The Hybrid Concert

The future of live isn’t physical or digital. It’s both.

Last weekend I went to a virtual dining experience from Infinite Table that took us to Oaxaca. The food was flown in, the local music played on surround screens, and we watched the meal and the mezcal being made before we ate. I ate grasshoppers. It made me want to go to Oaxaca even more.

This weekend I’m headed to Mexico City, and I can’t wait for the real thing. As Marvin Gaye said, “Ain’t nothing like the real thing, baby.”

But there’s something really interesting happening in the space between the real thing and the virtual one.

David Byrne’s latest show was my favorite of his, largely because of how he used massive screens to tell the story. ABBA Voyage in London was mind-blowing. And now Unit1 is experimenting with technology that retrofits avatar concerts onto existing stages, potentially at a fraction of the cost of Voyage. TheFutureParty put it well last week: “It’s only a matter of time before real artists are regularly collaborating with avatars on stage.”

I think the idea is bigger than avatars. We’ve spent years asking whether entertainment’s future is physical or digital. That’s the wrong question. The future is both.

I’m calling it The Hybrid Concert.

Human performers + digital characters + live music + physical production
= a new kind of concert.

Real artists interact with digital characters. Screens become part of the story. Physical sets collide with virtual worlds.

It also makes the show bigger commercially. A larger world around a live show gives fans and brands more ways in: licensing, brand partnerships, merchandise, collectibles, content, fan experiences and live streaming. All of these let the experience live beyond the venue.

The Sphere is a good proof point. Last year about 1.7 million people bought tickets and it grossed $379 million, according to Pollstar, making it the highest-grossing entertainment venue in the world. People don’t just want a show anymore. They want an experience.

Technology doesn’t replace the humanity that makes live special. Done well, it makes the experience bigger, more immersive and more valuable.

Two questions for you:

1. What’s the best hybrid show you’ve seen, and what would you change?

2. If you were a brand, what would you want to do with a Hybrid Concert?

Hit reply and tell me.

Musically yours, 

BTS Superstar V Becomes a Global Brand Ambassador for Nothing Headphones (The Hollywood Reporter)
Music's biggest names keep moving into consumer tech. V's new role with Nothing is another artist-brand partnership built on a global fanbase.

Live Nation Is Backing a New Creator-Focused Management Company (The Hollywood Reporter)
Live Nation is betting on creators, not just artists. It shows the live business moving toward the people who already own the audience relationship.

Tariffs Are Hitting Instruments and School Music Programs (The New York Times)
The physical side of live starts with a physical instrument. Higher instrument costs put pressure on the programs that feed the whole industry.

UK Startup Lands 15m Investment for Digital Versions of Concerts (The Guardian)
Money is flowing into the digital side of live. It's a clear signal that investors see hybrid concerts as a real business.

Phoebe Bridgers' Phone Ban on the Lost Weekend Tour (The New York Times)
Phones away, eyes on the stage. Another artist is betting that a less mediated show makes for a better one.

PlayUncle Farti and the Rise of the Spotify Burner Account (Dazed)
Anonymous accounts are shaping how music gets discovered. A look at the secretive world of Spotify burner accounts.

Why Marketers Are Acting Like Nightclub Promoters (The Wall Street Journal)
Brands are borrowing the promoter playbook. Culture and community are becoming the marketing strategy.

The Purpose-Built Music Stadium Is Next: John Langford on AEG's APAC Expansion (IQ Magazine)
Residencies are changing where big artists play. AEG's John Langford says longer runs in fewer markets could drive "music-first stadiums" and a network of anchor venues across Asia-Pacific.

What Makes Music So Meaningful? (State of Play)
The human side is the point. A useful counterweight to all the tech and deal talk above.