The Impact of COVID-19 on the Music Industry
As many know, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had drastic effects on everyday life thus far. Many people are quarantined in their homes, college students have been sent home by their schools, and some states have ordered a full shutdown of non-essential businesses. As predicted, this has had a large impact on multiple industries, including the music industry. As important as it is to stay up to date on current events (especially during these uncertain times), it is also important for artists, producers, managers, and consumers to understand how this pandemic has affected the music industry in order to mentally and physically prepare for the future. Here are all of the impacts that the coronavirus has had on the music industry so far, and ways to make preparations in case the situation lasts for longer than the projected time frame:
wewillprevail #earnews #eltonaudio Stay safe during this time of uncertainty, and we will get through this. Musicians, and pretty much everyone in the enter...
1. Music Festivals have been canceled. If you were in the middle of making plans to visit your favorite festival this spring season, it is probably a safe bet to say that there is no need to whip out your “perfect festival outfit”. Many major music festivals such as Delaware’s Firefly Festival, Governor’s Ball in New York, Ultra Music in Miami, and SXSW in Texas have already called for cancellations this year. Other popular events such as the widely popular Coachella, Lollapalooza, and Bonnaroo have been postponed until further notice, however the likelihood of these events pushing through are also very tentative on how COVID-19 progresses in the future.
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In addition to these cancellations, many festival goers may not be able to get a direct refund for their previously purchased tickets. In turn, the event agencies that host these music festivals are making arrangements to pay back their potential customers through other methods. Ultra Music Festival organizers announced that while customers will be unable to receive refunds, the tickets for the 2020 music festival will “remain valid and will continue to be honored at either the 2021 or 2022 Ultra Miami event”. In addition, the company has decided to offer an “extraordinary added value package” that includes extra experiences such as discounted merchandise, an exclusive DJ event at a future festival (which customers must decide if they will attend the 2021 or 2022 event), and access to discount codes to purchase both general admission and premium tickets for a future event.
In the meantime, we’re sure that many people are disappointed over these cancellations, especially because some are unable to receive a refund. While we acknowledge that this does not satisfy the full experience of the event, we also encourage that people make the most of their time inside. Thus, EAR has multiple Spotify playlists from previous years’ music festivals that you can listen to at home to emulate the feeling of the event. Don’t be afraid to set up some lights and dance to songs by your favorite artists! While the festivals themselves may be canceled, appreciation for the music is not.
2. Many big name artists have either canceled or postponed their tours. Remember those tickets you bought after waiting for so long on Ticketmaster? Unfortunately, chances are that event has either been canceled or postponed. Many artists and their management companies have reluctantly announced that due to the circumstances, their world tours may be postponed until further notice. Some of the artists that have already announced postponements are Justin Bieber and his Changes World Tour, Harry Styles and his Love on Love Tour in Europe, BTS and their Map of the Soul Tour in North America, and many more. All of these artists have shown their disappointment over tour dates being rescheduled, however they promise to honor the tickets that fans had bought for the original tour dates at the show for the rescheduled date. While the uncertainty of these events can bring unease to many concert-goers, here are some things to do to make preparations:
If you have tickets to an artist that has yet to make announcements regarding their concerts, be sure to have ticket insurance along with the ticket itself. Ticket insurance is a way to ensure that the ticket holder would receive a refund of their money if unforeseen circumstances impact the show in any way. Given the uncertainty of different musical events within the next few months, it is better to be safe than sorry!
Another important thing to consider if you are a ticket-holder for a concert that has been postponed is to refrain from making set plans until you are aware of when the tour dates will be rescheduled. While we understand this is difficult to do with multiple plans and events being surrounded by a cloud of uncertainty, it is recommended to keep these ideas in mind. It would be a shame to buy tickets to a show and then be unable to make the rescheduled date!
Lastly, while artists are unable to tour for the time being and make profit off of live events, they need support from their audiences now more than ever. If you are disappointed over a show being canceled or postponed, go on your favorite streaming service and stream that artist’s music! It is a great way to show support for your favorite musicians, and will hopefully ease the disappointment of a canceled show.
3. Artists are unable to physically interact with fans. As physical appearances and fan interaction are a large part of an artist’s promotion for their music and their brand, social distancing regulations have put a damper on how artists present themselves to their audience.
