By Kate Rooney
- The current six-month lockdown is estimated to have cost the music industry over $10 billion in sponsorship, ticket and merchandising sales
- With live performances making over 50% of the annual revenue for the industry, other ways to monetise music consumption and stay connected to fans are being explored
- Majority of lives shows and performances throughout the year have been cancelled or postponed until 2021. It is still unclear when restrictions will allow live performances to go ahead
- In Britain alone, up to 60% of jobs are forecast to be lost this year due to the pandemic
The coronavirus outbreak is having a devastating effect on many industries, with the music industry being one of the worst hit. The swift and devastating escalation of the virus saw all live events cancelled or postponed for the foreseeable future, with many artists and those working behind the scenes wondering when they will be able to resume work as normal.
Jarod McLaren, bass player for Sydney-based hardcore band Bloom, says that the pandemic and lockdown laws have had a tough effect on the band.
“We had a lot in the works for this period, and the pandemic has put everything on break. We have had a national tour pushed back and have had to delay releases we had planned for that time as well.”
He stated that it not only puts financial stress on artists and the industry, but it can also have a detrimental effect on the mental health of those working in the industry.
“Music is an emotional outlet and has had a massive impact on people’s goals and future. From personal experience and from talking to other artists, it seems this is what’s hurting most at the moment.”
Musicians across the globe have been utilising their social media platforms in order to stay connected with their fans, many offering streamed performances on platforms such as Instagram or YouTube. UK radio channel Radio 1 hosted their annual Big Weekend festival on May 22-24. Free performances were streamed online from artists in their own homes as well as ‘throwback’ performances from previous years live shows.
“The streaming performances have been awesome to see. It hasn’t been something we’ve looked into ourselves, but we’d definitely consider it if we were approached by a promoter” said McLaren.
The World Economic Forum stated that 75% of artists income often comes from their live shows. With this being impossible for most artists for the foreseeable future, the success of many smaller independent artists and bands is unknown.
Bloom often perform live to very intimate and crowded audiences, something that health organisations are strongly advising against. McLaren stated that “our current understanding from our promoters and label is that venues are expecting to be back at around 60% capacity by October. It’s definitely not expected to have the same packed rooms as we are used to, but it will be nice to get back to performing even at that lower capacity.”
Source: hate5six – YouTube
“We’re just trying to position ourselves best for when the time comes”
With the looming second wave of coronavirus and government restrictions tightening once again, this unfortunately may no longer be the case.
Visit this site to learn more about how you can support independent artists during this time.