The Chat Room: How music industry insiders coped with COVID-19?
Updated 18:19, 21-Aug-2020
Cao Qingqing

The music industry has been significantly affected by COVID-19, with major festivals, live shows, and tours all over the world postponed or canceled. Musicians have been adapting to live-streaming shows, and concert promoters and event organizers alike are struggling to take stock of their losses and figure out their next steps in the midst of such uncertainty. So how are they coping with the changes?

In the latest episode of CGTN's new live-streaming program "The Chat Room" aired on Thursday, music industry insiders from the UK, France, the Netherlands, the U.S., and China have shared their thoughts on the repercussions and gains from the coronavirus pandemic.

Live: Music can't be stopped by COVID-19, so what's next for it?

Musicians from different countries participate in the "The Chat Room." /CGTN

Musicians from different countries participate in the "The Chat Room." /CGTN

'It unlocks different feelings within you'

Although the music business has been impacted by the pandemic, the guests have seen a silver lining to a dark cloud – new inspirations.

French musician Laurent Lettree said that the lockdown has inspired them to do some creative things in presenting music. "When you do live-streaming via various platforms, you can add some new elements to the performance, the kind of additions you cannot have in a public live show." he said.

His remarks were echoed by Ward Van Der Harst, a Dutch DJ & Producer. He said his band was also trying to come up with new ways to present music, such as using computer to simulate a cool environment during a live-streaming show.

Ward Van Der Harst (L), a Dutch DJ and producer, performs with his band during a live-streaming show. /CGTN

Ward Van Der Harst (L), a Dutch DJ and producer, performs with his band during a live-streaming show. /CGTN

He added that this is the first time that he actually has time to experience a bit of normal life, like being in a place for more than a week, doing groceries, spending time with his families, which he's grateful for.

David W. Kay, a British musician, songwriter and producer, said the situation has been very inspiring for songwriters. "It unlocks different feelings within you, because you are exposed to new experiences," he pointed out.  

05:06

Online vs Offline

As COVID-19 has been put under control in some places, regular offline music shows are coming back in many cities. Will online performance continue to be popular? The guests had different views.

Mu Fangzhou, a Chinese radio presenter of a music program, is a strong supporter of offline performance. He said a live-streaming show isn't a real concert because of the lack of the authentic atmosphere, and people have been hesitating to do that before the pandemic.

Host of "The Chat Room," Zou Yun (L) and Mu Fangzhou (R), a radio presenter and DJ, in the studio in Beijing. /CGTN

Host of "The Chat Room," Zou Yun (L) and Mu Fangzhou (R), a radio presenter and DJ, in the studio in Beijing. /CGTN

A.J., a music show organizer and promoter, also disliked live-streaming shows. He said people have spent too much time in front of computers.  

But David believes live-streaming show is a trend that has been undervalued, as it's an emerging way how people consume music. "This trend might happen in 10 to 20 years. The pandemic just accelerated the evolution," he said.

Skinny O.G., an American singer and the founder of Black China Music Company, said he liked live-streaming shows because they allowed the music to reach many more people than the offline shows, which he never realized before.

Ward agrees with that, saying he enjoys doing live-streaming because it's something different than what he was used to. "At one point on Twitch (a leading live-streaming platform), we had 35,000 viewers. We cannot do it in a regular show," he noted.  

But he added that the energy performers can get from a live audience during a regular show is something they can never get from anything else. 

02:43

Music allowed people to escape lockdown stress 

Music has always been a matter of energy for many people, which helps release the stress and pain and soothe the mind and soul, especially during a difficult time like the pandemic.

Asked about the role of music for people during the pandemic, Laurent said "it takes them to another planet and makes them feel very free and relaxed.”

"When people are under lockdown, they appreciate our live-streams, because it's a window for dreams and escapes," he said.  

But what impressed him the most was the first live show he and his wife participated in Rennes in the east of Brittany in northwestern France after two months of lockdown on June 22, which was the first day since the outbreak that gatherings of smaller scale with less than 500 people were authorized in France. 

"People went crazy. They were jumping around everywhere. After the show, they were like running to us and hugging us, and saying so much thank you, this is exactly what we need after the lockdown," he said with pride and excitement.  

Skinny O.G. shares the same view. He said that as soon as the COVID-19 hit, many musicians, including himself, started to write songs about the pandemic, songs of encouragement and hope to help people get through it. There have been hundreds of such songs coming out around February and March.

He has also been invited to perform the songs, which were all live-streamed online and got a lot of passionate feedback from the viewers. Many said they really appreciated the comforting songs as they did make them feel better.