Google-Backed Live Music Data Platform DEMAND To Shut Down

Google-backed live music data platform DEMAND is shutting down. The startup, which launched just a month before the pandemic cancelled all shows, was part of Google’s experimental Area 120 lab.

Google sent an email to all users saying that DEMAND would shut down completely and all data destroyed on November 20, 2020.

Why Shut DEMAND Down?

“Like all projects within Area 120, DEMAND was an experiment. We’re proud of the work we accomplished and the community we built, but it is now time for our team to start their next adventure,” was the only explanation offered.

A note at top of the site, however, claimed that DEMAND would be back: “We plan to relaunch this product when the world can enjoy live events again.”

What Was DEMAND?

The goal of DEMAND was to use data from Google search, touring trade Pollstar, and other sources to identify the best locations for touring, ticket pricing, and enhance marketing and sponsorships for live shows.

Platforms like Pollstar, CelebrityAccess, and Bandsintown, along with ticketing companies, promoters, and Google, each collect a massive amount of live music-related data. But thus far, no one has aggregated information from multiple sources to create an actionable set of combined data,.