Amazon and Airbnb prepare new live-music moves

Amazon and Airbnb prepare new live-music moves

Amazon is planning to have an on-the-ground presence at music festivals in the near future, according to a job advertisement spotted by MBW. The firm, indeed, is looking for a Senior Program Manager, Music to “dramatically improve” the experience of the 32 million people that attend music festivals in the US each year through a “signature focus on innovating on behalf of our customer”.

Said innovations will involve a “physical festival presence” which could include “on-site food and product delivery, custom tour merchandise for purchase, artist meet and greets, and convenience amenities such as free Wi-Fi, water, charging stations, and restrooms”.

Also Airbnb, the Silicon Valley accommodation company, is now tentatively making moves to enter the music space. Indeed, it's rolling out a bespoke program of "Music Experiences," including exclusive access to sold out shows and intimate live performances, in 13 cities around the world. London, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Barcelona, Nairobi, Cape Town, Detroit, Miami, Paris, Havana, Tokyo, Florence and Seoul are the first cities where travelers can sign up for the experiences - at a price - with more expected to follow.

The Music Experiences offering is part of Airbnb’s global Trips platform, which debuted last fall and saw the business grow beyond simply accommodation by providing travelers a range of bookable local events and insider recommendations in popular tourist destinations. Trips initially launched in 12 global cities, with plans for around 40 more to be added by the end of this year.

London-based live music brand Sofar Sounds is partnering with Airbnb on its inaugural music offering, with around 100 specially-tailored music-related experiences and live shows currently listed on the platform.