Your Livestream Strategy Sucks! K-Pop’s lessons on reaching a global audience 

Haven’t had much success with live streaming lately or given up altogether? If you’re going to learn from anyone, look at how live-streaming contributed to K-Pop artist’s global success.

by Jake Nishimura of Kiswe 

Livestreaming technology has been around for years but truly took off during the COVID pandemic. Artists all over the world were stuck at home and were looking for ways to remotely connect with fans and replace revenue lost from the cancellation of in-person events. At the same time, fans were also stuck at home globally and desperate for content. This equation led artists of all sizes to start experimenting with virtual concerts as a way to keep their skills sharp, engage with fans, raise money for important causes, and make extra money for themselves as well. In fact, so many artists were putting together digital events that large music publications like Billboard started tracking these events daily on their websites.

But as the pandemic receded, so did interest in music livestreaming. Most of the industry shifted focus back to traditional live performance outlets. But K-pop’s interest in digital concerts actually increased post-COVID. After an analysis of artists from industry leaders like HYBE, we believe these are the three main reasons the genre continues to invest in the livestream format:

1. Global audience: It’s no secret that K-pop fans exist everywhere in the world and leaders in the genre understand that they can’t reach them all with touring alone. It doesn’t matter how big a tour is or how many markets they hit. Physical concerts can never reach a global artist’s entire audience. There will always be fans who can’t physically make it to the venue or be able to afford tickets. And even if they could, for many of these tours demand for tickets often exceeds supply leaving disappointed fans and money on the table for the artist.
2. Passionate fan bases: K-pop “stan” communities are dedicated and powerful. Organized fan groups like the BTS Army or Blackpinks’s Blink have proven to not only be able to influence politics but religiously consume every piece of content their favorite artists release.
3. The power of data: The K-pop industry has learned that one of the most efficient ways to build their fan databases is through direct-to-consumer digital events. They’ve successfully been able to leverage both first party data and fan engagement data generated through livestream events to gain a deep understanding of their artists’ fan bases and leverage that insight to further expand their growing audiences.

However, these three factors are not unique to K-pop. With the internet, every artist can be a global artist. Swifties, Barbz, Beliebers, and Little Monsters are all examples of passionate stan groups that exist outside of K-pop. And data is important to every artist!

So how do artists outside of K-pop replicate this success? We believe the following reasons can easily be replicated to drive bigger digital audiences and more revenue from their virtual concerts:

1. Fully integrate your livestream into your larger marketing strategy. Whether you’re releasing new music or launching a tour, live digital events can be a great way to rally your fanbase. However, livestreams need to be prioritized and not just a marketing checkbox. Artists should be giving fans a reason for why this is a can’t miss event for all devoted fans to attend.
2. Your livestream needs to be unique. All artists should approach their livestreams with added value for their fans in mind. How is this event different from the in-person concert experience? Technology like chat, multiview, and fan selfies can be integrated to make this a truly special experience for your fans. Additionally, HYBE artists often offer post-show experiences that can only be accessed by livestream ticket holders.
3. Fans need to be the center of the event. Many K-pop livestream events are framed as “fan events”. They’re marketed as a way for fans around the world to gather together live and experience things like listening to new music for the first time as a community and react in real time.
4. Artist participation is key. Fans need to feel like the artist themselves are invested in the event and excited about the opportunity to connect with their audience. This can take the form of a post show Q&A, responding to chats live, or providing exclusive backstage access not available to fans who are physically at the concert.

Music livestreaming is a great way to instantly take a local event to a global audience, reach your entire fanbase from the comfort of their own home, and make extra money. Offering an affordable way for fans to experience your live performance can even lead to increase ticket sales for future tours. K-pop has found a way to make this format successful and we believe their strategy can be replicated outside the genre.