The Sound of the Pandemic

Headline Tours? Cancelled. Small Cafe Jams? Postponed to further notice. Many musicians and artists are struggling to find new ways to keep their fans satisfied and business steady. Some are turning to live streams on Facebook or Instagram.  According to Variety, a Spotify Music Head, Carl Cherry, said he didn't know if artists should hold album releases, just drop the album, and have a tour later. The Weeknd, a pop artist from LA, released 'After Hours' on March 20, surpassing 100 million worldwide streams the very first day of release; after it's first week Spotify reported a billion global streams. Even though this sounds good, overall streaming is going down. Variety reports that there is a 10-20% drop in listening time due to reduced commuting. Even though live streaming might be good, there is no physical connection. When touring, bands are competing against the other acts in town, but in live streaming, you compete worldwide for eyeballs and exposure.