According to Comscore’s 2022 State of Streaming analysis, which examines the current state of streaming adoption and growth trends, households watched an average of 5.4 streaming services per month and that number continues to rise. So, how does the orchestra world try to keep up with this growing market?
A Joint Problem
Many orchestras have tried to set up their own streaming service or their own YouTube channel. Some have found pockets of success through this, but there are two problems:
- Success doesn’t translate to the global symphony ecosystem.
- The revenue streams are small and growth is hard.
There are several video streaming services that focus on classical music more broadly. Think about Medici.tv – where you can find orchestral music as well as opera, ballet, and jazz – or MarqueeTV – which focuses strongly on the performing arts and has only a little orchestral music. A third problem could be formulated: these services are not for orchestras, almost in a similar way that YouTube isn’t.
A Solution
In 2020, two Dutch men, Rob Overman and Henk Bout, came together to think about a new platform for orchestral music specifically for orchestras. Their mission? To create the destination for symphony orchestras and the people who love this music. They took a cue from the sports world and imagined a platform where all these amazing orchestra brands were together, similar to how all those famous brands in sports attract people to apps like DAZN or ESPN. They gathered a group of investors and a team and started building Symphony.live.
Symphony.live is a technically proficient platform running across nine apps, from the web to the Apple App Store and from Roku to Android. Moreover, there are already several fantastic orchestras represented on the platform. The start of the family is there, but it could be much broader and more inclusive. Under the guidance of the new co-CEOs Jeroen van Egmond and Maarten Walraven, Symphony.live is actively looking for more orchestras to join the family, to bring their videos and with it their music and their stories to a global stage and audience.
Orchestra fans can explore this platform by visiting Symphony.live and entering their email address for a free trial. If you are interested in having your own orchestra join this family and take advantage of everything that Symphony.live offers, instead of building it yourself, you can contact Symphony.live directly by reaching out to Jeroen and Maarten for more information.
In Conclusion: Why Video?
Video is one of the most compelling strategies when it comes to digital. It can feel as if everything we touch online is video nowadays. How to incorporate this into your digital strategy as an orchestra? There are compelling reasons, such as the global reach that video can offer through various channels. Moreover, using video lets us think differently about the artistic expression of the music and the way people engage with it. There will never be a substitute for the live experience in our concert halls, but Symphony.live has created a common digital strategy, centered around video, that will attract new audiences while also preserving the classical music heritage.
