live tour production

Mechanics • 20 min read

The Mechanics of Touring: How the Live Music Industry Works

By Dmitry Pastukhov

Published April 28, 2019

The Live Music Industry: An Overview

Key players in the touring industry, artists and managers, booking agents, tour managers and technicians, festivals & venues, label & publisher, the touring cycle, 1. finding the talent, 2. building the tour strategy and producing the show, 3. booking the tour, 4. selling the tickets, 5. preparations, 6. the day x, 7. the show, tour simulation, tour gross revenue.

Touring makes up a huge portion of an artist’s life and the lion’s share of the industry’s revenues. At the same time, it is the only part of the music career that remains 99% “physical” in what is otherwise the digital-first industry. While some of the artists can easily reach millions of fans via streaming, putting together an international tour for the same crowd is an extremely complicated process.

Despite the rise of digital streaming platforms, make no mistake, live music is still the cash cow of the industry. Even though streaming revenue is expected to grow to $23 billion by 2022, by that same year the live music industry is projected to reach a whopping $31 billion in global value. Global live music revenue continues to increase (with the substantial portion of this growth attributed to the worldwide explosion of EDM festivals, which we've traced in our analyses of Chinese and Indian markets). At the same time, if we take a look at the well-established music economies, a recent Nielsen study found that 52% of Americans attend live shows at least once a year.

Nevertheless, the touring industry’s decentralized and network-based system remains a complex landscape to navigate: artists often work with dozens of local promoters, booking agents and venues in the course of a single tour. So, let’s start with the basics and identify all of the parties that are usually involved in a mid-sized tour:

Artists and their managers are the crucial elements of the live business. As we’ve laid out in our Mechanics of Management , manager’s role is to build and coordinate the artist’s team on all sides of the music industry, and that, of course, includes the concert business. The artist’s management usually takes part in the initial route planning, helps the artist pick the touring team, and serves as a bridge between the live entertainment and all other sides of the artist’s career.  

The job of the booking agent itself is very easy to define: the agent represents the artist across the live industry. Their goal is to book the tour and sell the shows to the local talent buyers, finding the venue and negotiating the price. The booking deal is usually pretty straightforward: “an artist A, represented by the agent B, commits to play an N-minute show in the venue C on the day X for a $Y. ” A good agent is the one who’s able to get all those As, Bs and Cs right — so that the venue is sold out, but there are no fans left without a ticket; the artist gets paid well, but the promoter doesn’t feel cheated, and so on. While the deal is relatively simple, it’s hard to nail all the details — especially given the fact that the show are usually booked from 8 to 24 months in advance, depending on the scope of the venue.

Promoters are the side of the live business that funds the tour and buys the shows. The landscape of concert promotion is complex, and promoters themselves come in various shapes and sizes. To make it a bit simpler, imagine that promoter is a middle-man, connecting the concert space and the artist to put together a show. You can start building that bridge from either side, however.

Tour promoters set out from the artist side, contracting musicians to perform a series of concerts, paying for rehearsals, audiovisual production, covering the travel expenses and so on. Once the show is ready, tour promoters, working closely with the artist’s booking agent, either rent venues themselves or subcontract (read: sell) the shows to the local promoters (or a mixture of both).

Local promoters, in their turn, embark from a concert space. Affiliated, or at least connected with local venues and performance spaces, they buy gigs from the agents and/or tour promoters to own the ticket sales. An art-director of a small club, a local group of party promoters, a team of the major US festival — all those event promoters of different scope would fall into that category.

In that context, the role of the agent becomes clear. If promoters are the middle-men on the side of an artist or a concert space, the agent is the middle-man between the middle-men, who builds up the network of promoters (on both fronts) and artists, serving as a liaison between all sides.

However, some of the biggest tours today can be put together without the agent’s involvement.  One of the main shifts in the live business is the consolidation of tour and local promoters under the umbrella of entertainment conglomerates, with the most notable examples of Live Nation and AEG .

Essentially, these companies have grown their operation to the point where they can build the bridge from both sides, internalizing all the processes. They both produce the concert tours and own (or, at least, establish partnerships with) a vast network of clubs and arenas, providing venues for the tour. Live Nation, AEG and alike can now create centralized international tours, offering artists 360° deals. However, touring under such exclusive promotion remains reserved for the artists of the top echelon — so most of the shows out there are still put together in collaboration between the tour promoters, booking agents and local partners.

Tour managers that stay on the road with the artist's crew are the oil that makes the wheels of the tour spin. Even a nationwide tour involves extremely complex logistics, and it becomes exponentially harder to manage the travel as the tour passes onto an international level. For the first-tier acts, staying on the road with the artist crew, technicians and 30 trucks worth of equipment can cost up to $750k per day . The goal of the tour manager is to make sure that the money doesn't go down the drain when the artist’s bus breaks down in Nowhere, Oklahoma . Getting the band from point A to point B seems to be a pretty straightforward job, but in fact, the routine of the tour manager is dealing with unexpected and solving a dozen of new problems each day — all while keeping the artists happy and ready to perform. To give you a taste of an international tour route, here's an approximate map of the Lizzo's tour in support of "Cuz I Love You" release, stretching over 64 locations and 74,575 km — and that is just the straight routs, not accounting for the actual roadways.

"Cuz I Love You" tour route, 30.04.2019 — 28.10.2019 (interactive version available here )

Tour managers also run the technician crew, and, while the technical support of the tour is often overlooked, the fact is that behind every show there’s a team that turns the performance into an audiovisual experience that the audience has paid to see. It takes hard work and expertise to assemble the stage, set up the lights and the sound system, etc. The live industry relies on the tech crew to make the show actually happen.

