According to a report on billboard, DJ and artist income could fall from $1.1 billion in 2019 to $0.4 billion in 2020 as a result of COVID-19, a drop of 61%. There have been over 300 + electronic festivals have been canceled or postponed as a result of the virus and more could follow in 2021. That being said Livestreams are the new main stages for musicians and DJ’s who are looking for ways to keep their fan and artist brand engaged. Some artists like David Guetta have used their fame and live streaming to raise millions of dollars for good causes and people who are really struggling from the Global Pandemic.
While the world of dance music came to a halt in 2020 there are some who have created captivating sets that have instilled hope to those at home. With 2020 coming to an end we thought we would ask leading global dance music expert Michael Beas, CEO and Founder of Raver Magazine his thoughts on 2020 and more so his Top 10 Live Streaming Picks of 2020. This is what he shared up with us:
Leading one of the top dance music magazines in the world could not have been easy, what was one of the challenges you faced in 2020?
For us, as well as with everyone in the world really, I think the biggest issues was how to cover events without events even happening? Live streaming was the way to go and with YouTube, Facebook, Instagram etc. being at the forefront of the action, we felt it best to help artist promote their music via social media platforms.
What is one thing that 2020 has taught you?
2020 as a whole as taught me how to have patience and above all how to accept the things that I can’t change. Its taught me that family and those you love will always come first. From a music perspective I learned that music keeps hope alive. Music is at the heart ones’ soul. It brings people together keeps us united against all odds.
On that note, what and what are your Top Picks of 2020?
Here is my Electronic Music Top 10 Countdown of 2020:
Number 1
David Guetta | AMF Presents Top 100 DJs Awards 2020
The celebration of life as a hole, the unity his set brought all of us as one world. I totally agree with his selection as the Number 1 DJ in the world, especially at a time when the world needed to come together as it did.
Number 2
MARTIN GARRIX LIVE ON DUTCH WATERS
Streamed LIVE on May 5th 2020 and got over 5.5 + Million Views
Martin truly got the world going with the live stream on the Dutch Waters. He was the first as far as I know that did something like this and it came at a time when people needed to feel safe. This set gave us hope, it gave me hope that things will pass and that we are all in this together.
Number 3
Nicky Romero: Another World (Virtual Liveshow) Streamed live on Jul 16, 2020
Nicky, I felt did an amazing job in putting this together, it was like being in the middle of video game with the sounds and the visuals. His uplifting sounds and new music this year has really connected all of us and having the visual aspect of things really made his performance streaming on the TV screen was like watching him LIVE at Ultra. It set the bar for others to follow and they tried it in 2020
Number 4
Armin Van Buuren DJ Set From The Top 100 DJs Virtual Festival 2020 Streamed live on Sep 12, 2020
Armin’s studio performance was on point in 2020, his new music was even more connected, heartfelt and uplifting, his collaborations I felt were also insanely good. This set to me was the combination of pure raw talent and it brought me deep into the heart of why I love dance music so much.
Number 5
Sander van Doorn presents Purple Haze | Mysteryland | Let’s Get High livestream | 29-08-20 Streamed Live on Sep 2, 2020
Sander’s game was outstanding in 2020. This live set, while I can list so many more in 2020, this one in particular brought the sky and music together. I mean who can DJ in a Hot Air Balloon without missing a beat. His new tracks this year can only be produced by the legend himself and watching him LIVE in action on the screen really brought back memories that inspire us to move past the negative vibes of current elements and onto the positive vibes of tomorrow.
Number 6
Oliver Heldens live from The Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam Streamed Live on June 2020
Oliver’s energy is outstanding, what else can I say. Walking into the concert hall and producing like a music conductor truly shows all of the elements that it takes to be an electronic music producer. It taught us that there is much more to making music then just pushing a few buttons. His performance would be perfect to catch live one day.
Number 7
Vintage Culture live from São Paulo, Brazil (Defected: We Dance As One)
I love this set. The grunge, the house vibe and the old school new school vibes had me going during work and after work. He is one to look out for in 2021 where I think his sound is going to hit up the masses all over the world. It left me wanting more and well I quickly subscribed to channel with the hopes of getting more from his music.
Number 8
Timmy Trumpet – LIVE @ Untold Festival | Full Set [HD] Premiered on Dec 18, 2020
Then there was Timmy. All year long, even with a broken leg Timmy stepped up his game. The energy is out of this world. His music made me want to dance. Didn’t matter the time of the day. I streamed this set over and over and over again. I followed, I shared it and it left me wanting more. While I picked this set in particular, all of his sets for the year where outstanding…
Number 9
Dash Berlin for Escape Halloween Virtual Rave-A-Thon (October 31, 2020)
Dash is amazing, talk about an outstanding artist that came through for all of us in 2020. When the world needed it most, Dash and his Daily Dash was honestly one of the keys that kept me going in 2020. His Live set for Escape was out of this world. The visuals but more so his vibe and energy made me not worry about the pandemic but rather the love of music the way that only someone like Dash Berlin can put together.
Number 10
MORTEN live from an abandoned pool in Denmark Streamed on Oct 2, 2020
Morten is in my view one of the top musical visionaries of our day. His sound is one that you just can’t get enough of. This set in particular was insane. The originality of the whole thing kept us glued to the screen and had me hitting repeat over and over again.
There you have it, Michael Beas Top 10 of 2020 you can reach out to Michael by hitting him up on Instagram @BeasMichael or on Raver Magazine at www.ravermag.com