Music is Going Social

RPM's Digital Production Executive, Amir Lodge, explores the ways in which live performance continues to integrate with online to create a broader and more dynamic music experience...

In June 2012, as part of the American Express Upstaged tour, country music star Kenny Chesney performed in New Jersey, New York in front of 20,000 people.The performance was streamed live on video content providers YouTube and Vevo and promoted across various social media channels. What stood out from the average concert, was that, not only did Chesney focus on the fan base who turned up to hear him melt their hearts, but he also concentrated on his online fan base.

American Express tweeted that whoever watched the performance online would unlock an extra encore song. During his performance, Chesney checked with the Community Manager to see if there was a good level of online response and, when he got the go ahead, Chesney performed the song followed by an additional nine songs.

Similarly back in April, music virtuoso Jack White teamed up with actor and director Gary Oldman to create an interactive live streamed concert that consisted of 13 cameras around the concert hall. These enabled fans to watch the concert online and on their mobile devices. Those who watched the concert online were also involved in numerous tasks, one of which included piecing together photos of fans to form a photo of Jack White taken by Oldman.

These are just a few interesting examples of how bands and musicians are engaging fans through various digital channels. They are extending their reach to fans globally, creating stronger ties and increasing engagement in the latest technologies.