Festivals and venues are at the very core of the live business, providing the space and (usually) the base infrastructure for the show. As we've already mentioned, there’s often a great deal of vested interest between local promoters and performance spaces.  That means that there’s usually a local promoter “attached” to the venue, and same goes for music festivals.

Outdoor events are a distinct part of the live performance landscape. Operated by promotion groups, prominent festivals can introduce artists to new audiences, both in terms of fans and music industry executives — all while offering a fat pay-check. A major festival performance puts the artist on the map, and the promotional effect of the show itself has to be considered. It can become even more important than the immediate monetary gain — especially for independent, up-and-coming artists. That’s why the tour routing will often be structured around a couple of big music festivals — and then filled up with solo concerts along the way. A good example is Coachella: as the event takes place over two separate weekends, most of the Coachella artists also book “side-gigs” around the area during the in-between week.

Although recording and publishing industries are not directly engaged in the live business, we have to remember that the music industry is built on collaboration . By convention, most music tours follow the release of an album, and each artist has to report his set after the show to PROs so that the proper songwriters get paid. The music industry is made up of separate companies and people working on the different parts of the artist career — and, while not completely aligned, they are always interconnected.

The six key parties described above work together to bring the live show to the concert-goers. However, it’s important to mention that they won’t always be represented by separate entities. Often some of the roles will be internalized by the different sides of the touring chain: independent artists and their management might produce the tour themselves, internalizing the job of the tour promoter; conglomerate promoters, as we’ve mentioned, can now offer exclusive touring deals; and so on. That said, in the next section we will go through the tour cycle step by step to showcase how all these players interact to create the tour. As it usually is in the music industry, it all starts with the artist.

On the first step, agents and tour promoters find and sign the performer. This process is not much different from the scouting of recording or publishing A&Rs, although the criteria might differ. For some types of artists (like DJs, for example) touring can be relatively huge, while the recording revenues might stay almost non-existent. Agents and A&Rs look for different things in the artist, but the essence of scouting remains the same across the board — identify and sign the promising acts before anyone else does.

There’s another twist to talent hunting in the live industry that is probably worth mentioning. As an average show has to be booked 9-10 months in advance, tour deals are usually signed around a year prior to the actual performance. At the same time, the vast majority of concert tours follow the recording releases to build up the momentum and ride the promotion wave. That has one unavoidable implication: tour promoters and agents sign the artist to perform the material which is not written yet, which can be quite risky.

That is especially true when it comes to the debut artists, that might not even have a 40-minute set or any solid live performance skills when they get their first touring deal. There is a lot of gut feeling that goes into scouting on the live industry side — more than in the recording business at least, where licensing deals allowed labels to mediate the risks of the creative stage.

Once the artist is on board, it’s time to produce the show and define the tour strategy and routing. At this step, the tour promoter starts the preparations: building the light show and live visual materials, booking rehearsal sessions to perfect the live performance, and so on. Meanwhile, the artist, manager, agent and tour promoter work out a general timeframe and draft an approximate route of the future tour. The initial tour planning is usually done around priority shows, like major city performances or music festivals, while the rest of the route is defined in broad strokes. Unless we’re talking about the top-tier, established artists, the tour will always follow a recording release. Once the initial planning is over, the tour strategy will be defined in terms of “The artist will play a priority city/music festival in a specific area N weeks after the release”.

Ones the initial route is set out, the agent goes on to book the tour, pitching the show to local promoters and festivals. Starting with the priority shows and then filling in the details, the tour route gradually takes its final form. The agent negotiates with local promoters to pick out an optimal venue (in terms of volume, style, conditions, etc.) to host the show. As Tom Windish, a senior executive of Paradigm Talent Agency mentioned in our recent interview , picking the right venue is perhaps the hardest part of booking a tour: the material is not out yet, and there’s no way to predict the reception of the release that’s almost a year ahead. Go for a small but safe venue — and you risk losing potential ticket sales and disappointing the fans; go big, and you might end up in a half-empty room, losing on the investment and leaving every side of the deal disappointed. The agent has to make risky decisions in a situation of uncertainty, and given the venue landscape in some of the regions, sometimes that means choosing between a venue capacity of 500 and 2000 for what is reasonably a 1000-ticket show.

As for the conditions and splits of the booking contract, generally local promoters, tour promoters, and artists will split the net profits of the show. Artists might also get a flat fee to ensure they'll make some money even if all other parties do their job poorly. Usually, the more the flat fee, the less the artist’s share of the net profits (and vice versa). In that sense, the structure of the contract splits often reflects the artist's risk appetite: some artists self-produce the tour, sacrifice the flat fees and end up getting almost 100% of the net. Others might ask for a higher "safety" fee, lowering both the profits of the tour and their own stake in it.   Booking agents, in their turn, earn a flat percentage on the revenues ‘on top’ (though they might put their share back in the pot if the tour doesn’t turn out a profit). That might be a lot to take in, but don't worry, we will get back to the splits and give you a clear example with a tour simulation you can find below .

Once the tour is booked, it’s the time to promote it and sell the tickets. On paper, the ball is in the promoter’s court here, but in reality the marketing of the tour is carried out in close collaboration between all the sides — from managers and booking agents to the artists' record labels. Concert marketing is a topic worthy of a separate article, but if we were to simplify things, it could be separated into two main parts.

First is the overarching tour marketing, implemented by the tour promoter and synchronized with the record release. The tour marketing campaign utilizes wide communication channels to promote the tour in general rather than a particular show. Second is the regional marketing owned by the local promoters, which aims to boost the sales of a specific show, focusing on narrow communication channels, like radio, OOH and locally targeted digital advertising.

