By: Katrina Topacio
The music industry has been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with many music events, including festivals and tours all over the world postponed or cancelled. Artists, labels and producers have been shifting to online performances through live-streaming shows via Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms in place of the live concert experience. Many companies worldwide had to reduce budgets by laying off staff. (Manila Standard, 2020)
Organizations from across the global music sector have come up with a variety of initiatives to help combat the effects of the pandemic on the music industry. Recently, the Grammy Museum, a nonprofit organization dedicated to cultivating a greater understanding of the history and significance of music, launches its streaming service called COLLECTIVE: live through The Recording Academy. Proceeds will benefit the Grammy Museum’s music education initiatives and help keep its mission of celebrating their musical heritage during the closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
COLLECTION: live includes programs featuring newly produced exclusive performances, interviews, livestreams and special releases from the Museum archive weekly with a monthly subscription of $2.99 or a yearly subscription of 29.99. Proceeds will benefit the Museum’s education initiatives and help keep the Museum’s mission alive while the physical location remains closed.
This streaming service was launched in September and it included an interview of Billie Eilish and her brother, the producer Finneas. The composer and record producer Hans Zimmer joined the program to discuss the making of their original song “No Time to Die’ written for the upcoming James Bond motion Picture. Never before seen interviews and performances by Selena Gomez, The Avett Brothers, Run the Jewels, Glass Animals, and more were also released on that day.