Ancient arena.

Music During the Pandemic

Two people sit playing guitars. The sun is setting behind them.

Introduction

It is no understatement that the COVID-19 pandemic decimated the music industry. All across the country, venues, concerts, and performances of all kinds were shut down to keep people safe. With such a sudden change in live shows, just about every kind of music genre was affected. This meant that musicians who relied on live tours for income had to come up with new ways of supporting themselves. Recordings became a central focus for streaming, licensing for creatives, sales of records, and digital downloads. In fact, streaming live performances has become the new normal for the music industry. This also gave musicians extra time to focus on their musical passion projects.

Production

Music is a creative industry, so musicians from all over worked with each other virtually to keep the industry alive. Musicians also found new ways to market their talents online. Giving virtual lessons and teaching Masterclasses became a reliable source of income. Livestreamed concerts with virtual tip jars help pad that out. Additionally, musicians realized that working with custom production teams and utilizing promotional streaming platforms help producers find talent that they otherwise wouldn’t. There were initially struggles with monetizing music on certain platforms. But once the licensing was sorted out, this became another good way to earn income online.

A person wearing a face mask is watching a video on a laptop,

Consumption

As the ways that music is produced and performed changes, so do the ways that music is consumed. Attending a virtual concert is nowhere near the same experience as attending a live, in-person one. But it also allows for a larger audience to experience than would normally be possible. While we will hopefully be back to having live performances soon, there’s no denying that the music industry has been changed forever. And it’s thanks to the determined and creative artists and the passionate fans that this industry has not just survived the pandemic, but grown and changed from it.

Conclusion

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