Artists and the rest of music industry have been hit hard during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a time when streaming has all but eliminated album sales, touring had become the major source of income for these professionals. That and merchandise bring in a massive chunk of money. With the current regulations in order, hosting live events is impossible.
So how did the music industry adapt? Live Streams. We've covered the numerous live streams that take place weekly on our Quarantunes articles. Being the creatives that they are, the online landscape has begun adapting beyond just virtual concerts. More and more artists are finding unique and clever ways to reach their fans. At this point in music industry history, fan engagement is reigning supreme.
We've compiled a list of some of the more innovative techniques artists and companies have been using during the era of quarantine to bring live music and entertainment to the masses.
Video Game Artist Partnerships
Now, don't get us wrong, this had been going on long before quarantine initiatives were in place, but were now seeing a rise in the type of audience it's pulling in. For one thing, there's more gamers than ever now that people are looking for things to occupy their time. These virtual concerts on games like Fortnite and Minecraft are no longer just pulling in gamers however, they're pulling in music fans in general.
One of the more notable recent cases of this occurred when Travis Scott partnered with Epic Games, the makers of Fortnite, to precent an insane virtual concert dubbed 'Astronomical.' Players were able to login to catch a jumbo size Scott debuting his brand new single "The Scotts" featuring Kid Cudi. According to Alpha Data, which powers the Rolling Stone charts, Travis Scott saw an immediate (and significant) bump in listeners following the announcement. On Monday and Tuesday, Scott streams increased by 26%, with some hits (like “Stagazing”) jumping over 50% ahead of the Fortnite show. According to a statement from Epic, over 12 million people watched Travis Scott’s performance live. It's safe to say the partnership was a massive success for both parties.
DJ Battles Are Coming Back
In a way to keep both viewers and themselves entertained, live DJ battles have reemerged into our society. An art form that seemed to lose its presence with the rise of technology has once again found its way back to the spotlight.
Producers and artists like Timbaland, DJ D-Nice, Swizz Beatz, and more are using Instagram live as the battleground, and we the viewers are the judges. Fans like Drake, Oprah, and even Joe Bidden have been tuning in.
For the culture ❤ Reposted from @THEREALSWIZZZ Full playlist from battle on @tidal @Timbaland 🎬 @artokoro pic.twitter.com/D9HM7K5Uwr
— We promote your music. (@mooloumusic) March 26, 2020
Live Music Production
Producers like Skrillex, Alesso, DJ Snake and more have been using social media as a way to show their fans what exactly goes into making a song. Many have been doing live instructional guides, and even creating a complete song in just a short hour.
Marshmello and friends also began the challenge #passthebeat, in which the quarantined artists took turns adding to a beat before sending it along to the next producer to make a contribution.
Who want the 💨 @TBHITS @Boi1da @Tainy @ItsBennyBlanco #passthebeat pic.twitter.com/GI2mVTXgu7
— marshmello (@marshmellomusic) April 11, 2020
What do you guys think of these new trends taking over the internet? Leave a comment below!