Are virtual concerts viable stand- ins for live shows?

With most concerts canceled until further notice because of the coronavirus pandemic, musicians are getting creative, streaming performances to stay connected with fans and, in some cases, bring in a little extra cash.

But a number of industry veterans say that isn’t a viable long- term replacement for in- person performances. The economics simply don’t add up, they claim: Streaming wouldn’t be anywhere near as lucrative for big- name performers such as Elton John, the Rolling Stones, the Jonas Brothers or Garth Brooks, who routinely sell out venues with thousands of seats, where tickets can average a couple hundred dollars apiece.

“I don’t think streaming will replace concerts,” says Dave Brooks, Billboard’s senior director of touring and live. “I think streaming performances will become their own category of what artists offer their fans.”

James Moody, who helped found Transmission Events, a company that booked venues across the Southwest, before selling the business in 2016, is even more blunt, saying there’s “no way to replicate the energy, the smell, the feeling of being at a live concert in person.”

“I can see it as an adjunct or digital add- on to your physical ticket purchase,” he says. “Streaming has a place in the industry, and probably even more of a place in the future, but it will never replace a live show experience.

“How we successfully blend the two types of experiences/ services over the long term, that will be the question. We have to be careful to not let our short- term challenges overwhelm the long- term health of our business and industry. We must balance and respect both.”

That could mean a performer like Taylor Swift or someone of similar caliber could charge fans for exclusive online access, just like a number of performers do right now for in- person VIP encounters, while still touring regularly.

Brooks believes only a select few performers – mostly smaller, regional acts – would be able to make the move to streaming exclusively and be successful. Fans could perhaps pay a monthly fee for unlimited access to the streams or buy passes to individual shows.

EVAN AGOSTINI/ INVISION/ AP It could be possible one day, music industry veterans say, to hear exclusive streaming content from Taylor Swift and other big- name artists, if you're willing to pay a fee.

SOFAR SOUNDS Madeline Edwards performs on a livestream from Houston, using the Sofar Sounds listening room.