Who knows how long pandemic lockdown will last around the world? Some analysts are predicting that we won’t be rid of the virus and see a return to normal for another year or two. Some say that things will never go back to normal. Whether the lockdown last another six months or a few more years, the music industry needs to adapt and change before they lose their audience and their sales.

Obviously, some changes are already taking place. Taylor Swift released an album recently that she nicknamed her quarantine album- Folklore. She’s not the only one. Beyoncé has been working with a format for years now that is perfect for quarantine time, releasing albums digitally, without a lot of marketing or fanfare. She is doing nearly the same thing once more with her new visual album Everything is Love.

This may be the way forward for now. The good news is that the music industry has become mostly digital at this point, with online releases occurring more often than physical album releases. The limited studios space and the limitations of working with a smaller crew due to the virus concerns makes it better for bands and musicians to focus on releasing a song or two at a time rather than a whole album at once. Many musicians have found that this works well for them over the past decade anyway, since a lot of modern musicians are very independent and are working with limited funds and resources.

One of the biggest changes to the industry Is how concerts are managed. Some recent examples have shown the world that it is possible to have a digital concert or an online performance rather than a filled stadium or a sold-out concert hall. Limiting how many people are attending a live event is important right now, and the music industry has already been moving in that direction for years.

Fortnite recently hosted a rap concert live, and it brought in 30 million viewers. This innovative marriage of video games and music performance is just one way that the industry is adapting to find new monetization streams and reaching people in a different way than before.

Stay-at-home orders are affecting numerous industries. Jane from Maid Service Calgary says “House cleaning companies are adapting by offering more disinfectant services”. Food delivery companies are offering contact-less service. The music industry is having to adapt by offering more digital services than before.

Because more people are staying home than ever before, a lot of music consumption is happening through the smart devices and televisions that people have at home. Physical sales of albums and singles are not nearly as prevalent as they were before, and musicians and labels have to adapt to the change and make sure that their product is available digitally as much as possible. Those artists who have stuck to a single platform and relied on physical sales to make up the difference may be expanding to other digital marketplaces soon. That may be the only way they can keep their sales up in an industry that is increasingly splintered.

Read our previous article about the spice girls here: http://goldfieldsmusic.com/2020/04/13/are-the-spice-girls-more-valuable-than-the-beatles/