When the singer and guitarist finishes a song, her audience use "emotes" – a Twitch-specific means of response, similar to emojis – to show appreciation, in lieu of clapping. She launches her Twitch broadcast and fans begin entering the stream, greeting her and each other with familiarity. Three times a week, Mandy Prater turns on her lights and camera and sits down in a section of her home dedicated to streaming music. Our two other cats also make appearances, Oates and Pudge." "She's been there almost every single broadcast, and never gets up until after it's done. "That's probably the key to success," says Allie. There's also always a separate feed in the corner of their idyllically snoozing cat, Coda. "Some people expect that flashy, promotional personality from anyone producing a stream, but the success of our channel has shown there is an audience for something more subdued and laid back." "Neither of us really like being on camera, which sounds weird, because that's what we do for a living," says Travis. There's minimal chatter, and they always take a shot with finale "The Whiskey Song," an old American folk tune. Other hallmarks of the couples' mellow, intimate sets have developed over years. Streaming 52 weeks a year leaves little room for vacation, as they currently prep for a popular Christmas Eve broadcast. With the majority of their income made on Twitch, the Aeseaes umbrella includes Patreon, Travis' handmade microphones, and Allie's illustrations on Etsy. While they sometimes offer evenings of originals, the duo says the business relies on their song-request system. With a minimum donation of just 25 cents, fans can pile on funds to bump a song up in the setlist. Viewers can request from a spreadsheet of over 200 cover songs, with a queue determined by donation amounts. Most people aren't looking for you, but stop and listen for a while."Īs early adopters, tech-savvy fans helped Travis and Allie set up a system for tipping and song requests, where volunteer "chat bouncers" help out. Musicians have described Twitch like having your own little stage at this enormous festival, with over a million people coming through every day. "On other platforms to stream live music, there's no discoverability. "People browse and find streamers they aren't following," explains Travis. The duo streams Wednesdays and Saturdays from 4-7:30pm, still finding new viewers among years-long supporters. Supported by over a thousand paying subscribers, they annually earn more than their old office jobs combined. Just months after launching their channel, the twosome quit their 9-to-5s – Travis in a 3M "cubicle zombie graveyard" and Allie freelance writing – to stream full time. With Allie on guitar/vocals and Travis switching between electric and standup bass, the couple now reaches an average of over 5,000 viewers throughout a single broadcast, with around 1,000 watching at any given moment (according to a data report they shared with The New York Times earlier this year). This is direct access to your audience.” – Travis, Aeseaes “When we found Twitch, I could immediately see the enormous potential. Rather, they're utilizing online platforms to lift up their own differently shaped content whether it's performance, video creation, an educational outlet, or a way to connect with people. That's just what we had in mind: spotlighting creators who don't see online creations as merely a way to route fans to conventional touchstones like tours, albums, and physical sales. "I haven't seen much about it in the sense of it being a different medium, a different thing – not just a substitute for a live show." "There's been a lot of writing about out of the necessity of the pandemic," she told the Chronicle. Austin-based musician Allie, one half of the popular Twitch channel a_couple_streams, suggests her five years of full-time streaming may prove otherwise. Tunnel vision has largely snapped back with the reemergence of front rows and sweat sharing, leaving content creators yet again underrecognized as viable artists. In the frenzy of the raging pandemic, livestreams and virtual music content were heralded as the saving grace of an offstage industry.
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