You’re sitting in the tour bus together, having a blast and trying out some new tunes. A tap of the app, and this impromptu moment goes straight to the web. It’s as easy as opening up a guitar case on the street corner and breaking into song.
This is Busk, the beautifully intuitive, free app from the live webcasting platform Concert Window and launching February 18, 2015. The app will be unveiled at this year’s Folk Alliance in Kansas City, and Concert Window and Concert...
Blue Rock Studios, a full-service recording studio and arts complex in the Hill Country outside of Austin, had been broadcasting live sessions via the web for quite some time. They were constantly tweaking their online shows, improving the sound and camerawork. But they couldn’t seem to find the perfect platform to partner with.
“We’ve been around the world finding a partner,” explains studio owner Billy Crockett. “Then when we found Concert Window, it felt really comfortable. They understood us. What they were doing and wanting to be was a really good match for the things we wanted to do and be. I love the fact they were building an audience, a subscribership.”
Moving to online concerts was a natural step for Blue Rock. Hand-built with field stone and woods from the state, it’s a building that’s beautiful visually as well as acoustically. Artists like Lyle Lovett began documenting their recordings in the studio, bringing in their own video crews. That inspired Blue Rock to develop a video production team, and to hold monthly sessions with its artists in front of a live audience. Recent artists include Irish powerhouse Solas.
“The shows are always packed. For some shows, all the reservations go within minutes,” Crockett notes. “We thought we could broadcast and offer the experience to a wider audience, to the tribes of these artists worldwide, to the ones who could never get here.”
The Blue Rock broadcasts have become a showcase for what Concert Window can do at the high end of the spectrum. “I think people are surprised to find a beautiful setting with multi-cam and studio quality sound.” Crockett observes. “It differentiates us from more on-the-fly stuff. We’re in-studio, full production, High-Definition, and with great sound. It looks like what people see on a professional cable broadcast, and that’s something that might change their expectations and viewing habits.”
The folks at Blue Rock also understand that these days, fans and artists need something more than they’ve had in the past. The fact that Concert Window works so well, so flexibly, and so smoothly has allowed Blue Rock to make ambitious broadcast plans for the future. It will help realize the potential of broadcasting, and strengthen the bond between musicians and fans. They aim to air the entire recording sessions of a major band in their studio.
“It will be rolling 24/7,” Crockett says. “There’ll be a debriefing every morning, and fans will be really involved in the process. It’s going to experimental, but also interesting So many artists are used to sharing as they go. It’s an opportunity for them, precisely because budgets are low for making records. You want to make a great album, but no one’s selling records. You have to find other models. We’re developing the idea of getting fans to fund the project because they are there, in the studio.”
Bluegrass may feel old as the hills, but it’s a relatively recent art form, created after World War II when the legendary Bill Monroe gave a high-voltage jolt to country and traditional music, speeding up the melodies and adding that plaintive lonesome voice over the top. The roots of the music, the songs and tunes that echoed from porches, in kitchens, at dances, were experienced up close and personal, with audience and musicians interacting.
It’s no surprise, then, that the cream of bluegrass will be taking part in the inaugural Concert Window Bluegrass Roundup, running from February 20-28, with concerts aired online from all over the United States.
“A lot of people don’t think that bluegrass fits with new technology,” explains Emma Beaton, Artist Relations Manager for Concert Window. “But bluegrass artists have really embraced new technology, especially online. . We’re very proud to be the first company to ever run an online bluegrass festival, welcoming these artists to the Concert Window Community and the online stage. We’re huge bluegrass fans and are excited to have folks doing shows online.”
Bluegrass legend and former Bill Monroe bandmate, Roland White, will be hosting a “super jam” of Nashville bluegrass all-stars from a studio. Also on the bill are famed singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale, the mandolin duo of Mike Marshall and Caterina Lichtenberg, along with other heavyweights – Nedski and Mojo, Justin Moses with Cody Kilby and Sierra Hull, The Barefoot Movement, Chessboxer, Mipso, Wood and Wire, the Purple Hulls and more. Over the course of nine days they’ll all perform sets from different locations, ranging from a backstage concert area to hotel rooms. Best part? All these shows are pay-what-you-want, available right in your living room.
The platform offers the perfect coming together of artist and audience. Concerts can be broadcast through a laptop or iPhone/iPad, so they can happen absolutely anywhere with a broadband connection. It’s simple, and it’s free. As well as watching the musicians, fans will be able to communicate with them – and with each other – via chat and give virtual ‘tips’ to the performers. It’s a new digital stage for down-home music.
“The timing is just right for a digital bluegrass festival,” Beaton says. “We’ll overlap with the annual Folk Alliance conference at one end, and at the other with Wintergrass in Washington State. People are hungry for the music, and the audience is growing every year.”
This might be their first bluegrass outing, but Concert Window is no stranger to festivals. The platform holds one every month, the theme changing each time.
“We started last May,” Beaton says. “In November we did regional festivals, then December was a holiday theme. Last month we focused on new artists, and coming up is the Concert Window All-Stars, made up of groups of people who regularly perform on Concert Window.”
