Popular artistes may not be the biggest draw when it comes to live streaming. Even till December last year, nobody cared about live streaming other than on platforms like Twitch. The pandemic changed the game. At first, artistes looked at the option with caution, then tried it and then wondered whether it would bring them money. Now, it seems, live streaming is gathering steam to outlast the pandemic.

One platform, which has been ramping up its act for a few years, experienced a boost when Scottish superstar Lewis Capaldi decided to use it for a live stream. DICE. Five or six years ago the platform was busy tackling the issue of touts and ticket sales in Britain. Now, it’s a go-to platform globally for music lovers. It helps you discover events and live streams from around the world and the UK-based company has launched its service in India.

From buying tickets for next year’s Primavera festival to booking a virtual seat at Nuka’s — the avatar of Anushka Manchanda — upcoming gig from Mumbai, there’s plenty to look for on DICE.

Here’s what Phil Hutcheon, founder and CEO of DICE, told us about the potential of live streams from India and more.

What prompted you to look beyond the UK and the US? How promising is the ticketing and live streaming market in India?

We were planning to launch in May this year but obviously the pandemic hit. We’re extremely excited by the local scene in India. No one expected the live streaming business to grow as quickly as it has and we decided to launch in India with that now rather than wait for live to return. It’s a great way for fans to experience DICE and to build up strong relationships with Indian artistes. The opportunity is huge and we’re investing in India long-term. DICE is obsessed in creating a great experience for fans to discover and buy tickets to the best events.

Most would have looked at live streaming in the pre-pandemic era with skepticism. What were the initial challenges and how big does it look at the moment?

The pandemic has hit the live music scene globally heavier than most industries. Venues are at risk and artists have lost their income. Alongside this, fans have been underserved by poor quality live streams that have caused some skepticism. We were skeptics as well.

But we also love live entertainment and early on decided to work hard on creating amazing live streams. We work with artistes to create much higher quality live streams and ensure that fans have a seamless experience, from buying the ticket to watching the stream.

We also upgraded the app, so fans in India can access streams around the world. This also allows Indian artistes to promote their events to a world audience. That in itself is a total game changer.

When the pandemic ends, what would be some of the opportunities for live streaming?

Live streaming is here to stay. You can see that from the success and hugely-positive reviews live streaming artistes are enjoying. From David Guetta on the roof of the Rockefeller Centre in New York to BICEP’s trailblazing electronic set, live stream events are becoming much more imaginative and attracting bigger and bigger audiences. Streaming is not a replacement for going out, but it’s providing a fantastic creative avenue for artistes and we’ve only just scratched the surface of what the medium can offer.
Many artistes have started to embrace the medium of virtual performance experiment and have fun - pushing creative and technological boundaries and to keep their fanbase engaged and entertained.
Artistes are no longer limited by geography. There are no borders. They can grow their fanbase and reach audiences around the world. Since we started live streaming, we’ve sold tickets in 145 countries.
Artistes are using live streams to think long-term. They can gain insight, data and better understand their fans, so when live does return, artistes will have the knowledge and intuition to inform their strategy connect with their fans and put on the best show, whether virtually, IRL (in real life) or a hybrid of both.

Tell us about DICE’s recommendation tool; how does the algorithm work?

The DICE app is personalised for each fan based on their tastes and our algorithms have had billions of data points and constantly learning. The first experience on DICE will be fresh, but after your first event you will see some amazing event recommendations.

Has there been an improvement in engagements compared to pre-pandemic times?

Before, a typical DICE user attended three-four in-person events per month; we were focused on weekly active users. Now we’re seeing our fans check in on DICE every day to see what’s happening that night. Our business model has shifted to daily active users.

There are a couple of players in the ticketing space in India. How would you say your offering is different?

We will be the only service in India offering both personalised global event recommendations — powered by DICE discovery — and ticketing, ensuring fans never miss out on the best music, arts and cultural live streams from cities around the world. Our initial focus is purely on high-quality live streams, the best artistes and experiences. The best local artistes, international talent and experiences that fans won’t get anywhere else.

What was the initial idea behind the platform?

I have a background in tech and music. I was working in the music industry where I witnessed the true extent to which fans, venues, promoters and artistes were getting affected by touts and a broken ticketing industry. Fans were getting ripped off with tickets sold at inflated prices. And the experience of buying a ticket was just as frustrating.

Unable to find a solution, we decided to create an alternative — an app built by fans and for fans. I wanted to make the whole experience better, simpler and more joyful in a way that really speaks to the needs and passions of fans. In the same way that music streaming services gave fans personalised recommendations to their favourite artistes from around the world, DICE wants to do the same for live events.

During the pandemic, you must be studying human behaviour and what people look for. Anything interesting or something you didn’t expect?

The whole world is going through universal grief and to handle that people need something to look forward to. We noticed that a lot of live stream tickets are purchased weeks ahead of the event. There’s no need to do that... you can buy on the day, but people want to have something in their diary to look forward to. We’re seeing a lot of the IRL concert behaviour being paralleled in live streaming — particularly watching shows online with friends. Fans are planning ahead and staying connected. We feel so lucky to be part of many ‘I was there’ special moments.

Phil Hutcheon, founder and CEO of DICE Sourced by The Telegraph

How to use it...

App: Dice
Available on: Android and iOS
Cost: Download the app for free from Play Store or App Store for free.
Suggestion: When you check into the app, it helps to allow access to location service because it will allow the app gather information about live events happening around you. Second, link up your Spotify account, which will help the app understand your music preference and offer suggestions that are spot-on.
Cost of events: Some events are free to access while others need tickets, which you can buy on the platform.