The Impact of Covid 19 on the Music Industry in 2020 and Beyond

The global pandemic has affected nearly every industry, but none more so than the music industry. With everyone doing their part to flatten the curve, large gatherings, which include music festivals, concerts, and shows, are cancelled.

According to Ilostmygig.ca, over $16 million were lost from cancelled shows. Not to mention the lost income from venue staff, promoters, and others who rely on live events.

Some of the larger artists are putting on live streamed shows and Q &As to keep their fans’ hopes up during times of uncertainty and keep them entertained, but not all these actions are revenue generating.

Artists have been getting creative and found new means of generating revenue during the pandemic.[insert article link].

However, there is more to the music industry than just making money from playing shows. There are long term effects on the music industry, from the cancellations of mass gatherings.

Cancelled shows

There is the obvious effect of lost income due to cancelled shows. Live performances make up roughly 27 percent of a musician’s income. With the majority of shows occurring during the spring and summer months.

For musician Teagan Johnston, better known as Little Coyote, she was going to play at the SXSW music festival for the first time this year, and her big landmark event was taken away, and lost what could have been career changing exposure.

“I was literally about to pack my van to leave when i got the news about [SXSW]”. [SXSW] is a large landmark for plenty of independent artists,” she said.

Her and many other independent artists have lost their landmark event to gain exposure and meet other industry professionals.

It’s not just the income that artists lose without shows. There is also the lost sense of community that comes with these cancelled shows.

“Shows, for musicians, present a real sense of community. And without it, we lose that community. I can’t go to friends’ shows and I can’t meet new artists.” Teagan said.

There is no telling when large gatherings will be able to begin again, but until then musicians will miss out on all the benefits of playing large shows.

In the meantime, artists are turning to live streaming to give back to their fans, but live streaming poses its own challenges to the artist.

“Live streaming has been draining… I’m alone in my room and there is no crowd to feed off of,” Teagan said.

Recording and collaborations

Thanks to new technology in recording, musicians can still have access to top quality equipment and software in their homes, but working from home for musicians has been just as difficult for many.

Teagan also said that her at-home recording sessions have been strange.

“Recording has been different. I was scheduled to record with this one guy, but now he’s recording the instrumentals at his place and sending that over and I’ll record the vocals from my place,” she said.

However awkward the new recording setup might be for artists, independent musicians are reportedly putting out more music than ever.

Rolling stones reported that there is a surge in activity in independent distributing platforms, like Sounddrop or CD Baby, despite conventional streaming services (like spotify and apple music) seeing a drop in use.

With the touring season on hold, artists are able to focus their efforts on the creative side and push out content.

…

With artists conducting livestreams and a backlog of content for independent artists, what does this mean for them in the future.

For a start, there may be more livestreaming in the future for music events. Coachella and Tomorrowland are some festivals that have live streamed their festivals as a marketing tool. This can be a tool artists carry with them beyond the pandemic. Live Streaming is an excellent tool for musicians to connect with listeners all over the world and give them a taste of a live show.

Another possible long term outcome from the pandemic is the backlog of music independent artists have seemed to produce. With more music, independent artists can have more EPs to send to record labels and agents. They also have more music to send to production companies and video editors for licensing. Not to mention the potential for gaining new listeners from putting out new music!

Overall, the future of the music industry is uncertain with the short term cancellations of these shows, and the ongoing efforts of musicians to find new streams of revenue, and create music.

Teagan said that she is definitely unsure of how this will affect her career long term, but she is optimistic, citing that “Necessity is the mother of invention.”