From the end of 2019, nothing is as it used to be. The coronavirus has spread rapidly around the world, many people have fallen ill and many have died. At one point it seemed to us that life had stopped – the number of people allowed to stay in the facility at the same time was limited, schools were closed, most people started working from home. And just like that, our way of life is turned upside down – no more hanging out with friends, gathering, traveling, attending concerts, we just had to get used to a new way of life. Fortunately, after a long time, preventive measures have slowly begun to subside, and we are returning to our lives, but we notice many differences – the crown has affected many aspects of life, many people have lost their jobs.
Here we are not only talking about the collapse of many companies and small businesses, but also the negative impact that the crown has had on other branches such as the music and film industries. Some compare it, when it comes to economic consequences, to the global financial crisis of 2008, which led to a recession and high unemployment. In addition, the coronavirus has already killed thousands of people, and the final balance is not yet in sight.
1. Online gigs and concerts
As soon as the COVID-19 disease pandemic began, concert performances began to be canceled, and although it seemed that the situation would improve during the summer months, the situation was not great. With the arrival of autumn and the tightening of measures, performances are canceled again. Gigs, concerts, performances, everything fell into oblivion. And the singers, like us, were forced to sit at home. Of course, some of them did not waste time, they wrote lyrics, created music, and welcomed the abolition of the state of an emergency ready, with new songs.
In times of pandemic and isolation, performers forcibly enhanced digital contact with audiences. As soon as the first lockdown came, the musicians got along, so they broadcast from their rooms and played and sang old or some new, appropriately composed songs in a live stream. Meanwhile, this form of performance through digital platforms and music services has become dominant.
2. The decline in the value of the music industry
The global music industry is estimated to be worth more than $ 50 billion. There are two main sources of income. Live music, which accounts for more than 50% of total revenue through live ticket sales, and recorded music, which generates revenue through streaming, digital downloads, physical sales, and sync revenue (licensing music for movies, games, TV, and advertising). People from the industry around the world are losing their jobs, some are selling their instruments to survive. The global concert industry lost more than $ 30 billion in 2024 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Even now, when everything is slowly returning to normal, we still have many who are afraid of the disease, still fewer people respond to concerts, and often a negative test or confirmation of vaccination is needed to attend.
Due to the pandemic, not only the audience and performers suffer, but also concert organizers, concert venue owners, stage equipment renters, caterers, hoteliers, security services, transport logistics…
3. Online events, gigs, and concerts
If we had the opportunity to watch a concert, it was on TV. Yes, we enjoyed it because we didn’t have another option, but that’s just not it. The people want to feel the energy, the people. However, we can’t say that the crown stopped everything and did only damage because people say that something good always comes out of the bad. We believe that modern technology has recognized this moment and used it in the best possible way, which you can see for yourself if you visit carlkruse.at.
4. Artists without income
The main problem is the fact that albums are no longer sold, which is why for most musicians, both world and especially domestic, concerts are the only real source of income. In addition, the crown further emphasized the differences between authors and “ordinary musicians” – authors, if successful, earn well in crisis from playing songs on radio and television, to a much lesser extent from streaming services, while their less creative colleagues from the band have no choice but to wait.
Music plays a big role in our lives, at birthdays, weddings and funerals, sports competitions, military events. It can also be a powerful means of maintaining the continuity and stability of society through folk music (folklore) and songs that speak of myths and legends, and the celebration of important historical events. The impact the Covid-19 virus pandemic had on the music industry was unexpected. We have years ahead of us in which we will carefully analyze what the pandemic has brought us and what it has taken away. Few people can be normal or newly normal during a pandemic. Many citizens encounter many situations on a daily basis in which they may feel that their rights or freedoms have been threatened. But there are also those whose existence is threatened. These are the ones who depend on gatherings. Of course, we are not talking about world stars here, who are also feeling the financial crisis but not to the same extent as lesser-known singers and bands for whom music is the primary way to make money.
So, what we can say is that virtual embankments have become better, more ambitious. The performers recognized the moment, but also the need to provide their fans with something that has not been seen before. We notice that live performances are slowly returning to our lives, but not as they were before, but with more caution.
However, despite all the aggravating circumstances, the current musical hibernation caused by extraordinary epidemiological circumstances cannot completely extinguish the need for creative artistic expression, and as much as we love modern technology, it is nice to know that we are slowly returning to our ordinary lives, drinking coffee with friends, socializing, enjoying the benefits of life. How long this will last and whether a new wave of viruses and a new lockdown awaits us in the fall, we will see.