As far as the actual ticketing strategy is concerned, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, so most teams go through long and numerous meetings to define tit There's a lot of decisions to be made when settling the details of the ticketing strategy — especially as technology has put new tools into the hands of promoters — but generally accepted sales process follows an “announcement → pre-sale → general sale” pattern. First, the tour is announced through the label- or artist-owned channels. That announcement is both a chance to communicate the tour to the wide audience and build up the artist’s CRM-base by nudging fans to leave their contacts to get notified when tickets go on sale. On the live event market, the buying intent might not realize itself on the first day — so having direct contact with fans and growing the artist's CRM-base is a key tool in the hands of the industry.

Then, the pre-sale takes place: first, reaching out directly to fans in the CRM database — after all, artist-fan relationships are one of the most important assets of an artist, and a fan pre-sale ensures that engaged followers will be able to get tickets to the show. Pre-sale strategy might also involve sales through “preferred partners”, focusing on direct sales through systems like American Express PreSales in the U.S., or even Spotify, that allows to reach the artist’s fans and followers across the tour route based on their listening habits and geo-location. Finally, to complete the pre-sale, local promoters can also use the local communication channels, like CRM-base of the venue and local airplay.

All the pre-sale strategies have two primary objectives. Firstly, based on the pre-sale figures (and historical concert attendance data), the promoter can roughly tell how the show is going to sell in general — and adjust the marketing campaign accordingly. Secondly, pre-sale through reasonably closed off channels can help to mediate the problem of the secondary ticket market. In fact, most of the ticketing strategies aim to sell as many seats as possible before putting the show on the general sale. Ticketing platforms like Songkick, BandsinTown or Seated allow promoters to reach the widest audience but they also puts the show at risk of selling out to the scalper bots in a matter of hours. This is especially true for the biggest artists out there — the more the demand for the show, the more attention it's going to get from the scalpers.

At this point, the tickets are on sale and the date is coming up, but there are still a lot of details to cover to make the show actually happen. Carrying out a 100-show tour means getting the artist and his tour team to a hundred different locations across the globe — all while staying on a tight budget and an even tighter schedule. Then, you have to make sure that every step of the way the artist has the infrastructure to do the actual show. Big tours are extremely complicated logistics, that require a lot of planning (usually carried out by the tour manager, affiliated with the tour promoters). Plane tickets, car rental, backline equipment shipping — this is just a fraction of what needs to be taken care of before reaching the venue.

The venue is (hopefully) sold out, the material is well-rehearsed, the equipment is delivered to the club — but the show is still to be done. Someone has to set up the sound, check tickets at the door, take care of the security, prepare the guest list and set up the bar. This routine can seem insignificant at times, but in fact, a solid on-site setup is a must if you want the audience to enjoy the performance. Surely all of us can remember that one concert with that hour-long queue, delayed performance and warm beer at the bar — a poor concert organization can ruin even the best of shows. Making sure that the concert goes smoothly is a group effort of the tour crew and the local promoter's team, from tour managers and technicians to local sound engineers and the venue stuff.

Finally, one year, tens of thousands of kilometers and thousands of man-hours later, the artist will go on stage. Then, the team will get back on the road to repeat steps 5 through 7 over and over again, until the final row of the tour announcement is crossed out. The artist will eventually get back in the studio and start working on the new material, while tour promoters and agents will begin planning the next tour. That’s the tour life .

To conclude the Mechanics of Touring, we want to share with you an example of how the tour budget and profits are structured. Below, you will find a somewhat simplified (yet accurate at its core) budget simulation of an averaged tour. While the actual “business plan” will be much more detailed, the data below should give you a good idea of who pays for the tour and who ends up making money on it.

Total Fixed and Variable Costs

So, the tour has fixed costs of 70,000€, which have to be covered regardless of the tour length, and variable costs of 7,000€, per show. Such costs structure means that (and this is true for practically every tour) we will enjoy the scale effect , as total costs per show (calculated as (FC+ VC*N)/N, where FC is Fixed Costs, VC — Variable Costs and N is the Number of shows in the tour) will go down as the tour grows, due to the depreciation of the fixed costs.

Total costs per show, for 10-150 concerts in a tour.

To go forward with the simulation, we will assume that the shows of the tour are all booked at the same price (which is never the case due to the difference in the local ticket prices, venue and market capacity, and other specifics). However, to simplify things, we will use the following revenue structure:        

Guarantee per show = 8,000€

Bonus if sold out = 2,000€

If we plotted the tour’s total profits as a function of the number of shows, P/L = (Revenue per show * N) - (FC+VC*N), we would get the following:

Tour P&L (overall profit/loss before splits)

As the total costs per show go down against a constant revenue, the tour turns a profit, breaking even at the 24th and 70th show for “Sold Out” and “Not Sold Out” scenarios accordingly.

Then the time comes to divvy up the profits. First of all, the agent takes a share of all revenues “on top”. In this simulation, we will use a 15% split for the agent. So, if the tour is made up of 100 sold out shows, the agent would get (10,000*100)*15% = €150,000 in fees. However, it’s not customary in the music industry for one side of the deal to make money while the rest are losing. So, usually, the agent won’t take their share if the tour doesn’t turn a profit. But what if the tour makes a bit of money, but not enough to cover the agent’s 15% “on top”?

There are a couple of roads the agent might take in that case, cutting their share down to 5% or taking a percentage of the profits, rather than revenue, but for purposes of this simulation, we will assume that the agent will take their part of the share, but won’t put the promoter back in the red. So, if the tour has made €5K in NET profits by selling out 25 shows, the agent will take €5,000 instead of agreed upon (25*10,000)*15% = €37,500.