Fortunately, many social media platforms have implemented live streaming options that artists have been making use of during their quarantine. Multiple musicians have set up live stream concerts for their fans, in which they host live performances within their homes and sing their fan’s favorite songs while thousands of people can tune in to enjoy the music. Many artists have used Instagram live as their main platform to host these livestream concerts because the app also has the features for viewers to send likes, ask questions, and submit comments that artists can view in realtime and respond to as they roll in. This way, artists and fans are still able to interact with each other without the dangers that come with in person meetings.
In addition, many artists have taken the opportunity to host livestream concerts while working with organizations to spread awareness for the coronavirus. Global Citizen, for example, recently invited many popular artists such as Lauv, Niall Horan, Charlie Puth, and John Legend to host live stream concerts to spread awareness and raise money for a cure through the hashtag #TogetherAtHome. With governments heavily implementing social distancing regulations as COVID-19 progresses, these livestream concerts have proven to be one of the solutions for artists to continue to promote their brand and share their music with their audience. While live performances and face to face interaction has been put on hold for the time being, the sharing and appreciation for live music will continue amongst artists and listeners both as a form of entertainment and as an outlet for emotional expression, healing, and hope.
4. Recording studios have closed temporarily. While many artists and producers view recording studios as an essential, unfortunately the general public would disagree. Thus, many recording studios are temporarily closed with the states calling a temporary shutdown of all non-essential businesses. Meaning, artists do not have access to the necessary facilities to create music.
However, we are lucky enough to live in an era when most of this technology is already accessible at home. As we have already seen previously, many artists have chosen to operate independently and have created their own makeshift studio setups from the comfort of their own homes. Therefore, they are still able to create content while maintaining social distancing standards, and they are also using their time in quarantine to be productive and maintain their creative mindset.
If you are an artist that is struggling to access the necessary facilities to produce your own music, it is highly recommended to begin your home studio setup not only for the pandemic, but for the longevity. Even after this situation passes, it is good to have a space at home to produce music and reduce your reliance on hour by hour charges from your local recording studio. Creating a home setup is quite easy as well; there are multiple digital audio workstations that one can invest in and are available for download. Many home producers make use of Logic Pro X, Pro Tools, and Ableton to create their projects. It is also easy to get hardware such as MIDI input technology, microphones, and external audio interfaces delivered to your home. To view a full list of the necessary materials to build your home studio setup, definitely check out the article The Top 10 Things You Need to Record A Song at Home on the EAR News page.
From the New York Times
5. In-person meetings have been strictly limited While this issue can easily be resolved through different video chat platforms such as Skype and Zoom, communication can get more difficult when people are unable to meet face to face. When creating music especially, it is hard to explain in words an artistic vision, and it is usually easier and much more efficient to provide examples and demonstrations.
When collaborating between different artists, the ability to efficiently communicate ideas is essential to the process of creating music. Sometimes, an idea is easier to convey through auditory examples such as demonstrations on an instrument, or by completing the task on your own. However, with meetings and collaboration sessions limited to video chats, this can be more difficult to accomplish. Luckily, technology is very advanced these days and there are multiple solutions to make remote collaboration more efficient. Many DAW’s allow for remote collaboration, as they include features that allow users to easily share projects with others and constantly saves new edits on both devices so both contributors are up to date on any new changes. There are also different online programs that allow users to share screens between computers and even operate someone's desktop from a different computer. This would make completing tasks easier as people with different skill sets can make necessary edits throughout the process rather than having to work separately on different desktops.
However, while technology is very helpful for solving this issue, it would also be a good idea to use the time in quarantine to work on different production skills that you may not know how to do! This will make collaboration easier because it will be easier to explain the process to accomplish a certain sound or feeling, rather than explaining the vision for the end result. This also makes the process more effective since either producer can complete the needed task, rather than one producer who does not know how to manipulate certain features relying on the person that is skilled in that aspect of production. It is also good to take this time to learn more about musical terms, such as timbres, textures, and meters to effectively communicate verbally one’s artistic vision.
While the music industry (along with many other industries) is suffering some losses due to the coronavirus, do not be discouraged! Many artists are making moves to keep the music and culture alive through livestream events, staying active on social media, promoting, and most importantly, staying creative. While these are very uncertain and confusing times, we hope that everyone is staying safe and healthy, and making good use of their time inside! As we all hope that live music and face-to-face interactions come back, don’t forget that music as an art can never be canceled, so turn on your favorite playlist or create music of your own!
