Does Live Concert Streaming Cannibalize Actual Attendance? Not a Chance!

Long-time readers know that I am a passionate music fan -- meaning that I frequently attend live music events, including major music festivals.  So, what to do if you can't make it to Coachella, Bonnaroo, or Outside Lands?  Live streaming, that's what (perhaps).  Yesterday, USA Today recognized the proliferation of companies focused on this live event streaming opportunity, including LA-based iRocke -- a company I know well.

So, does live streaming cannibalize actual festival attendance?

No way!  Nothing replaces the physical, communal festival experience.  And, that's the point.  Live streaming is no substitute.  Nor should it try to be.  Those live streaming services that fully "get" this will be the ones that succeed.  iRocke is one company that understands this -- because the team behind it owns their own live venue, Saint Rocke.

Right now, we're early early early in the game.  And, for now, live event streaming is primarily used for marketing purposes -- augmenting, not replacing, the event experience.

Live Music Concert Streaming -- Adversely Impacting Live Concert Attendance?

Last week, I participated on a live concert streaming aggregator IROCKE-sponsored panel discussion about live music concert streaming -- and, in particular, whether live concert streaming could adversely impact live music attendance at venues around the world.  Legendary tech investor (turned musician) Roger McNamee of Elevation Partners, long-time music executive Jay Samit of Oovoo, pioneering live concert streaming producer Marc Scarpa of Simplynew, and I tackled that issue -- and numerous others -- at IROCKE's 4evrfest.  (Jay, Me, Roger from left to right in this picture.)

Here's my "take" on this issue, which I voiced on the panel (and with which we all pretty much sang in unison):

-- the live in-venue concert experience is fundamentally different than the online live concert streaming experience
-- in-venue experiences surround your senses -- and build a real sense of "community" among attendees
-- online services that simply look to replicate the in-venue experience will fail -- that's not enough
-- rather, because the online/virtual context is fundamentally different, the overall online live music experience must be envisioned completely differently
-- in this way, live streaming of music concerts will not adversely impact live in-venue attendance at all; rather, live streaming is an entirely new business (that both positively markets in-venue experiences, and drives new revenue streams); that's why all major music festivals now stream live
-- a relevant analogy comes from the world of NFL football -- the live physical "at-venue" NFL fan experience is fundamentally different from the home TV experience; you are immersed in the emotion of the crowds, the smells of the food, the real-world impact.  Contrast that to the completely removed at-home TV experience, in which you see multiple camera angles and replays, behind-the-scenes content unavailable at the venue itself (e.g., locker room banter and pundits pundit-izing at length) -- and, related to which there is no need to fight with the traffic, the throngs, and the at-venue food
-- NFL football, of course, is a massive business -- both in-venue/stadium (physical) and on TV/online (virtual) ... absolutely massive.  The physical/venue experience initially drove the virtual experience -- and vice-versa -- it is a multiplier effect

THAT's what the possibilities are for live music with both in-venue concerts and live streaming of those same concerts, so long as producers of those concerts creatively optimize the fundamentally different audience experiences.

Forever Festival -- Earth's First Live Digital Music Festival -- Streams to You August 4-11

The “Forever Festival – Sound + Vision” – I am proud to be part of it.  It is something entirely new.  And very very cool.

On August 7, as part of the "Forever Festival" held from August 4th-11th, leading live concert streaming service IROCKEand LiveDMA will present this first-of-its kind blockbuster evening that features more than 150 pioneers of the live digital music industry.  That means music legends (like Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead), digital music star artists (a major name surprise, and I won’t ruin it here), artist managers, and digital music entrepreneurs and innovators.  I guess I fall into the ladder category … proudly.  This event will stream live as part of Forever Festival programming at 4evrfest.com. 

Want more proof that this is the real deal and ground-breaking?  Then check this out – Marc Scarpa will direct the event – and he has some experience here.  He is the first to have ever directed a major music festival streamed live over the Internet – the 1996 Tibetan Freedom Concerts in San Francisco organized by The Beastie Boys and featuring Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Beck and Sonic Youth.

It’s an insanely amazing group of people with whom I will be gathered and speak on a panel, including: Bob Weir, Roger McNamee (Elevation Partners), Jay Samit (former head of digital music for Sony and EMI), Evan Lowenstein (StageIt), Steve Rennie (Incubus’s manager), John Petrocelli (co-founder Bulldog Digital Media), Freddy Fletcher (partner/head of production of Stageside Production at Austin City Limits LIVE), and many many others.

All of this will stream live from the great Saint Rocke live music venue in Hermosa Beach, California. 

For anyone even remotely interested in the digital music scene – and the current music business in general – this is a “must watch” live streaming event.