The debate that there isn?t enough of a platform for musicians to showcase their talent or for music lovers to view it, can now begin to subside. Artistaloud.com, an initiative pioneered by Hungama Digital Media Entertainment, held India?s first Live WebCert strictly for a digital audience on June 24. Siddhartha Roy, COO, Hungama Digital Media, explains that Live WebCerts are ?A concert concept where music lovers can listen and view live performances in the comfort of their home, office or anywhere they have good Internet connectivity. There is no live audience at the venue of performance. It is strictly a live online concert and there are no charges for watching it.?
For alternative pop singer, composer and performer Shibani Kashyap, who was the main act at this WebCert, it was a historic moment. ?I felt connected to an infinite space, a larger audience worldwide,? she says. Opening act duo composer team Nakash-Sargam felt like they were the Neil Armstrong of WebCerts. With a total of 10,541 music lovers tuned in the first WebCert live and compounding their support with hundreds of tweets and Facebook likes, the concept garnered the necessary eardrums for the artists and associated brands. ?This is a promotional, brand building exercise and an extension of the ArtistAloud platform to help promote artists,? says Roy. ?Some of the sponsors who supported the WebCert are BPCL, Furtados, Xtreme Sports Bar and Radio One. For Artist-Aloud.com, the WebCert is an extension of the platform, which is dedicated to independent artists and their fans,? he adds.
So how did the WebCert reach its audience? To begin with, the online campaign ran for two weeks prior to the WebCert, to guarantee sufficient recall and the desired number of attendees for the live event. Promotions were done using the Hungama Network and social networking sites, including Facebook, and a separate micropage dedicated to the concert. ?A large part of our marketing spends were on the digital platform, including social media, considering that our audience exists on these platforms,? says Roy.
On the technical side, the WebCerts are available only in the non-HD format, which is easier to stream. A higher speed would ensure practically seamless streaming. ?As far as India is concerned, I am sure that with the growth in Internet penetration and the growing love for varied music, people will love the idea. My worry is the prevalent technology infrastructure becoming a deterrent due to relatively lower video streaming speeds,? expresses Rahul Ram from the contemporary fusion music band Indian Ocean.
But no matter that it isn?t in HD or that users may not have high speed connections, Roy ensures that they will provide the very best quality in streaming. ?With device manufacturers producing smarter phones with better streaming ability and the advent of 3G in India, we will very soon be able to roll out our Webcerts from just the Internet and onto the mobile platform as well. We can be ready to roll this out in 45 to 60 days,? points out Roy.
The live concert scene in India has been stirring up quite a brew with a proliferation of artists but not always enough of a platform to showcase available talent or for viewers to catch it all. The WebCert is looking to take things a step forward. ?Now, fans who cannot make it to each and every live concert by their favourite bands and artists, have the option of streaming this concert as it happens from a location they are at with internet connectivity,? enthuses Roy. ?Artists now have the option of reaching out to a wider audience; more that any single concert venue can hold.? Neysa Mendes, artist manager and indie music entrepreneur, is of the view that a WebCert won’t really ‘change’ a scene as much as it would ‘supplement’ it. ?There is really no comparison between watching something live on the web and being able to catch it live at the actual gig. However, it’s a great way to take your music to new audiences, to places and people that are not able to make it to the gig or are in countries that you haven’t toured to yet.?
?The digital media is the future. The webcert is a great idea and can be huge,? believes Anita Varma, associate vice-president, programming, of the new music and comedy channel Mastiii. ?We have many musicians, aspiring and established, who will now have a bigger platform. A WebCert can very well turn into a global phenomenon and make a difference in truly bringing live acts to the forefront.?
While internationally such events take place sporadically, this first-of-a-kind, state-of-the-art WebCert in India was free and meant specifically for digital viewing. The next WebCert is scheduled for July 28 with rock band Parikrama and Rishabh Srivastava, a 21-year-old Classic Indi Pop artist and some interesting elements will be added to each successive WebCert.