Tour promoter will take a share of the NET profits (Total Revenue — Agent’s Share — Costs). That would mean that, although the tour itself will break even on a 24th show in the Song Out scenario, the tour promoter will start making money only after the 47th show (once the agent is fully compensated). If we assume the tour promoter’s share at 20%, on a 100-show, sold out tour they will make ((10,000*100*0,85) - (70,000 + 7,000*100)) * 0,2 = €16,000 . It might seem that the promoters get the short end of the stick here, but in fact, they will often make quite a bit of money in the venue itself on things like bar and parking. This can be a substantial or even primary revenue stream for the promoter, but we’ll have to leave it out of the scope of the simulation for the sake of simplicity.

As for the artist , they will earn a flat fee (in this simulation €1,000 per show) as well as the remaining 80% of the tour’s NET. This sum will make up the artist gross, which in its turn will be divided between the artist and the management (an average manager’s share is around 15% ). So, for a 100-show tour the artist gross will be: (100*1,000) + ((10,000*100*0,85) - (70,000 + 7,000*100)) * 0,8 = €164,000 , which would then be split 85:15 between the artist ( €139,400 ) and the manager ( €24,600 ).

Tour profits distribution, by party

Of course, the actual tour will be much more complicated than in the simulation above. However, it should give you a good idea of how the tour is structured and budgeted. That’s it for this episode of Mechanics, but don’t worry — we’ll keep working to bring you insights on other parts of the music industry. If you liked this article, take a look at our Mechanics of the Music Industry to get the overview of the topics we covered so far — and the ones we plan to cover in the future.

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Dmitry Pastukhov

Content creator for Soundcharts. Deciphering the music business so you don't have to.

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The Ultimate Guide to Concert Production: From Planning to Execution

Concert production is an intricate process that involves careful planning and flawless execution. Whether you’re an aspiring concert producer or simply curious about the behind-the-scenes workings of a successful live music event, this ultimate guide will take you through the key steps involved in concert production. From initial planning to stage design, artist coordination, technical requirements, and crowd management, we’ll provide you with a comprehensive overview of what it takes to bring a memorable concert to life.

  1. Pre-Production 

The first stage of concert production  is pre-production, where the groundwork is laid for a successful event. It involves establishing the concert’s vision, budgeting, securing a venue, and creating a production timeline. Detailed planning during this stage ensures smooth execution and avoids last-minute hiccups. Key considerations include selecting the right date, understanding the target audience, and coordinating with artists and their management teams.

    2. Artist Coordination 

The success of a concert heavily depends on the coordination with the performing artists. This stage involves negotiating contracts, determining technical requirements, arranging travel and accommodation, and establishing a clear line of communication. Effective artist coordination ensures that their vision aligns with the overall production, and their needs are met to deliver a stellar performance.

    3. Stage Design and Technical Setup 

Creating an impressive stage design is essential for an immersive concert experience. This stage involves working closely with set designers, lighting technicians, and audio engineers to develop a visually captivating and technically sound setup. Elements such as stage layout, lighting design, sound equipment, and visual effects play a vital role in enhancing the atmosphere and engaging the audience.

    4. Production Crew and Staffing 

A competent production crew is essential for the smooth operation of a concert. This stage involves hiring and managing a team of professionals, including stage managers, production assistants, security personnel, and ushers. Assigning clear roles and responsibilities ensures efficient communication and coordination during the event.

    5. Marketing and Promotion 

An integral part of concert production is effectively marketing and promoting the event to attract a sizeable audience. This stage involves developing a comprehensive marketing strategy, utilizing various channels such as social media, traditional advertising, and collaborations with media outlets. Creating buzz around the concert and targeting the right audience increases ticket sales and generates excitement.

    6. Day of the Event 

The day of the concert is the culmination of all the planning and preparation. This stage requires meticulous attention to detail, as every aspect must come together seamlessly. It involves sound checks, technical rehearsals, ensuring artist satisfaction, managing crowd flow, and addressing any unforeseen challenges. A well-executed event reflects the months of hard work put into planning and coordination.

    7. Post-Event Evaluation 

Once the concert concludes, it is crucial to evaluate the event’s success and identify areas for improvement. This stage involves gathering feedback from various stakeholders, including artists, crew members, and attendees. Analyzing the event’s strengths and weaknesses allows for continuous growth and refinement in future productions.

Concert production is a complex and rewarding endeavor that requires meticulous planning and attention to detail. By following the steps outlined in this ultimate guide, you can gain insights into the various stages of concert production and lay a solid foundation for organizing your own successful events.

1. Question   : How far in advance should I start planning a concert production?

Answer : It is recommended to start planning a concert production at least six to twelve months in advance. This allows ample time for venue selection, artist coordination, technical setup, marketing, and ticket sales. Starting early ensures a smoother process and increases the chances of securing the desired artists and venue.

2  Question  : How can I evaluate the success of a concert production?

Auswer  : Evaluating the success of a concert production involves assessing various aspects. Key metrics to consider include ticket sales, attendee feedback and satisfaction, artist and crew feedback, media coverage, and financial performance. Conducting post-event surveys, analyzing social media engagement, and reviewing the overall production process can provide valuable insights to gauge success and identify areas for improvement.

3.  Question  : How can I evaluate the success of a concert production after the event?

Answer : Evaluating the success of a concert production involves analyzing various aspects, such as ticket sales, attendee feedback, artist satisfaction, media coverage, and financial performance. Conducting post-event surveys, reviewing social media engagement, and gathering feedback from all stakeholders can provide valuable insights into the strengths and areas for improvement in future concert productions.

