A brief analysis of DJ Instagram parties and the inevitable monetization of live streaming.
Screengrab of QuestLoversRock Stream on March 22.
Last night legendary DJ, producer, music historian, drummer and co- founder of The Roots crew, Questlove, spun on the 1’s and 2’s for the who knows how many nights since isolation began in New York. My wife and I had just finished watching Bad Boys I and II (getting ready for the third, which is available now due to corona) and weren’t quite ready for bed. I knew I could open Instagram and enjoy either Quest, the wonderful broadcasts out of Friends and Lovers in Crown Heights, or my beautiful friends from ATL, Werc Crew. And this is almost every night of the week.
Good vibes, vibrations and mary jane. The best of A Tribe Called Quest you almost forgot about grooved through our apartment. As my wife and I went to sleep around 2:30am, a thought hit me:
I would be completely fine doing this on a regular basis.
Maybe I’m late to the party, however, writing an article or reading while listening to a very specific and curated playlist of hip-hop and R&B while commenting on the mixes with friends via chat may be one of my preferred ways to spend an evening! There was something corny about live before Corona. Maybe it felt too new. The only folks I knew that were really using it on a regular basis were people announcing births and corporations for meetings. Even if you don’t agree with that thought, my point really is, you have to try these gram’ parties.
“Is this a new hour? Is this a new era?!” — Questlove
Now I know this isn’t a new thing. DJ’s have been slowly integrating live streaming into their process to help engage an audience for the last 10 years. However I’d make the argument that it’s different now. DJ, Promoter and founder of Werc Crew Xavier Blk seems to agree with me.
“There is a huge market for virtual entertainment programming. The digital space has already been moving towards this but the live entertainment industry hasn’t assimilated all the way until now. Rightfully so.”
Of course as of now, it’s all experimentation and trial and error. Giving folks the vibe at home is part one. Prove the product works. The next step is a bit trickier. For the Atlanta based DJ crew the second step is turning it into a source of income. The working class DJ and musician have shown to be some of the most resilient artists there are. Their way of life has changed over and over, making it more and more difficult to make a decent salary as a full time artist. Is it inevitable that live streaming will soon come with company logos, commercials and censorship?
Werc Crew’s event series“The Groove” in Atlanta. Jan 2020
Xavier’ BLK’s Werc Crew team is known for leading the charge in R&B, hip-hop and Caribbean music themed parties, attracting the who’s who in music and arts culture in Atlanta. Between their flagship events and partnership with conglomerate brands, Werc Crew has a bright future ahead of them. Does any of that future hinge on creating income with streaming?
“Live shows make a substantial amount that would be hard to match online. With that said, we are being forced to adapt now so I foresee a lot more content in the future.” Xavier Blk continues via text.
“I believe there’s a level of live entertainment that of course can’t be replaced through a screen. So whatever this new digital world we live in looks like there will always be a demand for the in person, real thing. Even VR and mix augmented reality doesn’t completely feel like being front row at a show surrounded by thousands of people.”
Werc Crew Foundation. From L, Xavier Blk, Jeremy Avalon & Hourglass at one of their Whine parties.
While some believe VR could be a solution to this time, I’d have to agree. Nothing replaces seeing Anderson .Paak and Free Nationals live at MSG with Funk Flex and Busta Rhymes doing the intermission sets. I’m certainly not making an argument for the new normal. However, this setting and tech certainly has its strengths while consuming music. Sitting through a Questlove live stream during Corona times has become a masterclass in hip hop, r&b history and culture with Quest commentating, adding facts and reviews throughout. Proving the new medium is also an opportunity for education. An opportunity for consumers to listen to more than billboard charts. There are no more requests folks.
These are (for now) independent artists and music historians exhibiting their “best of” collections for the world to embrace, deny or critique. Every time a DJ touches the tables, it’s an opportunity to give their audience an experience they haven’t heard prior. I’m down for any remix that makes my face go sour (that’s a good thing) and that is the goal of every DJ pouring their skills into a carefully curated presentation. All that said, the world of technology continues to complicate the bottom line for the music industry. Yes our current circumstances are (probably) temporary. Yes there’s no need to revamp your entertainment business model exclusively for the year 2020. OR maybe, live streaming just put on their corporate business pants.
Is live streaming the game changer I make it out to be? I don’t know. I’m not even confident I fully believe in it myself. I do know however, we the consumer are quite spoiled with what’s happening currently. Is it here to stay? No idea. However artists and entertainers are finding audiences right now. And if people are hesitant to go to the club for a while, this may be here longer than anticipated. The art world will evolve but the inevitable corporation has to catch up for our own livelihood. Resilient is the artist, the first to adapt.
If you’re enjoying these articles and podcasts from Green Lung Studio, please support by “clapping” and blessing our Patreon.