MUMBAI: As COVID-19 shutters concerts, festivals and the live performance circuit for the foreseeable future, JioSaavn, India’s largest music and audio entertainment streaming service, is announcing its initiative to keep live music thriving, and offer alternate revenue streams to artists. For the month of April, and possibly longer, a series of independent artists will take to the virtual stage for 20 to 30-minute sets on JioSaavn’s Facebook Live.

After the Facebook Live performances, the audio recording of each session will be hosted as an album for streaming within the JioSaavn app. 100% of the revenue generated from these streams will go directly to the artist. Additionally, while the live streams will be free, fans will be given a “pay what you want” option through Insider.

“JioSaavn Live Anywhere” -- which will feature independent artists like Tejas Menon, Ankur Tewari, and Dhruv Vishvanath -- will be Recorded with the Dolby On App. The Facebook integration will allow the artists to stream their music in high definition directly to JioSaavn’s Facebook Live.

“We’re delivering the closest thing to an in-person live performance you can get. It will feel like the artist is in your living room.” Rishi Malhotra - CoFounder and CEO at JioSaavn said. “And there’s no doubt we could all use a little more music in our living rooms right now. Our hope is to provide something for people to look forward to as they stay home, while also supporting independent artists through an immensely challenging time for the entire music industry. Live music brings joy to millions of people around the world, and while we don’t claim to replace a real-life, physical experience, we think we can capture moments of that joy online. We will be engaging with artists around the world to be a part of 'JioSaavn Live Anywhere'."

Listeners with the means are encouraged to make a donation for the performances through the ticketing site Paytm Insider. The performances are free, however. Simply tuning in, engaging and streaming the live session albums on JioSaavn (published after each performance) are other ways fans can support their favorite artists.

Below is a list of artists and confirmed dates for “JioSaavn Live Anywhere”:

• 3rd April - Tejas Menon

• 4th April - Ankur Tewari

• 5th April - Palash Sen

• 8th April - Nikhita Gandhi

• 10th April - Dhruv Vishwanath

• 11th April - Taba Chake

Additional artists and dates will be announced in the coming weeks.