COVID-19 certainly hasn’t done too many people favors, and musicians are no exception, as an estimated $10 billion will go by the music industry wayside if shutdowns last more than six months. As classrooms became digital, restaurants and stores limited capacities, and hospital visits were conducted via teleconference, musicians really had to take matters into their own hands, as live shows fell into the last phase of the majority of reopening plans.
For music fans, discovering new music at local venues was no longer an option, and depending on Spotify’s algorithms and data wrangling to deliver their “Discover Weekly” playlists was something that made Mondays worth looking forward too. Changes weren’t limited to fans and musicians, either, as venue owners, promoters, and recording engineers all had to get creative to make music live on. Confucius once said, “Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without,” and amidst the most uncertain and scary time most people currently on the planet have ever experienced, that pleasure was needed. Here are some ways the music industry is surviving the pandemic.
Live Streams
There were a lot of touted tours coming up this summer that were cancelled, as well as music festivals. Every generation is missing out on some exciting stuff, as Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Poison, and Joan Jett were slated to hit the road together, Rage Against the Machine announced their first tour since 2007, NCT was coming to America, and even Kenny Chesney’s “Chillaxification” tour was put on hold.
Luckily, the live stream community was already in existence, and went from optional to necessity for music fans who had to see their favorites live. The live stream popularity gave a lot of musicians, venues, and sound engineers the chance to make a few dollars, as well, and is expected to be an innovation that will live on and forever change the music industry.
Drive-in Concerts
More recently, another innovative way to socially distance while still getting down has been drive-in concerts. Both comedians and musicians have been utilizing drive-in theaters as their new stadiums, with Garth Brooks probably being the biggest name, as he takes his entire planned tour from concert halls to drive-in theaters this summer.
A lot of the drive-in connoisseurs have been in country music, but electronic artist Marc Rebillet recently announced his own drive-in tour, and others are expected to follow suit.
What’s Popular?
Somewhat surprisingly, streaming music services like Apple Music and Spotify actually took minor hits at the beginning of the COVID lockdown, but seem to have leveled off since. Though people have more time, they aren’t commuting, and that was where a lot of streaming occurred. Not surprisingly, relaxing and soothing music has seen increases in plays, as many use it as a form of anti-anxiety treatment.
Some other trends in streaming music show that hip-hop and Latin music streams are declining the most, which could be contributed to the coronavirus’ larger impact on Black and Latinx communities. One of the biggest increases was that of the children’s spin on pop music known as “Kidz Bop,” which is most likely due to homeschooling out of necessity.
Merch for Good
Even in a time where musicians have taken large financial hits, many have been voices and examples for charitable donations. An almost-endless lists of bands started selling branded masks, giving their revenues to front line workers and families most effected by coronavirus.
On the other side, many organizations and fans have been able to support their favorite bands by buying merchandise, as they are unable to support them at the box office.
Lasting Effects
If there is a silver lining to the music industry’s hole caused by COVID, it’s the simple fact that music lived on and continued to bring joy to people even when they were unable to see their favorite bands live. It almost certainly gave way to a lot of creativity, as well, and music fans should be very optimistic about what albums are coming out in the near future.
It is expected that, even when regular concerts commence, live streaming will remain a popular and more intimate way of interacting with your favorite bands.
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Virtuos says
COVID-19 definitely changed the way we enjoy live concerts and streaming will probably continue even when things get back to normal as it removes the distance barrier and allows anyone to listen and enjoy the concert.