The Ultimate Guide to Live Stream Concerts

We can all agree that this year has changed not only our lives but the live music industry completely. Of course, we can’t help but feel sad about missing our favorite artists, venues or club nights. But the show must go on, right? A lot of artists agree, which is why live stream concerts have most definitely become a staple for musicians across the world - each of them working in their own ways to stay connected to their fans as best as they can.

With this new wave of entertainment comes a lot of questions, so we here at Songkick have made it our mission to help you out as best as we can. Below a list of insights, tips, tricks and answers to some of the most asked questions on virtual concerts.

The different types of live stream concerts

The idea of live stream concerts is simple; you have a music act, a camera, an internet platform, and a bunch of fans eager to listen to music. Yet, there are different categories or live streams worth paying attention to.

Intimate and stripped back

If you like new or upcoming (indie) artists, you must be familiar with this setting. The artist plays their set acoustically, with a few band members in a comfortable setting: their house, or a studio they rented. Usually, they use social media platforms to promote and host their virtual concerts.

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At your favorite venues

There’s also artists who have gone a little bigger; renting out familiar venues and broadcasting their performance to the outside world. These performances often don’t have an audience, but they can feel like you’re back in that concert state of mind.

Virtual reality parties

A surprising twist in live stream concerts has come in the form of VR live streams. One of the biggest this year was Travis Scott’s Fortnite concert, who set a record with having over 12 million Fortnite players participate in his ‘Astronomical’ performance. Other examples have come from the band Idles, who performed at ‘Block By Blockwest’ in Minecraft, and Lil Nas X’s concert on Roblox’s stream.

When money is no object

The superstars of the world tend to go for high quality production performances. Think of Dua Lipa’s Studio 2054 - that includes a massive set with tons of back up dancers (on roller skates at one point), a big DJ-booth and even some special guest appearances from FKA Twigs, Miley Cyrus, and a virtual cameo (Inception!) of Elton John. These performances can be outsourced to production companies, and tend to be sponsored by big brands.

Online festivals

The rise of live stream concerts has also paved the way for a growth in live streams festivals. These ongoing virtual streams tend to take place on websites, where artists drop in and out the main screen over the course of a day or a weekend. These festivals tend to be hosted by the owners of the offline festivals.

Are live stream concerts always live?

Ah, good question! Although the majority of ad-hoc live stream concerts are definitely live, concerts with popular artists and big production sets are often pre-recorded, and streamed at a later date.

There’s also the option of having fans watching past concert footage. This footage can be never before seen, or just shows that have become somewhat ‘iconic’ in the eye of their listeners. Sometimes, the exclusive, older footage can be part of a VIP bundle ticket, other times they show these performances to keep their fans entertained during the quieter periods.

How much do live stream concerts cost?

The costs of a live stream performance of course differs per concert.

Free

If you’re planning to watch live stream performances on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook, these usually won’t cost you a dime.

Ticketed

Paid live streams tend to range between $5 and $25. This all depends on which streaming platform the artist uses. It’s also worth keeping an eye out for subscriptions. Websites like Twitch and Patreon offer access to exclusive content (such as private discord servers) for a monthly or yearly subscription fee.

Merch bundles

An artist can combine their live stream concert ticket with exclusive merchandise. Often, the merch is based off of their latest release, or it can be made exclusively for the virtual live stream.

Pay what you can

Some artists give viewers the option to pay what they’d like to pay, or what they can afford. This option means that you can get to the action for free, as well.

Charity

Charitable live stream concerts have been highly successful this year. There have been livestreams created specifically for charity, such as the PlayOn Festival, which was in support of the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund from the World Health Organisation.

Other smaller performances originated in support of the music industry. The proceeds of Niall Horan’s live stream concert in the Royal Albert Hall for example were donated to charities related to touring crews, as they are one of several kinds of people that have suffered greatly due to the worldwide pause on concerts, festivals and tours.

Can I re-watch old live stream concerts?

If you look at it from a streaming rights perspective, what makes a virtual concert is that the user cannot rewind the stream. Thus, it’s quite likely you won’t be able to rewatch your favorite online concerts and festivals. As always, there are exceptions.

If you for example bought the VIP package of a live stream, the opportunity to rewatch the live stream concert for a limited time is often included. This makes taking a quick toilet break during the show an easier decision, we’d say.

It also depends on which website or app the music act is streaming from. Platforms like Twitch and Facebook Live give users the opportunity to watch live streams afterwards, as long as the original user allows. Meanwhile, you won’t be able to rewatch an old Instagram Live unless you’re screen-recorded it on your own device. Speaking of platforms...

Platforms for live stream concerts

A good live stream concert can be dependent on the platform the music artist uses. In addition, you might find that certain platforms work better for some genres than others.

As mentioned before, the social media streaming platforms work well for new and upcoming artists. If you’re a DJ, platforms like Twitch and YouTube are usually the best sources to play to a wider crowd.

If you enjoy watching live streams of classical music, keep an eye out on websites of theatres. The Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London for example, has actively streamed classical music performances. The Metropolitan Opera is another website that hosts live stream concerts and - you guessed it - operas.

Fan of K-Pop? Then you must be aware that VLIVE is the place to go. Labels like SM Entertainment and JYP Entertainment have hosted their Beyond Live’s on there, while BigHit Entertainment artists like BTS host their live stream concerts on WeVerse. There are also collaborations with western streaming platforms - such as Blackpink’s live stream concert that will be hosted on YouTube, via an exclusive membership deal.

Read: Our favorite K-Pop live stream concerts so far

How to find out about live streams?

One way to stay on top of specific artist live stream concerts, is to make sure you follow the artist on their social media. Another tip is subscribing yourself to a newsletter of a venue that you frequent, or a record label that produces music to your liking. There’s also dedicated live stream concert news pages and music websites you can track - all it takes is a simple Google search.

Another tip is to track your favorite artists on Songkick, so you’ll get a notification every time they announce a new show - including virtual concerts. Our free app for iOS or Android also lets you track artists in one tap, connecting with services like Spotify and Facebook.

Upcoming live stream concerts

As the live music scene rebuilds itself, we here at Songkick are crossing our fingers, knocking on wood and doing everything in between until we see the doors of our favorite venues open again. Until that beautiful day comes, we’ve made sure you have everything you need from home to see your favorite artists from their home.