eMusic launches concert platform

The platform will kick off with a series of 20 exclusive live performances from independent and emerging artists, including Dirty Blonde, The Periwinkles, Duthie and Wanyi. It will make events commercially viable for artists by allowing them to monetise live streaming in the same way as traditional gigs, by bundling ticketing, music sales and merchandise.

Additionally, eMusicLive will offer an integrated 7digital storefront to enable artists to sell their music catalogue or promote their latest release. The platform will also facilitate real-time VIP experiences, Q&As and virtual rewards all within an end-to-end system.

Each event can be fully customised to feature sponsorships that help artists, venues and brands grow their revenue and reach. Artists will also be able to embed streams from YouTube Live, Twitch, Instagram Live or host a performance directly on eMusicLive to reach their social media fan base.

“We’ve built eMusicLive to bring all these commercial options together in one end-to-end solution," eMusic president Tamir Koch said. "For the first time, this means live stream can be a primary source of income for artists. Our unique partnership with 7digital will allow artists to generate income streams from music sales and interact seamlessly with fans from all corners of the world, which sets our new offering apart from anything else on the market today.”

The CEO of the UK-based 7digital, Paul Langworthy, said: “Social distancing measures in place around the world are creating an opportunity for new forms of live artist-to-fan engagement. While there are plenty of platforms, none have captured the true essence of a proper show, which should include both the performance value for the fan and commercialisation value for artists.

Meanwhile, live music discovery platform Bandsintown recently published the results from a survey it ran on live streaming. The study found that although 80% of live streams are free, more than 80% of fans are willing to pay for them. About 75% of artists have livestreamed a performance this year, up from 45% in April, and 30% are planning to livestream at least once a week in the coming months, with 70% hoping to increase the frequency of their live streams.

Additionally, 73% of respondents have tuned into a live stream, up from 33.8% before the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these live streams featured emerging or mid-career artists rather than superstars, and 75% of the live streams promoted were for artists with fewer than 10 000 followers on Bandsintown. The survey was conducted in August and responses were received from about 450 artists and 5 500 fans.