The definitive guide to the top platforms. If you want to watch a live show then Live Music Streaming continues to grow and offer multiple options for audience and performers alike. Every quarter we're going to revisit and update platforms as they continue to evolve.
Who this is for: anyone feeling isolated and wanting to connect with live musicians and their audience while feeling a part of something special. Still hands-down the best experience. What's in it for Audiences:
Ability to connect one-on-one with a musician or band
Connect to other viewers in the chat
Be part of the show via emotes in the stream
Channel update notifications
Directly reward performers you like, celebrate their achievements and be acknowledged for them in real-time
The Good:
Free to use
Strong & supportive community
Twitch is well established and streamers have enough clout and sway to request (and get) changes made to the platform. This makes for a powerful experience.
Solid monetization paths for performers
Well-integrated extensions to maximize viewer engagement. Built on game-streaming success.
The Bad:
The platform not widely known to audiences outside Twitch or gaming
First-time viewers face an overwhelming deluge of channels
Who this is for: generally older audiences & musicians 45-70. Street Jelly began in 2012 as one of the first live streaming platforms for musicians. The founder's intent was to create a virtual busking site.
What's in it for Audiences:
Accessible live music streams with a super easy interface
Less overwhelming musician list than Twitch Music
The Good:
Free to use
Clean, simple interface, immediate connection
Viewers can tip musicians in the stream
Calendar shows which musicians are going to be on
The Bad:
Small window with a simple chat, or large window without any chat
Community is hard to discern and the platform seems out-of-date
Who this is for: anyone familiar with YouTube and musicians wanting to work towards monetizing their streams and videos.
What's in it for Audiences:
Familiar format for understanding live music streaming
The Good:
Free to use
Audiences familiar with YouTube
Musicians can stream live and save videos to YouTube
Monetization path for musicians
The Bad:
Limited discoverability and limited categories relating to music on the front page
Rudimentary chat, emotes & interaction with viewers
Who this is for: Younger audiences and amateur musicians 18-40.
What's in it for Audiences:
Ability to see musicians collaborating or simply find something in the rough
Informal hangout
The Wild West of live music streaming means you might find quirky entertainment
The Good:
Free to use
Musicians can create "Zoom" type live streams for collaborating with other musicians and singers
Low-pressure and can be simply fun & casual
The Bad:
Awkward discoverability and hard to navigate
Rudimentary chat and emotes
A bit rough on the edges. Audio & Video quality is not the best
Who this is for: anyone on Facebook or Instagram
What's in it for Audiences:
See musicians you're following when they go live
The Good:
Free to use
Easy access and well-integrated with Facebook and Instagram
Notification on when musicians you follow go live
Easy for musicians to set up and boost their live streaming event
The Bad:
No discoverability
No community
Chat and emotes are very basic and limited
No direct monetization. Any donations are through 3rd party apps that you have to mention to viewers when streaming, and no interactive incentive for viewers to donate.
Coming Soon:
Who this is for: anyone on Twitter using their Go Live streaming app, and those migrating from Periscope which is closing down March, 2021.
What's in it for Audiences:
See musicians you follow when they stream
The Good:
Ease of use
Potential to have your video reach a wide audience.
The Bad:
No discoverability
No scheduling
Rudimentary chat & emotes
No community
No monetization for musicians
Announced in late 2020 with gradual rollout expected during early-to-mid 2021. At first glance, Bandcamp Live appears to look like current live music streaming platforms and should provide a great way for audiences to support their favorite performer. Following this story.
Professional Streams where performances are scheduled by the platform:
Who this is for: traditional concertgoers & professional musicians and currently specializing in Classical, Jazz & World music with some Rap, Pop and Indie artists.
What's in it for Audiences:
Intimate, more formal front-row live experience
Great way to participate as an audience member
The Good:
High-quality audio & video, professionally produced and promoted
A cozy enough atmosphere that makes viewers feel at home
The Bad:
Distracting conventional concert camera work seems intrusive
Looks & feels like a pre-recorded concert
No community, and artists are not able to link to their social media
Who this is for: traditional concert-goers, music fans & professional musicians.
What's in it for Audiences:
Professional concerts streamed into your home
The Good:
Professional at every step: polished user interface, quality audio experience
The Bad:
Not welcoming to audiences
Not easily accessible. Hoops to jump through before seeing anything
Limited discoverability. No filtering of artist list by genre
No community
Who this is for: traditional concertgoers & established musicians. BandsInTown Basic is more of a portal where musicians announce and promote their live stream shows on other platforms (YouTube, Twitch, Facebook etc). And now BandsInTownPlus offers a $9.99 monthly subscription service for more established acts and bigger names, with a promise of a certain minimum number of live streaming shows per month. What's in it for Audiences:
Familiar look and feel to other online concert experiences
What's in it for Musicians:
Promotion and scheduling
Professional look and feel
Ticketing system.
The Good:
High profile, well-promoted platform
The Bad:
Mostly just connects to Twitch Music Channels, Facebook Live or other streaming platforms
Not welcoming
No community
Noteworthy:
A number of other established streaming platforms exist that are aimed at small & large businesses. These do not cater to Music specifically but are worth exploring for musicians wanting options to give paid live video lessons or webinars and special events.
Who this is for: those wanting a webinar platform that any small business or not-for-profit can use and have an option to charge a fee for viewers to watch
What's in it for Audiences:
An easy way to browse a smaller selection of music channels if you are new to watching live music streaming
A wide range of webinars and live streams covering other topics
The Good:
Connects to Patreon
Control overpricing
High-quality video & sound. Everything you need to set up a live stream
The Bad:
Not well known
Pricing of tickets could turn some audiences away
Musicians have to pay a monthly subscription fee for their channel
Who this is for: anyone familiar with Vimeo. Still a very sparsely populated live music streaming site even though connected to Vimeo
What's in it for Audiences:
An easy way to browse a smaller selection of music channels if you are new to watching live music streaming
A wide range of other webinars and live streams covering other topics
The Good:
Vimeo is well established as a video content site
The Bad:
Sparsely populated with actual live musicians
Platforms on hiatus:
Who this is for: Traditional concert goers & professional musicians but LFH has been hit hard during the pandemic and has gone on hiatus due to funding loss.
What's in it for Audiences:
Professionally managed podcasts, live streams and videos. There's a YouTube channel where videos can be viewed
The Good:
Traditional online concert experience with ticketed access
The Bad:
This platform may not return
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Let us know in the comments or by email if there's a platform that we missed.