✖ Pandemic state of mind
And: the first concert NFTs; audio in an empty arena; Epic Games raises $1billion; Live Nation presents turnkey livestreaming solutions; Richie Hawtin & Deadmau5 new venture Pixelynx
'The end is in sight'; 'vaccines are here'; 'let's have a party'. We are at such a different juncture of the pandemic right now than we were a year ago. At the start of the pandemic governments were hesitant to impose widescale lockdowns because they were so different from what 'normal' was at the time. When lockdowns did get instituted the general consensus was that we were all in it together. A driver that hits us up with adrenaline and a can-do spirit. Now, we’re exhausted and we need to tap into our collective determination; which is a very different energy. To do this, we feel we must act. But how?
First, I look at the state of the pandemic on a global and local basis
Second, I look at where music is right now in various places around the globe
Third, I advice governments to punch through their ‘status-quo bias’ while I ask live music organizers to think about their events not in isolation but in a global picture
TECH
✔️ There’s a ‘new’ in NFT world every week it seems. This time it’s the NFT concert. Don Diablo sold his 1-of-1 concert NFT for an eyepopping 600Eth ($1.2million). What the buyer got was a UBS stick with the concert. More interestingly is the Lupe Fiasco NFT, which first of all wasn’t a 1-of-1 but a variety of ‘open editions’ each with their own perks and standard price. MusicAlly calculated these NFTs netted just over $65k.
🦄 Epic Games has raised $1 billion to build the metaverse. Sony represents about one-fifth of that new investment. What is the metaverse you ask? Just a place ‘to have great social experiences’ according to Epic CEO Tim Sweeney.
🐭 Digital collectibles in games are basically what NFTs are based on. Pixelynx aims to bring more companies into the metaverse by helping them convert their brands into avatars. Legitimisation comes from the likes of Richie Hawtin and Deadmau5.
📡 When MIDiA and Twitch get together for a report on what the music industry can learn from the gamers streaming it’s a must-read. Key takeaway through Mark Mulligan: ‘digital intimacy is the key to opening the box to monetizing fandom.’
👁️🗨️ On the artist level ‘monetizing fandom’ is a must, but for the DSPs, radio, and other broadcasters the drop in ad revenues have been felt during 2020. Now, analysts are predicting a massive increase in spending for the current year.
CORONA
☀️ If you skipped the article today because you were afraid it would destroy your optimism about where the pandemic is heading, this one is for you: SummerStage in New York City will go ahead this year, with audiences. And, all of them will also be livestreamed. That’s the kind of sensible organising I ask for in my article.
🎚️ Ever wondered about audio in an empty arena? Or how to engineer the audio for a masked singer. Rolling Stone has a great article on just this topic.
💻 Livestreaming is here to stay. We mentioned previously that Live Nation acquired Veeps and they’ve now taken steps to make sure that 60 venues across the US will have the equipment to provide turnkey solutions for livestreaming.
😔 If you got excited about SummerStage, look no further than the Juno Awards to realise we’re not in the clear of this pandemic yet. They postponed their show again in the face of rising infections. It’s their 50th anniversary show and they hope to organise it on 6 June now.
🎻 I love local initiatives such as this one: over in Milan, Illinois the local symphony orchestra provides the musicians in what’s aptly called ‘Vaccine Variations.’ The musicians will play music meant to soothe the people in line for their vaccinations.
I’m interviewing AEG’s Angela Huang for the Who Knew… The Smartest People in the Room series next week, 20 April at 11:30am PT/2:30pm ET/ 8:30pm CET. We’ll talk about:
fandom
ticketing strategies
livestreaming
post-pandemic touring
Would be great if you can join us! Register here
Music
2021 has been a year heavy on drum&bass for me so far. I’m loving this bouncy new release by DLR. Especially Blipped on the head