A digital bluegrass festival. It’s a 21st century idea that brings music to listeners in a wonderfully intimate way. Just like in the good old days.
You’re sitting in the tour bus together, having a blast and trying out some new tunes. A tap of the app, and this impromptu moment goes straight to the web. It’s as easy as opening up a guitar case on the street corner and breaking into song.
This is Busk, the beautifully intuitive, free app from the live webcasting platform Concert Window and launching February 18, 2015. The app will be unveiled at this year’s Folk Alliance in Kansas City, and Concert Window and Concert Window users will be broadcasting via the app as much as possible from the roots-music meet up.
Busk gives artists an easy way to put their world and their music online. Musicians can use their iPad or iPhone to broadcast from anywhere, doing anything, to their fans. A jam on the tour bus becomes a way to whip up excitement for a scheduled web show or in-person performance.The first chords of a brand-new song, a spontaneous outbreak of song around a dinner table all go straight to an artist’s channel on Concert Window, where fans can purchase tickets, comment, leave tips, and interact in the same way they would with a show from a laptop or a streaming-equipped venue.
“We’re always looking for the next way to make something that will help and encourage musicians,” notes Concert Window’s head of artist outreach Emma Beaton. “We heard from artists that they were often making videos on their tablets and phones, so it felt like the right time to make an app.” It is the only music-related app of its kind currently on the market.
The performances may be spontaneous, but the results can startle: They often sound better than a USB mic-powered laptop-based show does. “The mics on many new smartphones are remarkably good at dealing with background noise,” explains Beaton, who road-tested the app by doing everything from strumming guitar to walking down the street to get a cup of coffee. “We tried it out on a variety of instruments, like cello and accordion, and made tweaks accordingly.”
Busk has already sparked some wonderfully wild ideas in Concert Window users eager to expand their broadcasting possibilities. “One of our favorite musicians can’t wait to strap his phone on a helmet and ride into the forest,” says Beaton. “I can’t wait to hear what users do with the app, what they make.”
About Concert Window:
Concert Window is a live music network that enables musicians to broadcast live to fans around the world. Home to Grammy winners, major label artists, and everyone in between, Concert Window is a new revenue source for musicians and offers "the most original content on the Internet." (Rebecca Loebe)
Last year the company paid out hundreds of thousands of dollars to artists, with gross revenues increasing sevenfold in the last 14 months, building the community through word-of-mouth rather than advertising. Concert Window removes many of the logistical uncertainties that plague musicians and allows them to connect with fans anywhere in the world.
Live music is a huge business; in 2014 it brought in a staggering $27 billion. It’s the only part of the music industry that’s enjoyed consistent growth in recent times. But it’s also the only sector that hasn’t made the transition online. Concert Window is changing that, allowing musicians to play concerts anywhere – from a club to an airport baggage claim area to a bedroom – and be paid for it without all the rigors involved in touring. Artists only need a laptop to broadcast the show and are paid the next day.
“Over time,” explains Concert Window co-founder Dan Gurney, “we believe that musicians will make ten times as much on Concert Window as they do at a physical venue.”
Last year the company paid out $400,000 to artists, with gross revenues increasing sevenfold in the last 14 months, building the community through word-of-mouth rather than advertising. The process removes so many of the uncertainties that constantly plague musicians. There’s no need to book shows months in advance, no endless hours of travel and set up. And it allows them to connect with fans who can’t see a show because of distance or disability. People can watch from anywhere in the world.
“We’re making live music more efficient and profitable,” says Gurney. “Musicians can play whatever and whenever they’d like on Concert Window. We have licenses with ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC. After the show the artist receives a recording of the event for non-commercial use. They can also choose their favorite song from the broadcast and the site will create a highlight video.”
Each artist has a dedicated channel on Concert Window. It’s absolutely free; all they need to broadcast is a laptop with a built-in webcam and microphone. And with the new Busk app being released this February, it will be possible to broadcast with an iPhone or iPad, giving absolute flexibility. The artist has the option of making the concert free, allowing viewers to “pay what they want”, or setting a ticket price. Whatever the choice, viewers can watch three minutes before any ticket prompt. Those watching can also use a one-click system to give tips, which can increase artist revenue by up to 100 percent, and artists can offer “tip rewards” – unique items such as signed CDs or handwritten lyric sheets – for sale.
In addition, the medium offers instant feedback, as the artists see audience chat messages on their screens and can reply in real time – and those watching the show can also chat with each other. On Concert Window artists have a direct one-to-one relationship with fans during the show itself; allowing artists to see the internal thoughts of fans in real time. Each show payment contains a full breakdown of earnings, including tips and tip rewards. The artist receives 70 percent of the gross, with the remaining 30 percent going to Concert Window.
“It’s personal, it’s like a hangout,” notes Gurney. “It’s still a performance, but it’s also a conversation.”
And with over 600 shows on Concert Window during December alone, that’s a lot of conversations.