Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Heiert.
Hi Eric, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I began producing livestream music performances after co-founding Safehouse in 2016. With the power of the internet, the thriving ATX music community and the interest of a few professional colleagues, Safehouse has livestreamed roughly 200 productions, showcasing nearly 1000 musicians to an audience of over 1 million music lovers worldwide.
Developing this studio production over the last five years has helped me transition from a DIY show producer to a freelance professional in multimedia operations as a utility player for livestream/recording projects and event productions.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Making a profitable business out of a livestreaming music service has been everything but a smooth road. We are constantly reimagining how Safehouse can operate in a way that works for artists, online viewers and production operators. Creating a sustainable business model built on community support rather than outside money that often muddies the waters by influencing creative control has been quite a challenge.
We began livestreaming before the pandemic when it was not taken very seriously as an alternative to the traditional approach to the music industry. As far as I know, there weren’t a lot of others doing what we were doing in Austin in regards to the quality, quantity and consistency of our productions at the time. For that reason, we didn’t have a lot to reference to help make proper adjustments and were largely figuring out booking, promoting, viewership and monetization through trial and error.
On the surface, livestreaming may seem pretty straightforward but there are actually a lot of moving parts working together – lighting, audio, video, camera switching, chat moderation, donations, overlays, etc. Austin is a LIVE music city so introducing a lot of the restraints and nuances that are different in livestreaming to performers and production operators was a challenge. In person performance is just a totally different experience than the livestream concert and all of the moving parts can become quite a juggling act. At the end of the day, you just want to make the performer look and sound the best that you can and hope that the audience at home is enjoying and engaging with the show.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Safehouse?
Safehouse is a livestream production that showcases interactive music performances online. Our mission is to empower musicians with a modern approach to discoverability and autonomy in the music industry through livestreaming. Safehouse is proud to be the Lonestar State’s first and most established interactive virtual concert venue.
Established in 2016, Safehouse has been showcasing Austin’s most talented, active and eclectic musicians via livestream performance. Our team aims to celebrate diversity by representing all communities who create, write and perform music.
Safehouse aims to reimagine the livestream music experience as more than just a live performance. We see the future of the livestream music experience as being more interactive and immersive for a more personal experience with the online performers.
We’re excited to continue developing a sustainable online community for musicians and to put on killer interactive showcases for our digital audience in 2021.
Digital concerts are the new live music experience for artists and fans across the globe and Safehouse is excited to livestream your upcoming performance, event or fundraiser.
We have been livestreaming online since January 2016 and we offer a variety of affordable packages that encourage artists to:
– Utilize Safehouse audio, video, streaming and recording services to curate their own sessions that work within the artists’ unique vision.
– Connect with fans and viewers via high-quality video livestream and real-time interaction.
– Rent our production services for onsite or remote streaming, fundraising, product launches or content creation.
What do you like best about our city?
Austin doesn’t try to be something that it’s not. From my experience, ego and inauthenticity will not go unchallenged for very long and more often than not the cream actually does rise to the top within the community.
What do you like least about our city?
I think Austin in some ways treats its artists as commodities and does not truly appreciate the cultural value that they bring to the city. It’s unfortunate that the people and institutions who shaped Austin’s identity and earned its credibility as a world-class music city are not getting the right protections or representation to thrive here.
From my experience over the last five years with Safehouse, I wish Austin artists would have more interest in pursuing more long-term opportunities online through livestreaming. It’s a totally different approach for musicians which can be challenging but I think it can be a fruitful adaptation once the new standards are established. I think it will get there eventually, it’s just a matter of who’s going to champion the platform and set the gold standard for everyone.
Contact Info:
- Email: Eric@safehou.se
- Website: www.Safehou.se
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safehouseatx/?hl=en
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/safehouseatx
Image Credits
Photography: Isabella Martinez Lighting: Will Campbell