A Guide to Planning Your Live Event Production Setup

November 8, 2023

13 min read

L ive event production is a complex undertaking. It takes expertise, attention to detail, and high-performance equipment to capture and deliver audio at the right time and at the right quality to audiences who might be a few dozen feet away — or halfway across the country.

These challenges vary with the type of production. The location of the shoot is one factor, as is the location, size, and volume of the intended audience. Do you need to project your video locally on large-format IMAG commercial displays? Do you need to stream the event at the same time? Will it be a multi-camera live production? What kind of subject will you be filming? How active and animated will they be? All of these things will affect your final setup decisions.

This guide offers advice on what to look for when considering components for your live production equipment portfolio and insights into how Panasonic Connect's unique end-to-end ecosystem of audio-visual hardware and software can help support your needs.

Vibrant projected imagery amplifies an event into something truly stunning. That's where Panasonic Connect's digital projectors come into their own. Our HD projector options can transfer images from our high-quality cameras in total fidelity. Whether you're looking for large venue projectors that will render larger-than-life IMAG images to a live audience at the event or projection mapping options to totally transform a space, Panasonic has you covered.

Some considerations to keep in mind when choosing a digital projector for your live production include:

• Image quality
• Portability
• Setup and use requirements
• Reliability

Aim for high image quality

HD projectors have revolutionized projection options for live events. A 1080p projector will serve many production teams' needs, especially for smaller venues. But for truly crisp imagery, we recommend a 4K projector to do your event justice.

For the most exceptional quality, choose a laser projector. These devices offer several advantages over traditional projection systems. They use a more focused solid-state laser light beam to produce sharper and more detailed images, resulting in less image distortion, especially when dealing with larger outputs. They are also renowned for their accurate color and high contrast in large venues, thanks to their use of discrete LEDs for each color channel.

Invest in enhanced brightness

3-chip DLP projectors deliver more brightness than 1-chip DLP projectors because the multiple chips enable them to output more light. With 50,000 lumens of brightness, laser projectors are even more powerful, creating crisp images even at outdoor daytime events.

This factor was especially important for Panasonic Connect customer Princess Cruises , which used our PT-RQ50K SOLID SHINE laser projector to enhance its live on-board entertainment productions. The high-definition imagery and dazzling brightness from this video projector created a truly immersive display for its audiences.

Determine the importance of portability

Your venue will affect your projector choice for your live event. For example, Princess Cruises was working in a tight space on what amounted to a floating theater. The PT-RQ50K proved to be an excellent theater projector, with a compact design that made it easy to transport and install in the available space.

Consider simplicity of setup and ease of use

An easy setup is about more than just size. Laser projectors' color accuracy makes it easier to match colors from double-stacked professional projectors that combine their images for massive displays. Production agency Sardis used this to great effect by combining multiple 3-chip DLP projectors for 20 by 80-foot images. Sharp professional displays made edge blending fast and easy for dramatically shorter setup times.

Other features to look for include the ability to preview images in standby mode to avoid disrupting a production space. If your technicians are working with a remote video production team, Panasonic's Remote Preview feature enables coordinated configuration workflows easier.

Look for reliable solutions for tough environments

Consider laser projectors for tough environments where there's no room for downtime. Their single solid-stage light source typically has a longer lifespan than bulbs and doesn't dim over time.

Lamp-free operation in some large-format projectors also means maintenance-free operation for 20,000 hours, while state-of-the-art cooling systems and heat-resistant mechanisms keep equipment stable and problem-free.

For demanding live production environments where there is no chance of a redo, look for a redundant projector design. This gives you double the reliability, so you need never worry about consistent operation at critical moments.

Audio and Microphones 

Audio technology is a critical part of any live production, from music events to live-streamed lectures. Institutions are integrating advanced audio capabilities into conference rooms and auditoriums to support live production in every environment. Panasonic Connect has a full range of wireless microphone options for scenarios from corporate boardrooms to the classroom .

Here are some features to consider as you plan the sound component of your live production program.

• Camera integration
• Audio management
• Use case requirements
• Sound quality

Achieve easier operations and better experiences with seamless camera integration

Today's microphones are smarter and more connected than ever before. Panasonic's wireless microphones now integrate seamlessly with our video equipment  to create an end-to-end audio-visual experience that can make life easier for operators and deliver better ROI.

The best example of this is a software integration that allows Panasonic wireless microphones to trigger presets on our full suite of point, tilt, and zoom (PTZ) cameras. The SF300 software plug-in for our PTZ control center software allows cameras to track speakers around the room using voice input from wireless microphones, providing seamless, realistic experiences for remote attendees. We offer a similar voice-triggered tracking feature for Sennheiser mics, focusing on stage environments.

Improve event audio with simpler management 

Audio innovations can also improve live productions such as meetings that involve multiple fixed speakers. Conference mode  manages up to six microphones paired on a single channel, enabling operators to control them from a central point.

Choose the right mic for the job

Panasonic offers a range of wireless microphones designed for clarity in live production environments. These include the WX-ST700 boundary microphone, which is optimized to pick up dialog from two people. The WM-KG645 gooseneck microphone offers directional single-person vocal pickup. Lavalier microphones offer the advantage of mobility, enabling speakers to move around effortlessly in the space.

Always be ready to deliver top-quality sound

DECT 1.9GHz wireless communications keep audio crystal clear, communicating between microphones and antennas that can be placed around the outside of a room and connected back to a central receiver via CAT 5 cable. Power isn't a problem thanks to the WX-SZ600 charging station , which charges multiple wireless microphone transmitters simultaneously and has a network port for remote monitoring.

