MUSICIAN SUCCESS DURING COVID-19

When Covid-19 first became widespread, of the first industries to take a hit financially were the arts. Discussing the music industry specially, there were many instances of hindrance within financial success. Despite all of that, there are still ways to be financially successful during the pandemic. Live performances, of course, were one of the first things to go. Artist who still wanted to perform began using live-streaming platforms, and for financial gain would sell tickets to come to the shows. I’ve personally been to Emily Kinney’s, which she did for free on Instagram and Facebook Live, and Jinkx Monsoon’s, which they sold tickets for as part of a digital festival through StageIt. It was a solid stand in for live shows and still brings financial gain for the artists if they choose to sell tickets. It also opens the doors for more people to see it, as people all around the world can tune in and the tickets are usually cheaper.  There are few challenges with this, however. One is that it is not exactly the same as live shows. For the audience, there is not the same atmosphere of being surrounded by everyone, the anticipation for the show, and experience of being in the same room with the artist you bought tickets to see. On the performer’s end, there could be the potential of burnout, similar to what students are experiencing with zoom. The amount of time spent staring at a screen and major change in energy in the room could lead livestream concerts to be less successful, but are still a valid option. 

Another option for musicians making money during covid-19 are outdoor, socially distanced, mandatory masked, live concerts. In this case, there is the atmosphere on both artist’s and audience’s end which allows for them to create an upbeat energy. Here, musicians get to perform and share their music live. Over the summer, someone who graduated a year before me in high-school did a concert like this. I have seen outdoor concerts similar to this around where I live in Victoria as well. However, there are many safety risks associated with this. At the end of the day, it is still a crowd meeting in person, which greatly increases the chance of spread. Thinking as a singer, I would not be able to perform with a mask on, and that would for for wind and brass instrument players as well. When it comes to money, attendance is limited greatly, therefore limiting money. Another way to earn money as a musician is through tips and merchandise sales. This is money primarily going into your pockets directly and can add up quickly. Merchandise specifically gives the buying something that they would in return as well. However, this also requires you to already have a following, as a market is needed for the sales. There is also the risk, though less so, of spreading covid-19 through air travel. To conclude, these are very complicated times for musicians to work through, however, there are still ways to share music and make money.