The importance of livestreaming for artists

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Written by:

As the usage of social media has increased in recent years, so has the value of online marketing. While there are many tools out there in order to further expand brands online, one of the major options to quickly increase your following is the use of livestreaming. What used to be a complicated process has in recent years been made extremely easy, with most social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram now offering livestreaming as an in-built option. However, while many major festivals utilize livestreaming as part of their coverage, relatively few artists take advantage of the opportunity themselves. We want to take a look at exactly why livestreaming can be beneficial for artists, and why it should be a part of your marketing strategy.

Q&A

One of the most beneficial options for livestreaming is to host a Q&A. With unlimited possibilities for fan interaction, hosting a Q&A is one of the quickest ways to drive fans to your profile in a matter of minutes. Particularly if you have an upcoming release or big show planned, answering questions on a livestream is a quick way to draw publicity, especially if you are willing to give out information that may not previously have been available to the public. It is also a great method to connect with your fanbase on a personal level, and keep your fans in the loop on upcoming projects, creating even more anticipation.

New music

Another option for livestreaming is to preview or share brand new music. Multiple electronic music artists have even livestreamed themselves creating new music, and in a time when ghost producers are prevalent, a livestream including you producing gives your brand some much-needed legitimacy. Previewing upcoming releases gives you the opportunity to build excitement around the tracks, and to create even more publicity around the release.

Announcements

Livestreaming is also a good opportunity to make announcements. Recently the electronic music industry has seen an increase in festivals and artists scheduling a Facebook livestream, and streaming a pre-recorded announcement video. This is perhaps the most exciting method to unveil news on social media, and really creates a huge buzz around the announcement itself. Interaction with the livestream also benefits your profile as it gives you better reach on the platform. Visitors are much more likely to post a comment on a livestream than they are on a photo or video, especially if they believe you may see their message and respond.

Live shows

Traditionally, the main use of livestreaming in the electronic music community has always centred around live performances. This is the most common use of livestreaming for artists, but is usually organised by festivals themselves. However, if you are not yet at the stage of performing at a major festival with a livestream, it is well-worth setting up your own livestream direct to your social media. Whether organising it yourself or featuring on a festival’s stream, this publicity is hugely beneficial for your brand, and will encourage more people to attend your live performances.

With such a potentially beneficial tool at your fingertips, using livestreaming is certainly a no-brainer for producers. Regardless of the content you decide to share by livestream, the stream itself can prove extremely fruitful in terms of engagement and expanding your brand online. Most importantly, it can help drive visitors to your social media profiles and encourage them to engage with your content. Ultimately, more engagement online eventually leads to an increased number of fans and therefore more people looking to attend your live shows and purchase or stream your music. While the future could bring any number of promotional tools to further your online persona, livestreaming is definitely one of the most beneficial tools for you to utilize in 2018.