically existential to many musicians – it’s time for musicians, artists, athletes and other icons to adapt, experiment and boldly pursue as many entrepreneurial paths as possible. Live streaming offers one such path.

Live Streaming Platforms Available To Musicians & Other Personalities

Several artists are doing just that -- creating live streamed virtual events and concerts, not to mention inside looks into their Coronavirus transformed daily lives and minds. They use live streaming to connect with their fans while they all sit alone, together (#AloneTogether – one of my favorite hashtags in this daunting age) in their homes and apartments – hungry for escape, inspiration, motivation, and just plain old-fashioned human connection.

As one example, the Indigo Girls use live streaming platform StageIt to monetize their music and finance new songs. StageIt enables them to sell a limited number of digital “seats” for a price they set to attend a one-of-a-kind, deeply personal live-streamed show. The duo’s fans can even “tip” them to support their craft, effectively making those super fans patrons of the arts. Some artists reward their most generous super fans with rewards and mementos – a chance to choose a song for the encore, or a signed piece of merchandise. It’s entirely up to the artist to decide how to use the platform to achieve their personal goals, the primary of which may be to simply give back or provide a creative outlet. This is music in its purest form (something needed more than ever, right now). 

Speaking of super fans who become patrons, Patreon is another important artist-centric company to know. Up to now, musicians have mostly used Patreon – a crowdfunding platform -- to finance ongoing musical projects (rather than individual ones) through a monthly membership model. Musician Amanda Palmer raised more than $1.5 million on Patreon to fund her creative life, as one example. But in the age of the Coronavirus, musicians increasingly use Patreon to add live streaming performances as a transformational “subscription” benefit. 

Musician Ben Folds, for example, offers a $10 monthly subscription that gives his fans access to live streamed performances and the chance to write lyrics to songs that he will perform. During our collective quarantine, he’s also offering non-subscribers to his Patreon channel the opportunity to watch one live performance each week free -- a great gesture during these challenging times, not to mention a great lead generator for new paid subscribers.

For artists who already boast significant reach, sponsorships can become a lucrative new income stream, while giving fans a compelling new means of musical escape during these turbulent times. Many use popular social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook and YouTube to live stream their pajama-laced performances. John Legend’s Together at Home live stream on Instagram attracted nearly three million fans. Wife Chrissy Teigen can be credited for much of that traffic, as she promoted J.D. Power and Associates’ sponsorship of the show to her 12.5 million followers on Twitter. 

And then there’s even more power and potential – live streaming used by musicians, collectively, to benefit the world more broadly. At the end of March 2020, as Gens Y and Z holed up in their individual bedrooms, music service Beatport hosted a global live streaming event on YouTube that featured 33 of the world’s top DJ’s over the course of 33 hours – raising nearly $200,000 for the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 relief fund. Innovative. Fun. Impactful. 

And the kids (even some of us older ones) who watched the event didn’t need to watch it alone. They could share it with their friends and use their second screens to see and speak with each other on their own separate social live streams. They could also see their individual names tagged with their individual donations highlighted on all screens during the event, thereby undoubtedly fueling even more giving. That’s powerful. 

Expect others to be inspired and to raise the bar of possibilities even further.

Live Streaming Tips & “Best Practices” For Artists & Others

Regardless of what strategy you, the artists, choose to monetize a live streaming performance from your homes, it’s important to follow “best practices” to accomplish your goals. 

First, quality matters, so be sure to use the right audio and video technology. Fortunately, a dedicated smart phone or camera, combined with a light panel and professional microphone, can do the trick cost-effectively. Some companies like BulldogDM even offer a “studio in a box” solution to make things as easy, high quality, and cost-effective as possible (BulldogDM also enables you to easily distribute your live stream across all of your social platforms).

Second, make sure to engage with your fans across the full live streaming experience -- pre, during and post show. To maximize impact, promote your upcoming live streamed performance on your (and your friends’) existing social media feeds, and give fans an opportunity to sign up for reminders. Experimentation and ingenuity are key here. Chrissy Teigen asked her fans what she should wear to her husband John Legend’s live-streamed show, and the results spoke for themselves (yes, you guessed it, the winning answer was a towel).

During the live stream itself, artists, look for opportunities to interact with your fans and respond to their feedback. That personal touch really matters. Fans will appreciate your interest, authenticity, and overall concern. Hold a Q&A session where you can answer questions, respond to song requests, or anything else that may cross your mind. Remember, there are no rules here. And that’s part of the fun.

Post-show, follow up on comments received from fans on your social media feeds, and repurpose your live stream. Share clips captured from your show to generate even more interest in your music and overall “brand.” Think of grouping different clips together for your fans to purchase as premium offerings.

Finally, create a consistent schedule to maximize your audience -- especially now, as we all sit in isolation. Don’t think of live streaming as being a one-time event or opportunity. Instead, develop a continuing string of live streaming performances (or simply personal reflections and musings), perhaps even several times a week, to delight your fans. Be creative. Be open. Be authentic. Unveil some personal insights. Reveal the stories behind your songs. The creative possibilities are truly limitless, and your fans will voraciously eat them up. 

Remember, super fans are insatiable. And they are happy to pay for access into your worlds, especially now during these crazy times. I know I would for my favorite artists. My personal shout out goes to artist Radical Face (the stage name for musician Ben Cooper). Spotify tells me I have streamed his music most in the last decade (check him out, you’ll thank me for it … start first with the song “The Mute”). I’d certainly watch live streams of Ben sharing his reflections about his songs -- how he created them, the meaning behind them, and other insights into his creative process. Would be fascinating.

And artists, don’t forget your international audience. Make sure to schedule performances at different times and time zones. That flexibility reflects your global and interconnected world-view, something especially meaningful during this pandemic era when we are all in this together (literally).

Much of the current live streaming boom by artists and musicians is certainly born out of necessity. But even in pre-pandemic times, and whether artists were on tour or not, several of them found live streaming to be a powerful new medium for connecting with their fans. And this same rationale applies to other personalities – including athletes and sports figures – who find themselves paralyzed during this pandemic.

For now, artists and other personalities should focus on building and connecting with audiences, virtually. And once it’s safe once again to emerge into the real world, that audience will follow and support them anywhere -- both online and offline.