Panasonic Connect has spent years building camera options that provide total coverage. Our innovation goes beyond just the image. Factors critical to effective setup and operation include: 

• Shot quality and coverage
• Remote and robotic control
• Auto-tracking software
• Connectivity

Capture the shot every time

Pick cameras that can hone in on sufficient detail for your live event with high-resolution high-zoom lenses. When Florida State University’s Florida Channel upgraded the cameras that it used to film sessions in the state legislature, it chose Panasonic's UE150 PTZ camera with a 20x optical zoom.

Multiple camera options enable full coverage from wide-angle down to handheld shots. When Oak Creek Assembly of God church upgraded its camera system to cover live events, it installed two UC4000 studio cameras to capture wide-area shots, while two UE150 PTZ cameras picked up shots from other angles. A separate handheld CX350 professional camcorder enabled operators to capture action from onstage, while two UE4 cameras captured audience action.

PTZ cameras enable multiple-shot coverage, maximizing flexibility and ROI for live production.

Invest in remote control for better ROI

Remote control options for cameras improve your ROI by giving operators central control of multi-camera production systems. This feature reduced operator overhead for the Florida Channel as it coordinated shots around the state Capitol from a central point.

At Panasonic Connect, we go beyond PTZ camera functionality with robotic jigs from our partner organization, Tecnopoint . These allow our cameras to move through multiple axes using remotely controlled columns and dollies.

This combination of PTZ camera manipulation, zoom focus, and smooth robotic scrolling enabled TEDxCambridge to capture presenters up close and personal on stage using a Panasonic UE150 PTZ camera mounted on a Tecnopoint robotic system.

Keep PTZ cameras focused on the action with auto-tracking software

Our auto-tracking software uses machine learning algorithms to help each PTZ camera recognize and track faces and bodies around a room. This enables live event production teams to capture higher-quality shots than operators can achieve using the mouse, especially for fast-moving, unpredictable subjects.

This feature was especially useful for event production agency Cramer when working with an unpredictable subject whose dancing would change with each shot. Auto-tracking saved time and money in shot set-up by minimizing rehearsal time.

Leverage state-of-the-art systems for superior image quality

Some event productions demand the highest quality images possible. That's why the AW-UE150 that TEDxCambridge used features high dynamic range (HDR) in 4K to deliver crisp, vibrant images.

Consider lighting options when choosing your broadcast camera. The AW-UE150's sibling camera, the AW-UE160 , features a new 4K one-inch sensor for clear images in challenging lighting conditions.

Enjoy simple, fast connectivity

Camera connectivity to switches is an especially important consideration in multi-camera event productions, where network bandwidth and switch capacity might be an issue. Panasonic broadcast cameras support SMPTE ST 2110, a connection that delivers crisp, clear images with a lower bandwidth than older standards. NDI support also delivers audio, video, and data along a single Ethernet cable for lower-budget productions.

Digital signage solutions are an excellent way to deliver all types of information during your event. They can even help increase operational efficiency and decrease costs. 

Panasonic Connect offers a Complete Digital Signage Solution incorporating hardware, software, accessories, and services to create an end-to-end custom set-up-and-go experience. Digital display options range from small to gigantic. From single-screen digital signage through to multi-panel video wall displays, we have your live video production event covered. You can choose from a range of digital screens, including high-resolution 4k display signage, to support every scenario while maintaining quality in each pixel.

Flat panel displays come in both landscape and portrait formats in an array of sizes to suit your needs. You can also enhance your display capabilities with our range of add-ons, including mounts and media players.

Features to keep in mind when selecting a display solution include:

• Management and monitoring software
• Device service offerings
• Suitability for the specific use case

Networked functionality creates a cohesive fabric of content

Panasonic's ecosystem manages your content from event production through to professional display. Our Content Management Software empowers customers to manage and synchronize audio, video, and animated content across multiple platforms, getting it to digital displays across your organization as needed. Our monitoring software also checks the health of the displays across the network so that you'll never be left with a dark screen again.

Unlock the full value of our display technology with a rich set of service offerings

When purchasing digital displays and other signage, be sure that you're also purchasing the service portfolio that you need. Panasonic's team can help you design your digital signage setup, including the placement of digital displays and the networking solutions to integrate them seamlessly. We can handle installation and offer maintenance support.

Durability is key

Durability is a top consideration when considering the placement of your displays. This is especially true when displays are located in high-traffic areas or in outdoor spaces.

Displays support a wide range of use cases

Digital displays can relay audio and video originally captured during live event production for extra visual appeal in a wide variety of environments, including houses of worship , schools , corporate settings , and retail stores.

Houses of Worship

HOW digital signage can provide information and directional guidance to visitors, while also relaying live video production to those outside the main worship hall during especially popular events. Houses of worship are often interested in expanding their audiences to more sites, prompting them to install digital displays at satellite locations that relay both prerecorded and live event production worship sessions from the main site.

High schools, colleges, and universities can all take advantage of sophisticated digital signage solutions that assist with wayfinding and emergency alerts. They are also excellent for live streaming esports and other college events to different locations on campus.

Corporate Settings

Companies frequently use Panasonic's digital signage solutions to share company information, including daily events and meeting room schedules. They also enable interactivity around corporate buildings or campuses, supporting high-resolution video conferencing. Digital displays are perfect for relaying live or prerecorded video to different sites from conferences and other corporate events.

Retail Stores

Retail organizations can inspire and attract shoppers with the latest product videos and information, featured on crisp 4K displays. They can even relay live demos across their stores to maximize interest in their products.

Live Production Switchers

Event production needs more than top-quality cameras and microphones to capture live performances. It also requires a central point of control that allows producers to mix and manipulate a range of different inputs into a polished final product. That's where video production switchers like Panasonic's KAIROS  come into play.

