Just Scratching the Surface

Just Scratching

Despite Uncertainty in 2020, DJ and Lighting Manufacturers See a Bright Future Ahead the Surface

By Brian Berk

It would be easy to assume the COVID-19 pandemic had a huge affect on sales of DJ and lighting products. After all, if clubs are closed, there is no need to purchase such products. But this is not the entire story. Some segments of the industry saw growth, and our panelists are optimistic about the future in a post-pandemic environment. Joining us to discuss DJ equipment, lighting and related products are Daniel Boatman, marketing and sales director, IK Multimedia; Eric Abad, business development director, JMAZ Lighting; Darren Butt, Yorkville Sound’s pro audio product specialist; and Rob McCoy, Gator’s director of product management.

We started by asking: During the height of the pandemic, did you see a decline in sales of DJ/lighting and related products? If so, what did you do to adjust? If not, how were you able to buck the trend of no in-person gigs?

Boatman responded that IK Multimedia had seen “the opposite” of a decline in sales. “From basically day one of lockdowns, we saw a spike in iRig Stream and other livestreaming products of about 10 times, almost overnight,” he said. “As more and more DJs looked for ways to maintain their followings and grow their social network, we became an absolute must-have.”

“Yes, we definitely felt the impact of the pandemic,” stated Abad. “Sales across our retail and distribution channels saw a dramatic decline. However, our integration and installation channels saw growth.”

“Yorkville has a vast line of brands and products,” said Butt. “While

"We have seen a rise in categories that support live events like speaker stands, lighting bags and DJ bags."

— Rob McCoy

"We began to see sales trends increase in late January to February with our resale MI partners." — Eric Abad

our large-format sound reinforcement products dialed back during the pandemic, our strong presence in the studio world saw a huge increase in business. Although concert systems have seen better days, rehearsal and studio speaker solutions are up more than ever before. We expect this to shift back to large-scale systems once gatherings are permitted again.”

“There was a clear transition to in-home, and we have a popular line of in-home products in the Gator Frameworks brand,” noted McCoy. “We were able to give artists and creators what they needed to perform or gig virtually and create at home with a high-quality line of mic stands, laptop and monitor stands, ring lights, etc. We gave them what they needed to create the perfect in-home setup so they could still perform and create.”

As restrictions have been lifted in most states, we could see big shifts in DJ and lighting sales. We asked our panelists to comment on this and what products have seen improving sales in recent months.

“Yes, we have seen a rise in categories that support live events like speaker stands, lighting bags and DJ bags,” said McCoy. “We expect demand to continue to increase. We’ve seen this with our artists and the gear they are needing.”

“Specific products like our EXM and YXL series of powered speakers have gone through the roof,” responded Butt. “A lot of customers have ‘upgraded’ to smaller cabinets in anticipation for smaller gatherings, which are starting to happen. Lighting products have continued to do well, as these are continuously being used to add ambiance to live streams.”

“We began to see sales trends increase in late January into

"This is the beautiful part about not only distributing but manufacturing your own products. We have many plans and processes put in places to keep our products flowing." — Darren Butt

"I think both live and livestream events are going to live side-by-side. DJs are becoming extremely savvy about building followings through live interactions." — Daniel Boatman

February with our resale MI partners,” answered Abad. “Our Firestorm F3 [Cold Spark Machines] and our PIXL FX Bar 5050 saw the biggest increase in sales. We also saw a spike in sales of our battery-powered fixtures, presumably because of the ease of use in outdoor scenarios.”

“We honestly haven’t seen much change,” noted Boatman. “I think the online/livestreaming movement is here to stay and seems to be holding steady even as DJs get out and start doing shows again.”

To follow up on the earlier question, we asked if our panelists are optimistic about the future once we reach a postpandemic period. Will demand for live events (including DJ gigs) be unprecedented (in a positive manner) like some predict, or are our respondents looking at the future more cautiously?

“Again, I think both live and livestream events are going to live side-by-side,” said Boatman. “I think DJs are becoming extremely savvy about building followings through live interaction. We see major DJs maintaining followings on YouTube, Twitch, Instagram and other spots; and having really invested time and money in building followings, I don’t see this changing even as they go back to live gigs.”

“Given the spike in musical instruments and recording equipment from our catalog during the pandemic, we are very optimistic,” noted Butt. “People have been stuck at home for over a year with their thoughts and creativity. It’s a bubble that’s going to burst as soon as we’re allowed to get out there again. Live music will rise again.”

“Though optimistic about the (continued on page 51)