A Win-Win for Barbra and Fans

July 25, 2007
It's one of the most amazing things to ever happen and a sure sign of our times. By way of video cell phones and major broadcast conduits such as YouTube, selections from each of Barbra's European concerts have been documented by fans and made available for everyone around the world to enjoy. When I decided not to fly off to Europe for this leg of Barbra's tour, little did I know that cyberspace technology was going to still let me be a part of it. As Barbra would say, I got a "taste" of each city every day. Brazen fans, embodied with the latest techno-gadgetry uploaded both brief and lengthy video snippets from each performance immediately following the show. Cuts from all of Barbra's European performances are represented: from the Ask Barbra segment in Zurich to "Evergreen" in London this past Sunday, and everything else in between. It is a wonderful boon for absentee fans like myself to experience each and every one of Barbra's performances vicariously through the eyes of generous amateur videographers.

Officially, the taking of videos during a performance is not permitted. But artists and record labels need not fear the proliferation of stuff like this appearing on YouTube. Quite frankly, most of what you can watch is amateurish in quality at best, but that's what makes it great. The ultimate result is a win-win for everyone. In the case of Barbra's tour, fans around the globe were able to be a part of this most extraordinary of events, similar to when AOL did a live internet broadcast of one of her songs from the '94 tour. For Barbra and her record label, these internet clips represent unparalleled worldwide exposure - free advertising if you will - that will undoubtedly result in a huge spike in global sales of Barbra's past albums.

These clips should also bolster sales of any future album and DVD releases from Barbra's current concert tour as well. After all, as exciting as it might be to see this stuff on YouTube while hunched over a keyboard, it will be no match for what a high-definition letterboxed commercial DVD will look like. YouTube has only whetted our appetites for more, and we'll all be in stores buying up copies of the official releases from this concert. 

All around, not a bad deal for everyone.