Key considerations when sourcing a production switcher for your live event production include:

• Remote work capabilities
• Functionality
• Scalability
• User interface

Simpler management for smoother event production

When producing a busy live event, there's little time to react and no margin for error. KAIROS is an IP-based live production platform, meaning that it uses the best in modern transport and processing protocols . In addition to production switching it provides multiviewing, graphics, clip storage, and audio mixing. It also supports functions such as tally, remote operating panels, and camera control.

This simpler IP-based management was critical for full-service event production company GlobeStream Media , which uses KAIROS for remote production of live-streamed college sports broadcasting events. KAIROS supports the company's multi-camera production needs via a single dashboard.

World-class connectivity for easy integration

Whether the inputs are SDI, compressed streaming, or SMPTE ST 2110 IP, KAIROS' open architecture enables it to integrate easily with third-party equipment. It also supports multiple I/O and video formats for direct input and output of different signals without conversion for unparalleled input/output flexibility.

Remote capabilities for event production from anywhere

Not all event production equipment or staff need to be on-site. KAIROS supports remote operation thanks to its native IP integration, enabling users like full-service production company LiveX to move between studios at will, the company said.

LiveX uses every feature in its KAIROS platform to create polished live-streamed productions. This includes its layer-based content creation, composition, and color correction capabilities. KAIROS supports unlimited scenes and layers for complex video production. The platform offers multi-screen operation, making it easier for producers to manage complex multi-camera event production. It can also produce video in unconventional aspect ratio formats without a multi-screen processor. KAIROS also features high-performance, low-latency processing thanks to its GPU architecture, ensuring perfect lip-sync and the ability to drive IMAG imagery on large and non-standard dimension displays.

Easily expandable to grow with your live production projects

Building a production control room is an investment in future event production. It's important that a platform is able to expand with you as the scale and sophistication of your productions grow. That's why Panasonic Connect built KAIROS with scalability and upgrades in mind. Customers can add new features, along with multiple control surfaces, as their needs change.

2023 also saw the release of powerful KC200 and KC2000 Core mainframe KAIROS hardware that supports larger, more complex productions. The KC200 is a mid-range unit with a 50% increase in video processing performance over the KC100, and more I/O capabilities. The high-end KC2000 offers twice the number of inputs and outputs than the previous highest-end model, the KC1000. It also offers a 30% increase in video processing performance, along with more internal capacity for storing and playing video.

KAIROS enhances the user experience

When producing a busy live event, there's little time to react and no margin for error. That’s why KAIROS offers both a traditional hardware control panel for TDs accustomed to other production switchers and a software UI driven with a touchscreen or keyboard and mouse that very approachable for users who are more familiar with graphics or AV production tools. Snapshots and macros can be quickly triggered to automate sequences of actions that provide high production value.

Network redundancy supports reliable operation

Live event production is the worst time for the network to go down. If an outage to the switch would cause you any inconvenience, then opt for the new Panasonic KAIROS Cores. Their IP compatibility enables them to support redundant network operation in a way that wasn't possible with incumbent SDI standards. Their 2022-7 network redundancy routes audio and video over multiple network connections to keep event production running if one link fails.

Production Software

Software is at the heart of Panasonic's event production solutions. It connects an ecosystem that reaches from our KAIROS production switchers out to the cameras and microphones that feed its inputs. Together, it creates a streamlined end-to-end experience encompassing easy set-up and advanced functionality.

KAIROS software and hardware go hand-in-hand in cutting-edge production environments. With hardware providing raw power, KAIROS software interface offers maximum configuration to match production needs.

Key features of Panasonic Connect production software include:

• Range of production capabilities
• Ease of use
• Fast set up
• Support for various broadcast protocols

Access a range of creator features

The KAIROS Creator Software that lies at the heart of our production switcher system features support for macOS, making it familiar to thousands of professional creatives across the country. Its easy access to features, including color correction, shot playback, graphics editing, layers, and transitions, are key for many live event production companies. LiveX , for example, used the software to effectively manage productions remotely, reducing the number of people on set.

Easily handle complex live productions with pre-set workflows

Maximizing user productivity is a key factor for event production companies. The pre-set workflows in KAIROS software enable even non-technical crews to handle complex live productions with ease. It also accelerates the training process for staff, reducing their time to productivity.

Make field equipment more functional

Our production software also serves tech teams outside the central control room, making it easier to set up and use field equipment. For example, Panasonic's EasyIP Setup tool for the AW-UE40 PTZ camera enabled GlobeStream Media to set up fast, easy video streaming from the sports field back to a remote production room, where it could live-switch the show using the KAIROS production switcher.

Similarly, the Geometry Manager Pro software built into key Panasonic projectors made set up a snap for Sardis when using seamless large-format multi-projector images.

Support for broadcast protocols

Panasonic Connect production software supports real-time, high-quality video feeds including Real Time Transport Protocol (RTP), Real Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP), and Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP). GlobeStream Media used these to stream content back to a central site for remote production.

The Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) protocol also supports 4K/60p video streaming, offering companies like LiveX stable transmission of high-quality video, even in unstable network environments. It's a great option for streaming video back to a central production studio from a remote event.

Create Polished Live Events with Panasonic Connect

Production companies, corporations, and venues are already using Panasonic Connect's event production solutions to level up their content and inspire new audiences. Used together, our equipment can take live production to new heights.

Panasonic gives you the power to constantly amaze audiences by introducing new features into live events when you're ready to enhance the sophistication and quality of your event production. Talk to us about how we can help you craft a custom ecosystem that will serve your audiences now and long into the future.

