Live Music Video Streaming Equals More Updates

Web-based music company Brite Entertainment is launching a subscription based music site, briterevolution.com, that charges users $5 a month to have free access to independent songwriters and emerging bands new material. The service doesn’t differ greatly from what is already available online, but what sparked my interest was the fact that users are guaranteed a certain amount of original material each month from every artist featured on the site.

That means that the company expects artists to produce a steady stream of content over time. The more a musician releases, the better, and a monthly or possibly weekly release of new music is the direction the industry will take. Not only that, but live streaming is becoming popular in other mediums, and the music community might be able to learn a trick or two from other forms of online entertainment.

Gaming and comics migrated online very quickly during the initial internet explosion. Game consumers, for obvious reasons, get most of their entertainment, updates and news on the internet, and now with gaming consoles (Wii, PS3, XBox360) as well as PCs connected to the web, it’s safe to say that the internet community as a whole is heavily populated with gamers. Newspapers stopped publishing new comic strips well before the onset of internet, and comic artists were quick to develop followings online. In fact, video game related web comics are some of the most popular sites today.

With faster internet connections, it has been possible to stream in real time the actual creation of a comic, from start to finish, using services like UStream to create something similar to a personal TV station on the web. I’ve watched the making of Penny Arcade in real time on several occasions (just follow Gabe, and watch for announcements), and even though the process wasn’t the most exciting, the possibilities for live music became apparent. Viewers even have a chat room where they can ask the artist questions and argue amongst themselves.

If we consider the fast-paced mechanisms of Twitter and the ever more instant updates that are demanded by fans, it makes sense that musicians are pressured to release music more quickly and with less time between releases. With live streaming, a band can essentially broadcast a rehearsal, or even a live performance, and fans across the globe can watch in real time. Given the rising cost of concert tickets, and frequent lack of proximity, I think many people would be happy to watch a live performances online, if it had decent sound quality.

Beatminerz radio is already doing this, and has a steady following. What are the financial possibilities of this kind of broadcast? Sure, the experience could never compare to the real thing, but it would provide fans with their much desired updates and new music. Would you watch a live concert or a creative session online?

Image via doobybrain.com