Artists Switched to the Virtual World to Hang onto Fans During the Pandemic

by Lim Sau Ting

BATU PAHAT, 28 FEB - Cooped up like many of us, musicians, actors and artists types desperate to hang on their fans, are turning to the virtual world. 

For much of 2020, the concerts and live shows were absent due to the Covid-19 pandemic. They were either postponed or cancelled because of the prohibition on mass gatherings.

Malaysian Artist Namewee's Live Concert in Taiwan in Sep 2020 - picture provided by Yee

Although it is a fact that music shows and events are not included as the basic needs of human. It is still a subject that worth our attention, as the people that work for the entertainment industry are now at risk, particularly the ones that are not international artists that have a group of faithful fans to support them. The dancers, backup vocalists and the crew behind the scenes of the shows are jobless. 

Therefore, the entertainment companies, as well as the artists, come up with another way to engage their fans and to sustain themselves, by holding virtual concerts.  

The concept of virtual concert is not something new, in fact, it has been around for years. The artists used to stream their live concerts to allow more audiences to take part in the sessions. 

In the year 2020, there were many free virtual concerts participated by a number of international artists to encourage people to stay at home. On New Year’s Eve, 31st of December 2020, Justin Bieber teaming up with T-Mobile, has held his first-ever live show in the last three years, after the 2017 Purpose World Tour.

Is the surge of virtual concerts here to stay? What are the challenges?

The experience of participating in a virtual concert is significantly different from participating in a physical concert. The former could not imagine how exciting the latter is. The excitement and thrills of being in a stadium with thousands of people who love the same idol itself is a spectacular experience, nothing can replace it.

Moreover, streaming a live performance can be a tough job as there are too many unforeseen factors that can ruin the audience’s experience.  

First of all, to deliver high-quality audio and visuals requires a certain level of live streaming equipment. This is often an issue for some small size entertainment companies or freelancers, as they will have to compromise or they could not afford it unless they are recognized by the sponsors. 

Ng, 30,  a former 24 festive drums performer said that sponsorship is one of the key elements to host a successful show.

Ng performing in a live show (the third one from the right)

Second, the viewing experience is good or bad really depends on the internet connectivity of the end-user. This issue is particularly prominent when one is watching a live stream on social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram. With millions or even billions of people in the room at the same time, the site might collapse due to the overwhelming response and traffic. Apart from that, it is totally unpleasant when facing circumstances where the visuals do not match the audio, or the line keeps breaking when watching a show.

Yee has participated in a virtual music concert held by a popular Taiwanese singer, Waawei in the September of 2020.

‘Being a part of the virtual concert is a fascinating experience for me’

‘It was not like the normal concerts that used to be conducted in a stadium, but was in a library-like environment, which is refreshing. Overall, I enjoyed the show very much,’ 

‘In my opinion, I like the physical concert better, however, due to the current situation, switching to virtual concerts should be encouraged to avoid the spread of the Coronavirus,’ says Yee, a Malaysian that currently staying in Taiwan. 

Is it worth paying for?

Recently, Blackpink, one of the most famous K-pop group around the globe, has put on their very first online paid concert titled ‘The Show’. There were two types of entry tickets differentiated by price, RM120 for a standard ticket and RM160 for a plus ticket.

The privileges of the plus tickets included the rebroadcast perks, exclusive behind-the-scenes clips, special emojis, and the loyalty badge that will appear next to the user’s name in the comment section.

The exclusive content for a Blackpink's "The Show" plus ticket holder is displayed on a mobile phone - picture provided by Lim

‘I have watched the Blackpink’s paid virtual concert on 31st of February this year, the stage lighting and setup of the show were awesome, there were three different stages designated for each performance in a spacious venue, and I can see that the team was very dedicated to the show,’ Lim, a high school graduate told the reporter.

‘The exclusive benefits that I have got for the plus tickets were not as worth the extra money that I have paid, the rebroadcast of the concert were only available for two days after the live stream, and on the scheduled hour only. And the behind-the-scenes videos were only a few minutes long ’, Lim added.

She also said that the standard ticket would be a wiser choice for a student like her.

‘Yes, I am willing to spend money on a virtual concert in the future because it is the least I can do to support my idol as a fan during the pandemic’, Jiawen, a college student answered. 

She also mentioned that the price range she can accept for a virtual concert would be around a hundred ringgit.

On the other hand, Zhang, an international student from China told the reporter that she has never been to a virtual concert, but she will give it a try in the future. 

‘If it is for a physical concert, held by a superstar that I like, I am willing to pay for a ticket for physical concerts with a price below RMB3,000 (RM1,878.57),’ Zhang added.

The technologies adopted for live streaming need to be improved in order to persuade more Malaysian to join the line and to increase their willingness to pay for virtual concerts. 

It is believed that with the support of advanced technologies like Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), the industry can accomplish something greater.