In a story which illustrates the changing nature of the music industry, Trivium frontman Matt Heafy has revealed that he earns significantly more money streaming ‘content’ on Twitch than he earns from having Trivium’s catalogue streaming on all other platforms combined.
Having joined the livestreaming platform three years ago, Heafy has grown his channel to the point where in 2021 he has over 220,000 followers. Streaming everything from videos games to guitar clinics, playing light-hearted cover versions or hosting AMA-style Q&A sessions with fans, during the pandemic, he was engaging with his audience for three to six hours daily, five days a week, with as many as 10,000 people watching him at any given point.
Speaking in the New York Times, for an article explaining why ‘musicians are pinning fresh hopes on Twitch‘, Heafy revealed, “Even if I don't feel like practicing, I know people are going to be there who want to hear a couple hours of their favorite Trivium songs. So I make sure I'm there to make their day good.”
This dedication has reaped rewards. Heafy says that his Twitch channel generated just short of $10,000 a month in 2019 and 2020, while, by comparison, Trivium collectively bank around $11,000 per month from all other on-demand streaming services combined.
Understandably, Heafy has no intention of abandoning his audience should Trivium see a return to a more conventional schedule as fears over transmission of Covid-19 ease in a newly vaccinated world.
“I'm going to keep it to the same exact thing — 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Friday,” he maintains. “Every show, every soundcheck, every vocal warm-up; every day off, me playing games in the hotel room.”
“I look at it as part of my life now," he said. “And I want to keep doing this for as long as I can.”
