With the major changes going on in the world due to the Corona Virus, many musicians and songwriters are now looking for alternate ways to stay connected with their fans as music venues and festivals cancel are being forced to cancel their shows. This week many performers are looking into "Virtual Concerts" to connect their fans online. If you are one of those performers, you may want to check out the streaming platform Twitch..
Twitch was introduced in 2011 as a gaming platform, but over the years evolved into a general streaming platform for people with all types of interests. The company was acquired by Amazon in 2014 and therefore has a strong corporate backing. Twitch allows streamers with special niches to connect with people with the same common interest. Stream content is broke out into categories ranging from Sports, Games, talk shows, charity/fundraisers, Music and Arts, and many more. After meeting a few requirements to become affiliate, a streamer is able to earn revenue through several methods including subscriptions, donations, and ad revenue. Some streamers have managed to make a full time career online by exclusively by streaming on Twitch. With many musical performers having a strong following, becoming a Twitch affiliate with the support of existing fans would be an easy task. Streaming on Twitch also unlocks the potential to reach a large established community of great people while earning revenue. Using other tools such as Streamspread will allow the streamer to reach even more people through their music websites.While streaming or watching live performances on the internet may not be for everyone, connecting online is a great alternative while being in self-quarantine and can help support local musicians through tips and donations. Twitch provides a solid way to achieve this and has already done so for years.
Be sure to follow WFMC Jams on Twitch to catch live streams featuring performances and interviews from original artists. WFMC Jams is an online internet radio station founded in 2012 with the mission of promoting local and independent artists.