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UK livestreaming platform Driift announces international expansion
By Andy Malt | Published on Friday 6 November 2020
UK-based livestreaming company Driift has announced that it is expanding into Australia and New Zealand.
Formally launched in August by Ric Salmon and Brian Message of ATC Management, the company has already put on ticketed livestream shows from artists including Nick Cave, Laura Marling, Biffy Clyro, Dermot Kennedy, Lianne La Havas and Sleaford Mods. This weekend it is set to host performances from Kylie Minogue and Niall Horan.
Announcing the international expansion, Salmon says: “In what’s been a tough year, the growth of paid-for livestreaming has provided our industry with one of its few shoots of optimism. At Driift, we believe this is a format with enormous untapped potential, and one where the pandemic has unlocked previously unforeseen demand for unique, one-off, artist-led events”.
“That demand has been strongly evident across Australia and New Zealand, which made expanding our operations down under an obvious step”, he goes on. “With Nick and Kylie, Driift has already worked with two iconic Australians, and by bringing the experience of Sloanie onto the team we look forward to working with many more over the coming weeks and months. There’s some exciting announcements ahead”.
Who’s Sloanie? Well, that’s Paul Sloan, who will lead Driift’s Australian business and who says: “In this weird year I’ve been horrified by the amount of artists dropping their pants, literally and financially, by offering free, poorly produced livestreams in their underwear. What the industry needs now is another mechanism other than live performance to ensure artists and all their connected industry partners can still connect with fans and survive in a world where physical shows are just so uncertain and unreliable”.
“I was so relieved to see Driift enter the market and to solve this problem with a model that honours the music and the art, and that is artist-centric, with strong creative direction and high production values”, he goes on. “I hate things that ignore the fact we are in a business about feelings, so am very proud to be involved with Driift as an enterprise that leans towards the artists, respects the music and delivers worthwhile and memorable streaming experiences”.
“I think this curated approach will become one of the primary tools the artists and industry use to navigate us through these dark times – and beyond”, he concludes. “I’m looking forward to seeing some great stuff happen with this great team”.
The company’s first Australia and New Zealand-based shows will be announced in the coming weeks.
