COVID-19 has been one of the most impactful events in many musicians’ lifetimes. Most professional musicians have taken the number of performances from hundreds per year to literally almost zero.
There is no doubt that the music industry as we know it is changing forever. However, while some things fade and wither under such stress, music has continued to thrive and grow in the face of this adversity.
The music industry used to thrive off of live performances and crowded venues. Now, things look much differently. Bars are much less crowded, venues only fill to half capacity, and even ticket sales and shows have been refunded for an unforeseen future.
Despite the appearance, however, new signs of life have begun to appear all over the internet. Live-streamed concerts from artists’ homes, new albums released explicitly due to extra time in the studio, and even an increase in streaming across the board has greatly helped shift the impact of COVID.
With the change of how people are enjoying music must come the change of how technology hosts this music as well. The technology that so many of us take for granted has come along leaps and bounds since there has been a lack of physical gatherings. Streaming services have optimized and increased their options. Online and virtual platforms across the board are seeing growth that has never been seen before!
However, it is hard to ignore the diversity it has thrust into professional playing orchestras, school programs, or even the business that comes with music venues. Most professional orchestras throughout the world had to shut down for an extended time frame.
This put many professional musicians out of their jobs, some losing their benefits in the process. The virus’s effects have impacted artists and the music industry more than anyone could have ever foreseen.
What does the future look like? Right now, we’re seeing the decline of an old tradition, the birth of brand new musical platforms, and the invigoration of a new spirit into an older system. The future of what music itself is changing and spreading.
COVID-19 has impacted the scene greatly, and yet we choose not to be upset at where it’s pushed us, but instead proud of what we’ve managed to accomplish in the face of it.