In a post-lockdown world, will livestream concerts remain popular?

Live music thrived on livestream concerts throughout the lockdowns, especially in the electronic music scene. With individual artists, record labels, and production companies hosting their own livestreams, we saw a rise in Twitch, YouTube, and Instagram Live streaming.

In fact, Twitch Music saw an increase in the hours of music content watched year-over-year by 550%.

But, many of us have resumed our lives since the lockdowns, picking up where we left off with going out and safely participating in community events. Does this mean goodbye to livestream and online concerts?

For many industries who pivoted to the digital space, the return to live events could indicate a waste of resources devoted to optimizing livestream and online event experiences.

As it turns out, research from Statista found that 60% of participants said they’d continue watching livestream events, even after in-person events have returned.

So, if you thought the days of online events were over, it’s time to re-evaluate.

If you’ve been spending time maximizing your experiential capabilities through livestreams, you’re in the right headspace.

The data indicates that livestream and online concerts will continue to thrive, even in a post-lockdown world.

The production company Cercle produces live videos on Mondays, where fans can watch artists stream from stunning, curated locations throughout the world, captured with beautiful drone footage. Their YouTube page has 582,871,853 views.

Hulu recently announced their partnership to livestream Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, and Austin City Limits in 2023.

Plus, Apple Music announced their plans to livestream concerts from big-name artists as part of a new series called Apple Music Live.

Amazon Music has taken to Twitch to stream concerts, as well.

According to MIDiA’s Virtual Concerts: A New Video Format report, “Live streaming could be to live music what pay-TV is to sports, creating in the long run a market that is even bigger than the core business. But between now and then, there is a lot of hard work to be done.”