Most people are familiar with the traditional concert setting of a large stage and rows of tiered seats that often accommodate hundreds, if not thousands, of people. These are some of the ways the pandemic is changing the concert experience.
Access
Whether it’s a salon-style solo piano performance Minneapolis MN, or an arena-based pop vocal performance in London, England, streaming technology gives music lovers access to concerts that might otherwise be inaccessible due to distance. Streaming enables many musicians to broaden their audiences.
Intimacy
One of the surprising benefits of concert streaming is an enhanced level of intimacy. Although some people believe that nothing can replace a live concert’s energy, live-streamed events offer incomparable intimacy. Close-up views of performers’ facial expressions or hands can communicate depths of emotion that a traditional concert setting can not easily convey.
Engagement
Streaming software allows audience members to ask questions, make comments, and interact with hosts or performers in ways that dissolve anonymity and give immediacy to every event. Live online concerts become multi-experiential when they include perks such as access to a artists’ studios, behind the scenes processes, and spontaneous moments for which audiences are willing to pay.
Profitability
The monetary costs of traditional concerts are significantly higher for presenters than live-streamed shows. Although high-quality audio and video equipment can be pricey, it is a one-time investment worth making when one considers the potential for ticket sales income to exceed that which is possible with traditional concerts that can eventually sell out. Live-streamed performances will not void traditional ones, but they provide a new revenue stream for artists and presenters and another opportunity for artists to engage with their audiences.
Audiences that miss the concert experience are increasingly turning to the live stream format to fill the void. What they are getting is an unexpectedly rich experience which they may not have foreseen.