David Dallas performs on stage at Shepherds Bush Empire in London. Photo / Getty Images
David Dallas performs on stage at Shepherds Bush Empire in London. Photo / Getty Images
There's a good chance you have a subscription to a video on demand service like Netflix, Stan or even a particular sporting league. But would you pay for a similar subscription for access to live music events?
That's what 30-year-old Edwin Onggo is hoping as he looks to expand his start-up business across Australia. It's called GiggedIn, and he likes to refer to it as the "Netflix of live music."
Users who sign up pay a A$35 monthly fee which gives them free access to a range of curated gigs and other live events. When an appealing show turns up on the service, members can simply press the RSVP button and they will be placed on the guest list.
Recent gigs available on the service include Australian artists, international artists and Australian festival Mountain Sounds Music Festival.
There are, of course, restrictions. The number of places to most gigs is capped and users can only hold an RSVP to a single event at a time.
Onggo believes it's an effective way to reach millennials who are keen to spend their money on experiences and connect them with artists, promoters and venues who want to find new ways to attract people to their shows.
"The nature of the subscription economy is really how entertainment is consumed these days," Onggo said.
"It creates a more affordable and more convenient experience."
The idea was born during his time at Macquarie University when he found it annoying and time consuming to find shows of interest by skimming through various gig guides and magazines, let alone being able to afford different shows each weekend.
By offering a bunch of curated events chosen on the basis of user data and feedback from members, as well as a set monthly cost, he believes the service can provide the seamless experience the younger generation has come to expect.
The business started four years ago as a crowd-funding platform but adopted its current subscription-based model a bit over a year ago. After launching in Sydney, the service has since entered Melbourne and there are plans in the works to head to Brisbane before adding two more major cities.
"We'll be national by the end of the year," Onggo said.
The nature of the subscription economy is really how entertainment is consumed these days.
He did not want to reveal how many members the service currently has out of fear it might affect current partnership plans but claimed the business reached six figures in revenue after about a year of employing the subscription model.
Given that a A$35 monthly subscription totals A$420 per annum, it would take just 239 long-term subscribers to reach that revenue mark.
There is also a premium membership for A$65 a month which allows members to take a plus one, or reserve a spot at two different shows at a time.
Much has been written about the decline of Sydney's live music scene in recent years with a number of high profile venues such as The Annandale Hotel, Flinders Hotel and The Newtown Social Slub (more famously known as The Sando), all having to shut their doors.
Onggo hopes businesses such as his can help revive the live music scene in cities like Sydney where it has endured difficulties in the face of combative councils, lockout laws, and thinning crowd numbers.
By making it easier for people to discover new artists and RSVP to gigs that appeal to them, he believes it can help breath a little bit of life back into the industry.
