What to look forward to in 2025
If you only looked at the top touring acts, you could be forgiven in thinking the state of live music is robust and well-off.
Unfortunately several significant acts had to cancel their tours - or punt on America and keep their European legs - and several festivals kicked the can to 2025.
What will 2025 bring? Some more difficulties, but also some exciting developments.
Some predictions for 2025.
- Netflix (and other streamers) will get more into the live music streaming business.
Netflix has made significant investments in live sports and live comedy, is live music far behind? I could see them try to partner with Coachella or other festivals. I know they already stream on YouTube, but Netflix could bring more pomp and exposure to the experience. Could Netflix serve as a tour sponsor for a big artist and livestream several (or all) of their shows?
- The year of Yondr (and similar technologies).
More and more artists beyond the likes of Jack White will embrace technologies that prohibit fan photography or prevent other mobile distractions. I can imagine how dispiriting it is to look upon a sea of fans recording a video and half paying attention to that very moment. While it may be flattering that so many fans want a memento of the experience, they're not getting stuck into the actual moment in front of them, which is the point of going to the concert in the first place!
- Hard times continue for tours and venues
It will remain a brutal business for all involved. Bands will struggle to sell as many tickets as they believe they should. Venues will fail to reach capacity for established artists they were certain would deliver. I think we're still in the midst of a transformation, but we don't know what will shake out and where. Hang tight.
- A legacy act will cancel a tour
There are several "legacy acts" going on tour this year: Heart, Kraftwerk, Disturbed, AC/DC, Metallica. One of them will not finish what they started.* Call it nostalgia overload, call it a misalignment on expectations versus demand, call it what you like, it will happen to someone.
I would put the Eagles on this list, but they're playing the Sphere, and that sort of thing has its own audience baked in.
- Private equity will continue poking around
While buying musicians' catalogues tends to get more press, private equity firms have also put considerable funds behind live music assets. That will continue in 2025.
- Festival retrenchment
Already festivals are getting ahead of it - less is more. Fewer days, smaller bills, lower ticket projections. We hit peak concert in the run away from COVID and inflation isn't helping. Things will level out a bit, and we can get back to stability shortly.
- Merchandise explosions
Taylor Swift - forever trailblazer. True, there are maybe 5 acts in the world that could attempt to do what Taylor Swift did - which was having merchandise sales start in the city she was performing the day before her actual show. But with her concert movie and tour book launching while the tour was still live - and her grossing god-tier amounts on an incredible variety of merch, hopefully more bands will get a bit more forward-thinking in what they bring to sell.
- The standard concert format remains
It is a bit crazy to me how the overwhelming majority of bands follow a very specific template established before many of them were born.
- DJ plays adjacent music until the lights dim or shut off quickly
- Prerecorded song walks them out
- Launch into a high-tempo hit
- Play a set set list of songs with pauses in between and a spot of banter
- Encore
- Encore
- Lights
I am not so bold to say I have a better way of doing it, but I'm also not the band that has to go out and do that 100 days a year. Let's shake things up people.
- You will be hearing a lot from me
I have a lot of plans for this publication and I'm very excited for those of you who have signed up and encouraged others to. The last few weeks were trial periods, but I have some exciting interviews lined up and ideas for more in-depth pieces. Thank you for reading.