I HAVE an online guitar student first thing. I enjoy giving lessons over Skype/Zoom as it’s as much a social thing as a lesson/masterclass.

There’s some last minute promo to do for tonight’s Founders’ Facebook takeover concert then we spend some time on the setup in the studio.

I make up a setlist and run through a few of the songs I haven’t played in a while then get on with some other bits and bobs.

The livestream isn’t ’til 11pm (6pm, mid-West USA time) but there’s a lot or checking and re-checking to do…lighting, camera setup, sound settings/mixing, streaming software set up, green screen etc etc…space is kinda tight too, but it’s still better than lugging everything to the house and trying to set up there.

it’s 9pm by the time we get back to the house and I make some black pepper tofu for dinner…it’s made and devoured in time for us to get back to the studio with ½-hour to spare.

Despite all being left set up, the streaming software has ‘lost’ the camera, so it needs to be re-connected and all the green screen/masking filters set up. Funny, no matter how much prep and time is spent in advance, there’s always some technical thing throws up at the last minute.

I get my instruments tuned up and everything ready to go with just seconds to spare…then we’re live.

I have fun, but the stream doesn’t get anywhere near as many live viewers as I hope…also, the 6pm timing in the USA is a little early, and 11pm here too late, especially for European audiences where it it’ll be midnight or 1am.

Some of the lack of traction may be down to the timing…or the fact that third parties rarely promote events unless they have a financial interest…and the fact that it’s not live on my own page means folks who get alerts about my livestreams don’t get notified.

Ultimately, although it’s fun, I’m fast realising that takeover livestreams, livestreams as part of multi act lineup and third party partnerships don’t really work. Think I’ll be focussing future efforts on my own page!

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