Performers and arts organisations have been attempting to stream live performances (with varying success) over at least the past decade. With the rise of the internet, it seemed like a good idea, but often the tech just wasn’t there. There was a surge in the pandemic of online shows (obviously), but the enforced onlineliness of music through that period has left many performers with an underwhelming taste in their mouth when someone mentions virtual concerts. But if you look at the statistics, more people of all ages are viewing online live content at a greater rate than ever before. So whatever your previous experiences of performing online, it’s here to stay and that may not be so much of a bad thing for you or your audiences.
Freedom. That’s the key word here. The invention of mass producing sheet music didn’t remove audiences from concert halls. The same can be said for every other innovation in the arts e.g. radio, recording, TV. None of these things compete with live performers, but they do enhance music lovers’ ability to witness and enjoy music. As a hybrid of IRL, live performances, and recorded replays, virtual concerts allow audiences to experience more music, whatever their budget, location, and/or health. There are no obstacles to their ability to access your live performances, meaning they can watch more of your performances, not just a live show once in a while when you tour near them. As a performer, including live-streamed concerts into your career also offers you freedom, freedom in your career and personal life that until now performers may not have enjoyed. Whether you wish to include some streamed shows on a break from touring and use the opportunity to try new repertoire, stream live IRL concerts so a greater audience can enjoy them, experiment with the perfect virtual venue and acoustics for your voice or instrument, perform pieces that you wouldn’t get a chance to on tour, and pursue other aspects of musical life (I actually began performing live virtual concerts when I took time away from touring to focus more on film composing). Maybe you would just like a short career break to refresh, start a family, or focus on health without financial pressure to return to arduous tour schedules. These are all very real reasons to consider dipping your toe into live-streamed concerts.
That being said, not all live-streaming platforms are created equal and as I’ve been around the block a few times on the live-stream streets I’ll tell you my experiences.
It’s easy enough to create a live event on one of many social media platforms, but I would advise against this for a few reasons. Social media platforms weren’t created for concerts so they don’t provide the best concert experience for either the audience or the artist. Many only allow streaming from phones, meaning the broadcast will be pretty basic, it’s hard to ticket the shows or provide a way for audiences to ‘tip’ (something that has become customary with online audiences in line with applauding). It makes the whole experience very cumbersome for both the audience and the artist. I would recommend a custom built platform, but even with those it is essential to check out the validity of the platform, its owners and also user agreement. What is the artist/platform earnings split? Are there hidden fees? Where is the company based? How long will it take for your performance fee to reach you? What is the platform’s reputation or the health of the company’s financials? (I was burned a while back by a platform being taken over by a company that was less than reputable and it became increasingly unreliable).
This is where I recommend the latest revolution in online concerts – Lounges.tv. I was lucky enough to get started with them while they hadn’t officially launched and tested out their platform over a number of months leading up to their Launch where they announced Simon Cowell as both their investor and spokesperson. Thousands of artists are signing up to Lounges.tv and I would recommend getting started before the platform is saturated. Here are my bullet points of why it is the perfect platform for any classical crossover artist:
- Reputation – It’s not just Simon Cowell, every member of their board is an expert in their field. From specialists in logistics to the creator of BBC iPlayer, to the late great Prince’s manager, each member is hand-picked for their specialist skill.
- The platform itself has been meticulously created to enhance both audience and artist experience, offering the highest quality streaming capabilities I have ever used.
- Financials – they are a well-funded and well-organised company with an 80-20% split for artists. They pay directly into your bank, not PayPal so you won’t lose an additional percentage there and they pay within 24hrs of you cashing out (not anywhere between 2-6 months like so many other platforms).
- If you are based in the UK you can benefit from their many resources such as their free London streaming space, their multiple events and concerts.
- Lounges.tv allows artists to monetise from on-demand replays of their live shows, creating passive income revenue from them.
So if any of this has wet your whistle, where do you go from here? I would suggest first working out how you wish to incorporate streamed concerts into your schedule. Do you wish to stream your touring events? Do you wish to perform new reper-
toire pre-tour? Maybe you’d like to do a few festive events throughout the year or maybe a regular monthly concert. Once you’ve decided, your next port of call is getting on the site and contacting their A&R team. You’ll be assigned your own A&R contact who will talk you through the entire process. Above all have fun!
Hannah Woolmer is already a highly regarded concert violinist and recording artist who is also now pursuing a career as a film composer. Her work is unmistakably unique, creating sound worlds that span genres.