BBC Focus - 04.2020_

INNOVATIONSDISCOVERIES

The 50th Glastonbury Festival, the
EurovisionSongContestandTheRolling
Stones’tourdatesarejusta fewmusical
casualtiestothecoronaviruspandemic.
Largegatheringshavebeenpostponed
orcancelledentirelytotrytostopthe
spread,butsomemusiciansaren’tletting
thelackofa physical audience prevent a
performance.
SingerJamesBlunt– ofYou’r eB e aut if u l
fame,thatonesongweallhatebutcan’t
helpsingingalongto– wasbookedto
performinHamburginMarch,to a crowd
ofmorethan2,000people.Insteadof
cancelling, Bluntand the organiser,
MagentaMusik360, decided to record

theshowintheemptyElbphilharmonie

concerthouseandthen livestreamit to

viewersfromallaroundtheworld.

Othermusiciansareoptingtostream

insteadofsuspend,suchasNewYork’s

MetropolitanOpera.Unfortunatelyfor

performers,livestreaming usually means

makingcontentfree.

Tocombatthis,someperformersare

turningto digitalvideostreamingplatform

Twitch.Createdwithgamersinmind,

Twitchallowsusersto uploadlivecontent

andencouragesviewersto respondinreal

timetowhatthey’rewatching.Musicians

suchasMarcRebilletandDuckyare

making use of Twitch’s subscription model,

“INSTEAD OF

CANCELLING, JAMES

BLUNT AND THE

ORGANISER DECIDED

TO RECORD THE

SHOW IN THE EMPTY

CONCERT HOUSE AND

LIVESTREAM ITTO

VIEWERS”

sofanscansetupsmallmonthlypayments

orone-offdonationstosupportartists.

It seemsmostofthebignames,though,

areheadingtowheretheGenZsreside:

InstagramandTikTok.A campaigncalled

Together, AtHome,launched by the

WorldHealthOrganizationandactivism

movementGlobalCitizen,hasprompted

30-minuteInstagramLivesessionsfrom

artistssuchasJohnLegend,NiallHoran

andColdplay’sChrisMartin.Martin,

whofoundedGlobalCitizen’sannual

musicfestival,startedofftheseriesby

tellingfans:“Therightthingtobedoing

is stayinghome... and not buying too much

toilet paper.”

Encore!

Artists turn to streamin platforms to make up

for cancelled concerts