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As everybody is adjusting to their new isolated and cautious lifestyles by staying at home during the Coronavirus pandemic, musicians may face a struggle for their careers. Until further notice, they can no longer rely on touring and doing live performances to make their money and interact with fans. Many musicians have been getting creative and finding ways to stay relevant and keep their fans happy.
Instagram has been a popular platform for musicians to turn to during the pandemic. Many artists are broadcasting themselves performing from home on Instagram live for fans to watch. John Legend, Miley Cyrus and Niall Horan are a few artists who have already live streamed concerts on Instagram.
Other artists are attracting hundreds of thousands of viewers onto their Instagram livestreams by hosting shows. Rapper and singer Tory Lanez has been hosting a popular segment he calls Quarantine Radio, where he goes live with other artists and chats or interacts with fans.
Aside from Instagram, artists have performed for fans on other platforms. On March 29, FOX presented music fans with a televised concert called The iHeart Living Room Concert for America. The “concert” featured at-home performances from artists like Elton John, Mariah Carey and Billie Joe Armstrong from the band Green Day.
Without money coming in from live performances, musicians are depending on music sales and merchandise to continue profiting. On March 12, rapper Moneybagg Yo tweeted to advertise his merchandise since ticket sales weren’t coming in.
It’s good news that musicians are still able to keep fans entertained through social media, as well as continue to provide them with music and products. But not being able to perform anymore takes a huge toll of the pockets of artists. Johnny “Chops” Richardson, bassist for the Randy Rogers Band, spoke with stock market website MarketWatch about the cancellation of South by Southwest music festival. He said performing brings in 90% of the band’s income.
There is a lot of concern right now for the music industry. The best thing you can do for your favorite artists is continue streaming their music, supporting them on social media, and perhaps buy some merch from them if you’re really dedicated.