Article by: Angelo Maffei
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With clubs and venues currently shut down, many music lovers have felt a large void for live shows, exacerbated by the difficulty of the global pandemic. Luckily, the music industry has pivoted quickly to fill that void with a rapidly growing source of music pumped into your home, via live streams.
These streams range from individual producers spinning impromptu sets and engaging with viewers, to large organizations such as Insomniac and Beatport, hosting marathon multi-day virtual festivals. Many of the streams feature amazing visuals and big-name main stage talent, while others have more simple production from makeshift home studios. One may even recognize a recent DJ phenomena known as Plamp, which refers to decorating specifically with plants and lava lamps.
Regardless of the level of production, these streams are widely available for free right on your TV, computer, smartphone, or web browsing device. These virtual events have gone from rare occurrences to dozens of quality streams every day, showing the strength of the EDM community in the face of adversity. With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting our ability to go out and socialize while listening to the music that we love, live streams have become an amazing asset to people who may be struggling in more ways than just a lack of live music.
One huge benefit realized from the reality of live streaming is the ability to conduct fundraising. The Digital Mirage Festival, a joint production of YouTube channel Proximity, event curators Brownies and Lemonade, and management company Keel, streamed the first weekend of April and raised over $300,000 for the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, which provides support for music industry professionals struggling in the face of COVID-19. As many have realized, the entertainment industry has been one of the hardest hit; clubs and venues were the first to close and will likely be one of the last to reopen.
For more music streams benefiting charities, we recommend the Dreamworld Festival starting May 1st supporting the Heart Water Foundation, and our very own ORBIT Virtual Experience Benefiting Feeding America on May 8th. Rest assured that both events will be loaded with awesome artists! Beyond that, check out Twitch or Mixcloud for more access to the fresh tunes of your favorite artists available 24/7 around the world. Our best advice to stay on top of all the different streams: go follow artists’ social media accounts to get notifications when they go live.
With a wave of EDM live streams crashing down all over the web, there’s sure to be a stream to scratch that musical itch. But even more importantly, by staying safe at home, the EDM community is helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19, allowing us all to get back to the live music events we know and love sooner than later.
And before you go, if you would like to help our effort to support the Feeding America COVID-19 Fund, you can do so by using the link below which ties directly to the ORBIT Virtual Experience.
