This is a pretty cool development! Michael Connolly at Empty Sea Studios in Seattle (www.emptysea.com) has developed a live webcast program for some of their upcoming folk/roots/acoustic concerts. It’s a great way to see a show you might otherwise miss because you don’t live in Seattle, and it’s a really cool idea for artists and venues. I think the Freight & Salvage does this too, but Michael’s got multiple cameras and camera angles running, plus HD video. He debuted the series with Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls, which was really successful. The “chat interface” which let internet audience members “talk” during the concert is a totally fascinating idea.
As Michael explains: “Having spent a good part of 2010 and 2011 touring on the road with Coyote Grace, I strongly believe that live webcasting of concerts, if done well and priced fairly, will go a long way towards creating sustainable careers for professional musicians. We’ve got new webcasts being confirmed on a near-daily basis, and in the future we’re planning on offering workshops and masterclasses as well.”
Check out this wonderful song, “Monster,” from Portland, ME folk singer Connor Garvey, which showcases the video capabilities of Empty Sea Studios.
Anyone else doing webcasts like this? It seems like a wonderful new business opportunity for venues (though also a lot of work!).
Here’s a list of upcoming Empty Sea Studios concerts that will be webcast:
March 17th: Brittany Haas & Lauren Rioux
March 18th: Rita Hosking & Cousin Jack
April 6th: Chimney Choir and Huck Notari
April 14th: Eli Rosenblatt & Correo Aereo
April 27th: Julia Massey
Press Release:
Seattle’s Empty Sea Studios Delivers Live Concerts To Your Home Via the Web
www.emptysea.com
Though one of Seattle’s smallest music venues, Empty Sea Studios has built an unmatched reputation in the past three years for uncompromising sound, a lineup of national and international artists, and a music-focused experience. It’s no wonder that most shows sell out the venue’s 40-seat capacity. Over the past few years, the studio has attracted artists from a number of different genres including Kelly Joe Phelps, Mirah, John Doyle (Solas), and multiple Grammy winners such as Mike Compton, David Grier, and the Indigo Girl’s Amy Ray.
Now, Empty Sea’s unique concert experience is accessible to a much larger audience. Starting March 10th, the studio will webcast the majority of its concerts live in multi-camera HD video and CD quality audio. Anyone with a computer and a broadband connection will be able to tune in from around the world, enjoying the venue’s concert programming either live or on-demand.
“To my knowledge, we are the nation’s third music venue to offering regular webcasts which are multi-camera (a key element for retaining viewer interest) and with a dedicated sound engineer,” says studio owner Michael Connolly. The first two were the Met in New York and the new 2,500 seat home of Austin City
Limits.
“My goal is for our broadcasts to ‘over-deliver’ when it comes to video and audio quality,” reports studio owner Michael Connolly. “That’s what we’ve done with our in-person concert experience, and it’s earned us a serious reputation with artists and listeners. We’ve hired a seasoned video crew with years of live broadcast television experience to create the equivalent of a concert film in real-time.”
“High-quality webcasting for concerts isn’t just about increasing our venue’s capacity,” says Connolly. “There’s a huge potential for working musicians to reach a much broader audience than they could on the road. I believe the 120 online viewers we saw for our pilot show is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s not difficult to imagine exposing some of our wonderful artists to a global audience in the thousands per show, if not more. That represents a major shift in the opportunities available to an independent artist.”
For $4.99, web viewers can purchase access to a single two-hour concert,
either live or on-demand for viewing at their convenience. An $8.99 monthly
subscription gains access to all scheduled live shows, plus a growing archive
of on-demand content.
Click HERE to sign up or learn more:
This post originally appeared on the Hearth Music Blog. Check out our website and roam through our blog and Online Listening Lounge to discover your next favorite artist! We’re dedicated to presenting today’s best Roots/Americana/World musicians.
NOTE: I’ve worked with Michael and Coyote Grace as a publicist before and have produced some great concerts at Empty Sea. I’m not currently working to promote Empty Sea TV in any way, just sharing something I find interesting and important.
