5 Things To Consider When Planning A Live Stream Concert

While certainly not as favored as in-person shows, live-streaming concerts has given bands and artists a level of autonomy and control not often afforded on an actual stage. In this piece, we look at a few different things artists should keep in mind and capitalize on when live-streaming.

Guest post by George Meek, CEO of InPlayer

Few workers have toiled longer or harder to capture control of their means of production  and build a sustainable business model than musicians. The frequent portrayals of  bands living out of their tour van and playing tiny clubs for drinks would be cliche if they weren’t so often true. Even the musical artists who make it typically have found them selves beholden to record labels, management, venue promoters and ticket vendors  along the way, and often wind up taking home just a sliver of the pie.  

But the industry is changing. And for musicians, at long last, business is good. For all  the havoc wreaked over the past year by COVID-19, one positive development for cre ators has been the pandemic-driven rise of the live stream. As musical artists embraced  live streams (many of them decidedly low-fi) as a way to drive charitable donations and  stay busy during the COVID shutdown, they soon discovered a market for ticketed vir tual shows – and the possibility of a new and lasting, 100-percent-artist-controlled rev enue stream.  

Adam Weiner, frontman of the rock band Low Cut Connie, set up a Patreon account allowing fans to subscribe and access virtual live shows that he performs in his home.  Earnings from subscriptions reportedly have already matched his group’s typical touring  profit margins.  

“This has graduated from just a stopgap measure,” Weiner told Rolling Stone in August.  “We’ve seen quickly that this is becoming a thing. I am completely convinced I’m going  to be doing this a long time, even when I’m able to tour.”  

Weiner likely won’t be alone. In an end-of-year 2020 report, music industry analysts  MIDiA found that the total ticketed revenue from live-streamed concerts in December  was up 292 percent from June. Some of music’s biggest acts have chosen to postpone  blockbuster tours due to the pandemic. But many of those artists have found ways to  engage with fans and bolster their brands via streaming medium in the meantime (we’re  looking at you, Dave Grohl). Plenty more have plunged headfirst into virtual, streaming  pay-per-view concerts and building platforms that show great promise of lasting beyond  the pandemic. 

By making concerts and content accessible across a number of platforms, a band’s fans  can watch a concert while sitting in the car or in front of their television. Additionally,  musicians are able to pre-sell tickets to live streams and measure the success of an  event through post-event analytics.  

If you’re a musician who remains skeptical about streaming, or maybe just doesn’t know  how to get started, here are a few key facts to consider:  

1. You’re in control. A number of streaming platforms give artists complete autonomy over their virtual shows while taking little to nothing off the top of ticket purchases. Most of them are easy to manage, too. Musicians have arguably never had this much control  over their “touring.”  
2. You can reach a new audience. For introverts and others who shy away from live shows, and for those whose location or income might put the usual concert experience out of reach, virtual shows open up a whole new world. Those fans will be grateful you  reached out to them, especially during such trying times. You can’t buy that kind of loyalty.  
3. Your concert venue doubles as a fan shop. Many streaming providers offer all-in-one platforms that put your music and merchandise sales at your fans’ fingertips – rather  than in a dark corner of the club or out on the arena concourse. Online shopping  couldn’t be simpler: For fans who have already subscribed or bought a ticket, a band  tee can be a one-click purchase.  
4. Go ahead: Call it a comeback. Rage Against the Machine, Faith No More and the  Pussycat Dolls are just a few of the bands fans were eagerly anticipating reforming in  2020. They’ve all pushed off live reunion tours, but maybe they should consider striking while the iron is hot: According to BNN Bloomberg, six of the top 10 highest-grossing tours of 2019 were reunion or legacy acts. Older bands that grew tired of touring or split  up to focus on family now have an alternative in virtual shows.  
5. You can do both. Even when the world returns to “normal,” an appetite for streaming  will remain. Some fans will never tire of the live concert experience. Some eventually  get their fill – and others simply don’t have the option of attending on-site shows. But for musicians, it’s a great “problem” to have: there’s no rule that says you can’t serve all of  those fans.  

George Meek is CEO of InPlayer, a leading monetization and subscriber management  platform with over 700 customers worldwide. George has almost two decades of experience selling broadcast technology and almost as long operational experience in scal ing high-growth technology companies.