If you’re a live musician you may have heard of OpenLIVE, the exciting initiative that gives bands the opportunity to affordably record their music in high definition with pretty much little to no effort – a very handy feat for any artist.
Having recorded bands across an array of venues, the Australian initiative has created an entirely new revenue stream for the 1,500 artists who have used the platform so far, transforming their shows into full-blown live releases almost immediately after the curtain drops. The platform has seen some artists like Papa G & The Starcats turn their recordings into full albums, while Dan Sultan embarked on a special OpenLIVE tour in 2015.
Announced today, the platform has now made OpenLIVE recordings from a list of six genre-spanning artists available to Australian fans through its download store, giving you an idea of what you can expect when you record your next live show.
The recordings, which all show off the platform’s high-quality 16-bit/48kHz encoding to great effect, feature an array of artists playing in venues across Melbourne. The six releases are the first batch available for 2017, with many more in the works.
Canadian-born operatic piano pop singer-songwriter Monique Angele has made her gig at Melbourne’s Evelyn Hotel available, while Brendan Maclean’s show at the now defunct Shebeen is also available in its entirety.
You’ll also be able to sample Z☯Ë RY▲N and Never playing at The Evelyn, Ben Mason at Northcote Social Club, and hard rockers Arakeye launching their ATMOSPHERES album at The Reverence.
Talking to Ando McDougall, Artist & Promotions Manager at OpenLIVE, it’s clear he’s excited about what they’ve been able to help create so far, and the potential that lies ahead.
“We’re really excited with what we have achieved to date,” he says. “Having helped so many bands create so many recordings is fantastic and we expect to continue this trend as we expand in 2017.
“After working with so many great artists who, through their feedback, enabled us to refine our service, our goal now is to help these artists connect with their fans with these recordings, and let fans experience more live music.
“These releases are a great stepping stone in achieving this. The huge number of recordings we’ve accumulated, surpassing all our expectations, has certainly validated the demand for our services.”
Having launched a new artist dashboard in 2016, improving artists’ ability to remotely activate and manage live recordings in OpenLIVE-enabled venues, and having recorded over 2,000 live performances since its launch in August 2015, OpenLIVE’s capabilities are expected to expand even further in 2017.
So, if you like your music live and loud, head to the OpenLIVE store and check out what they’ve been able to capture around Melbourne stages. Or, if you’re an artist and want to arrange some stress-free live recordings of your own, head to the OpenLIVE website to find out more.
OpenLIVE 2017 Recordings
Arakeye at The Reverence, launching their ATMOSPHERES album.
Ben Mason at the Northcote Social Club, 2016
Brendan Maclean at Shebeen Bandroom
Monique Angele at The Evelyn – the Canadian-born operatic piano pop singer-songwriter performing her brand new originals, and classic numbers.
Never, Live at the Evelyn
Z☯Ë RY▲N at The Evelyn – look out for Zoë’s new single to be released this year.
