An Audient Dreams ...

“In The Loge” by Mary Cassatt (1878)

An Audient Dreams

of Gathering Crowds

by Jamie Jobb

As our shelter-in-place enters a fourth week, we learn almost daily that another

city council, church, civic association, social club, chorus, hobby hut … it seems almost any group that gathers, has joined with thespians, musicians and other performing artists in seeking virtual venues to meet their obligation to audience members forced to remain home by order of state and/or local officials.

The brief report that follows is from Jill Bourque, mentioned in “The Digital Box Office” previously on these pages. Jill’s on-line audience streaming service, RushTix, has compiled the list and offers it to anyone evaluating the best way to round up an audience on line.

RushTix is a San Francisco Bay Area discovery and production platform where artists can easily sell tickets, livestream shows and build their own virtual audience, all with the intent of helping performers generate revenue. We must admire Jill for her objectivity in these times of crowd crisis: her company is one of eight platforms listed, although they did not include an evaluation of the Japanese platform, Zaiko, previously mentioned on these pages.  Here’s the RushTix press release:

Livestream Platforms Reviewed

With live in-person events on hold, performers who rely on live in-person performances to earn a living are switching to livestreaming. Here are eight livestreaming platforms reviewed with performing artists in mind.

Facebook Live is an easy and popular way to do livestream video. Difficult to schedule a livestream unless you use third party streaming platforms
- Pro: Large Audience
- Con: Hard to Monetize


Instagram makes it nearly impossible to search for livestreams which makes sense as it’s the ultimate influencer platform so fans are more likely to catch things spontaneously on IG.
- Pro: Livestream Right From Your Phone
- Con: Hard to Get the Word Out to Your Followers


RushTix offers an end-to-end livestreaming platform allowing the artist to monetize their show and build a community. Performers can sell tickets, livestream with real-time chat and tip-jar, and build a community.
- Pro: Easy to Monetize & Build a Community
- Con: Currently Focused on Bay Area Artists


Stageit offers easy, livestream video, the ability to sell tickets and collect tips during shows in their own currency called "notes." The interface is a bit complex and out-dated but an enjoyable experience overall.
- Pro: Caters to Musicians
- Con: Outdated Interface


Twitch, a haven for gamers, livestreaming on Twitch requires the user to gear up with streaming software like Open Broadcaster Software. This solution is favored by geeky comedians and improvisors.
- Pro: Highly Engaged Gaming Community
- Con: Limited in Other Forms of Content


Vimeo Livestream like its parent company, Vimeo, seems to be focused on the more arty side of entertainment with eclectic musical offerings.
- Pro: Good for High-End Corporate Events
- Con: Requires Technical Expertise to Create Livestreams


YouTube Live - Probably the easiest platform to do livestreaming, but lacks the community of its rival Facebook.
- Pro: Easy to Livestream
- Con: Hard to monetize


Zoom has become indispensable for business and also some inventive improv and theater companies.
- Pro: Easy to livestream multi-person shows and experiences
- Con: Requires viewers to add Zoom app

5 April, 2020