We love free stuff.
Once we are used to not paying for something, it’s hard to go back to paying for it. For example, nobody pays for recorded music anymore. Some people apparently are going back to vinyls but I highly doubt that the sales is anything that would make up for all the lost revenue. General public will not go back to paying for recorded music. Period.
So then. I want to know why musicians are starting to give away the one thing people are still willing to pay for: Live experience.
I know I know. There is this pandemic going on and you want to reach your audience and you understand that performance via the internet is not the same thing as live shows and you don’t feel quite right charging money for it. Even some venues are doing this for free when we need cash more than ever. I get that you want to retain the interest and you want to keep the music going but we all got to pay for things to keep anything going. Venues got to pay the rent for the spaces that are hardly being used and musicians still got to eat. Especially now. Devaluing the service is the last thing we should be doing.
I have written about how live-streaming is not the same thing as live shows and I am a bit weary of the whole thing. Yes, I still feel the same way but I can also be pragmatic when I need to be. Audience-less live streaming shows are the closest thing (although it’s really not that close… but) we have to attending live shows and I’d like to think that this is something people value.
After the recording industry collapsed, live shows became where the money is. Musicians used to tour to sell their albums but now they create albums so that you can tour. It went totally upside down. Albums have become glorified business cards. It’s a very expensive business card but it serves the purpose of getting you gigs and tours and sometimes real money.
Since the lockdown began, musicians have had no way of earning their living by performing and touring and we don’t know how this new normal is gonna last or if the old normal is ever gonna come back. For a foreseeable future, live-streaming is taking the place of live shows and we, musicians and presenters, have to set it up so that it is sustainable for presenters and artists alike: meaning, do not offer it for free and do not leave it online forever. We have to make sure that people get into a habit for paying for this valuable service they enjoy, just as they did for live shows.
It is ironic that live-streaming is way more labor intensive and expensive than producing live shows yet people will never pay the same price. I mean I get it. Sitting at home staring at the screen will never be the same as being in a room with music and people and feeling the air vibrate. But it costs money and it makes no sense to offer it for free. Not to mention that time and effort musicians put into their craft. And don’t ask for donations. You are not the target of charity. This is your profession and you are not to be pitied.
Also, I don’t think it’s a good idea for the streamed shows to be available online indefinitely because: 1) you have to create demand and if supplies are aplenty, then there won’t be demand; 2) if musicians are aware that the performance will be accessible indefinitely, (this is very important particularly for Jazz), they will play it safe and hold back on taking chances, which is the creative process so essential to this music. If cats are scared of making “mistakes” s/he won’t go for it and there will be no opportunities for that magical moments. I feel there should be a time limit for access for these live streamed events in order to create urgency and to protect artists.
We are all navigating through this new water. With all the uncertainty (it actually feels like that is all we have sometimes….) and hardship that we are all going through, I understand that you might feel like music is your offering to the world. I know that musicians in general are very compassionate and sensitive and caring people. But we should not make the same mistake we made with recorded music. You work really hard for your music. If someone wants to put it online, you should be compensated for it and if every cat asks to be paid for (rightfully) for the service rendered, then that would be the standard. It’s not just about you but about everyone in the community. Same goes for the presenters. If your audience begins to take it for granted that the live-streamed events (concerts are otherwise) are free, then you are just shooting yourself in foot. I feel that we all have to be consistent and insistent on being compensated for the work we do and services we provide. I know that people are in need of music and arts and connection more than ever. We should all get paid proudly so that we can sustain music and community we love. So that we remain strong for the day we can once again gather together in the same space. Love is money. More than ever.