CONTENTS

EVNTLIVE INC.
Partners With Bands To Develop Immersive Live Experiences Online
ne reality of the great shift in the music
industry over the past several years is
Othat live shows are increasingly important
to an artist’s career. Though recorded music is
still a factor, the digital/Spotify/satellite/vinyl/CD
formats are still settling into the new landscape,
while live performances are also thriving on
multiple platforms. One of the companies offering
new ways for artists and fans to experience
live shows is EvntLive, Inc.
Launched earlier this year by tech entrepreneur
(and former CISCO CTO) Judy Estrin with
son David Carrico, the company partners with
“The cost of producing these types of shows is
much cheaper than satellite, and the cost of online
distribution has come way down.”
– BRETT BUSH
EvntLive licenses the artist’s broadcast for
a limited time, for the live broadcast and as
part of the “curation” of events. The fees paid
to the artists vary. EvntLive aims to keep most
(and eventually all) of the events free for users.
“The cost of producing these types of shows
is much cheaper than satellite, and the cost of
online distribution has come way down in the
past few years,” explains Carrico. “There are
advances in technology on the production side,
and also an increase in the potential audience.
Users are more mobile and engaged online,
and much more throughout the day than
bands to develop immersive live experiences
online. Unlike other sites offering streaming live
performances, EvntLive.com provides viewers
with a fully engaged experience, including multiple
camera angles that the viewer can choose,
and onscreen interaction between fans.
“EvntLive.com is beyond the box-and-screen
experience,” says Chief Marketing Officer David
Carrico, referring to sites and networks that
simply broadcast or stream a live event. “It is
socially owned by the fans. You can’t separate
the participation between the artist and the
audience. It’s symbiotic.”
Artists who have partnered with EvntLive
include Slash, Wale and Shelby Lynne, as well
as up-and coming bands and several major festivals.
The details of the partnerships with EvntLive
vary—the company will provide a production
crew to capture the show, work with an existing
crew provided by the artist or venue or combine
efforts to produce a multi-camera show with high
video and audio quality. “We allow the audience
to experience the show as if they were there
physically,” says Carrico. “Users can chat during
the show—on average, 60 percent engage in
chat 11 times during a show. They comment on
the songs, previous shows they’ve seen, just as if
they were attending the show in person.”
The four founding principals in the company,
CEO Estrin, Carrico, and brothers Jonathan
Beckman (VP) and Alex Beckman (CCO),
each come from different fields of expertise.
Estrin has an extensive background in developing
tech software, as well as serving on the
board of the Walt Disney Company and other
major companies. Carrico was CEO of CMG,
a music marketing and management company.
Jonathan Beckman brings extensive experience
as a touring musician, and Alex Beckman
brings his background as a commercial,
music video and multimedia content executive.
“We came together in 2012 from very different
sides of the music business—we all looked
at it from a different angle,” Carrico says. “Our
strategy is to find top-quality artists looking to
be creative with online concerts, and to offer a
unique fan experience.”
previously. Our differentiation is our curation of
the shows, the interactivity––the focus on the
social experience.”
Carrico notes that the company is less focused
on revenue stream right now as it builds
awareness and an audience. Users sign up for
free to participate in the live shows (by reserving
online) and festivals, and typically pay a small
fee for archived, or “curated,” events ($2.99, for
example to view a Shelby Lynne show). “We will
eventually bring in sponsors, and develop other
platforms, such as merchandising partnerships.
We want this to be the closest thing for the
audience to being there live, or better. We’re the
venue with the cleanest bathrooms!”
Contact artists@evntlive.com, 650-306-9463
46 November 2013 musicconnection.com