Mandolin, a live-stream concert platform that thrived after COVID-19 put a pause on in-person experiences, quietly closed its doors on Monday amid the resurgence of live touring and concerts.
Mandolin launched on June 1, 2020, months into the pandemic, and less than a year later was named the best streaming platform at the 2021 Pollstar Awards (they were nominated with other platforms including Veeps, LiveXLive and Nugs.net).
Around this same time last year, Mandolin was testing different ways to keep the concert streaming boom going by launching a variety of initiatives aimed at maximizing the in-person concert experience with a wide range of digital services. Among them were ticket sales to meet-and-greet or after-party add-ons to shows, ordering food and merch online without waiting in line, and replays of shows that were filmed live. The mobile app experience was employed for numerous live concerts including the 2021 Telluride Bluegrass Festival and Lil Wayne’s Uproar Hip-Hop Festival.
In a 2022 conversation with Variety, Mandolin co-founder and CEO Mary Kay Huse said the company was shifting to exclusive digital merchandising and “continuing to invest in our client-facing teams to partner with venues and artists management teams to like really have a comprehensive solution to make these shows successful, versus just providing a platform.”
On April 19, the company uploaded a short statement to its website and social media, providing little context as to what led to the abrupt closure.
“After three incredible years, we are sad to announce that Mandolin will no longer be offering the digital fan experiences you’ve come to love,” the statement reads.
“We’d like to sincerely thank every fan that supported their favorite artist’s livestream, digital meet and greet and fan page on our platform; doing so helped create a more authentic ecosystem for fans and artists alike. We sincerely believe in the power of fans to uplift the entire music community for the better, so please consider redirecting the money and attention you would have paid to see a stream with us to buying your favorite artist’s latest vinyl, merch or tour ticket on their channels of choice!”
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