This blog is part of a larger collection of educational content about hybrid concerts. Click here to check it out.
The pandemic changed us all. While its effects on the live entertainment industry continue to reveal themselves, one thing is clear. Live is coming back in a big way, but fan preferences and new technology leave concerts looking a bit different than before.
To find out exactly how the live experience will evolve post-pandemic, we turned straight to the source—and asked 4,000 fans directly what they want from live music as things open back up. These findings bring guidance to players all over the live entertainment space—and help us build experiences that fans will actually enjoy and be willing to pay for.
We’ll cover the highlights of our findings in this blog, but you can request access to the full report here.
Livestream is here to stay.
First, we learned that audiences will return to in-person concerts but their love for livestream won’t change. In fact, 91% of people who watched livestream during the pandemic will continue to watch them even when in-person events return. It’s clear that fans want to see shows up close and personal. But, they still can’t get enough and will complement their return to live with livestreaming on the side.
What does this mean? Livestreaming in-person concerts offers a massive opportunity to engage virtual audiences who otherwise couldn’t attend the show. This data validates the discussion about live entertainment’s hybrid future—where each show offers a mix of both in-person and virtual experiences to fans.
Livestream viewers will also take a chance on new artists.
Next, we saw that fans have an appetite for discovering new artists via livestreams. Just as fans like to stumble upon new artists at concerts and festivals, 85% of livestream fans said they would watch a livestream concert for an artist they are not familiar with.
What does this say about live music’s future? Livestreaming in-person shows allows musicians unique opportunities to acquire fans and grow their audience. To help artists grow, livestreaming platforms can suggest relevant artists and concerts for fans based on previous show attendance.
Fans are willing to pay for perks.
Lastly, fans don’t just want virtual access to shows, they want everything that makes concerts awesome, virtually—from VIP experiences to exclusive merch. 82% of live music fans would spend extra on these perks in addition to the ticket price.
Click here to find out what perks fans are most likely to purchase.
What does this tell us about the future of live music? Artists and venues shouldn’t just be thinking about livestreaming their next concert. With the right platform, they can get creative with the show from end to end—making the virtual experience as unique as the venue they’re performing at with the addition of engaging VIP packages and show-specific merch. This also illustrates the promising possibility for artists and venues to add a virtual layer to any of their in-person shows—where fans get the opportunity to purchase VIP upgrades and show-specific merch without leaving their spot in the venue.
Get the full report.
The future of live entertainment is bright. And in it, there’s room for both in-person and virtual experiences to not just thrive, but complement each other. Click here to download the full report and access the rest of these fan insights.