TAGS: CAMERAS , KAIROS , PRO AUDIO , PROFESSIONAL DISPLAYS , PROJECTORS

Related products, ak-plv100 cine studio camera.

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AW-UE160 4K PTZ Camera

Industry’s first ST 2110 compatible PTZ Camera

Rugged Outdoor 4K PTZ Camera

ST-2110 Native Live Video Production Platform

55″, 3.5mm Bezel-to-Bezel, Full HD LCD Video Wall Display 

AW-UE150 4K

PRO PTZ Camera

AK-UC4000 4K

Broadcast Camera System

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MEETINGS & EVENTS

Event, concert production, and entertainment services, production prowess for complex events..

As a hybridized live events production company, we’ve delivered across numerous special event types nationwide; customer experience tours, large-scale corporate events, mixed concert/ live music engagement experiences, and 20 years of North American Auto Show tours & events. We apply the same technology-forward design principles and years of proven production services to ensure even the most complex tours and demanding entertainment events run like clockwork. 

We bring full account, production, logistics, design & fabrication teams to the table to provide full-service support for tours and entertainment events.  Our easy and open communication channels​​ help keep events moving smoothly from pre-production through to the last event. 

Additionally, access to the Bluewater creative, software, and experience design teams bring additional benefit and streamlined production for touring and entertainment programs, bringing the overall complexity for organizers down  and meeting your specific needs. We know how live event productions work in order to facilitate an incredible experience for all involved.

At a glance

Event production management to support touring and entertainment. 

• Environment Design 

Stage Design

• Equipment Rental 
• Tour Logistics 
• Technical Labor 

How it's used

Environment design.

From the main stage to the concourse, we make it easy to visualize what your event will look like. What technology, what physical properties, and how it all lays out in each space. 

• Stage Lighting & Design
• Printed Graphics
• Show Services
• Stage & Set Design

From simple well lit static backdrops, to immersive digital canvases we provide our partners with options for stage design to ensure their messaging is seen all. 

• Set & Scenic
• Engineering
• Presentation Content
• Special Effects
• Equipment Rental

Access to clean, high-quality audiovisual equipment and all of the supporting peripherals that are required to support a tour. Whether renting, purchasing, or leasing equipment we assist our clients with the best financial choice. 

• Projection 
• Video Walls
• Switching & Routing
• Media Servers
• Rigging & Staging

Tour Logistics

Both tours and entertainment events share one thing in common; there is a lot of planning involved. We provide full coordination and project management for show labor, travel, and other vendor management through our show services group.

• Travel Coordination
• Labor Coordination
• Vendor Management
• CAD & Engineering

Technical Labor

Touring & entertainment events can be demanding; the complexity of the technology is often amplified with a compressed timeline for setup and teardown. We build a technical support team to assist these types of events from pre-production through every stop they make.  

• Rigging & Setup
• Load in / Load out
• Run of Show
• Technical Direction
• Temporary Networks

Our approach

Tours can be a challenge to navigate. There are often multiple deliverables at play at any given point in the planning process; developing the show schedule, planning for pre and post show communication, staff travel coordination, arranging show services, ensuring proper training, coordinating on-site technical support, and of course all of the required design, build, and setup of the show itself. 

You don’t need to let planning or technical coordination distract you from what really matters though. Bluewater is a full service production company and our team successfully supports some of the largest events in the world, both live and virtual events, and even hybrid. We make the show process easier by taking on whatever portion of the lift that’s required. Whether that’s just providing access to modern AV equipment to support your message, or creating custom brand activations to draw in and retain a crowd so you can focus on what really matters – the client interactions and telling your story.

Contact Bluewater today to discuss your event. 

01. Opportunity Alignment What’s the desired outcome? Where are the guardrails?

02. Design Collaborative process to create directional agreement & scope of work.

03. Execute Dot the i’s and cross the t’s. Deliver on our joint statement of work.

04. Support & Measure Bring it full circle to generate maximum impact.

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Bluewater is the only woman-owned business of its kind, operating four industry-leading business units that support sensory storytelling through digital & physical canvases.

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WE HELP YOU

Take your show, on the road.

Whether you're a musical artist, digital content creator, or an author, podcaster or media personality, we can provide logistics and production solutions for your tour or events. We produce tours and events from the ground up and have expertise in each of the jobs involved in presenting a tour or live event. We are tour producers, tour and production managers, creative designers, audio engineers, tour accountants, merchandise and VIP services strategists and have been involved with all levels of tours and events

TOUR PRODUCERS | PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT | EVENT LOGISTICS

WE HELP YOU TAKE YOUR SHOW ON THE ROAD

Whether you're a musical artist, digital content creator, or an author, podcaster or media personality, we can provide logistics and production solutions for your tour,  virtual  or live events. We produce webstreams, tours, conventions and events from the ground up and have expertise in each of the jobs involved in presenting a tour, virtual or live event. We are tour producers, tour and production managers, creative designers, audio engineers, tour accountants, merchandise and VIP services strategists and have been involved with all

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Onstage Systems

Finding an Event Production Company for Your Concert, Tour or Music Festival: What To Look For, How to Vet Them, and What You Need To Know

Start With The End In Mind

Before searching for your ideal concert, tour, or event production company, make sure you set the relationship up for success. This preparation includes starting early. Pre-production meetings for your event should begin roughly three months prior to the event’s date. You should also take this time to develop a clear vision for your event. Even a veteran event production company can have difficulty bringing out the potential for an event if your vision isn’t clear. You also need to make a checklist of the needs for your concert, event, or tour production. Items for your checklist include:

• Sound & Lighting
• Interactive Components
• What equipment is being provided by the venue
• What equipment needs to be rented
• Will the event be broadcast, live-streamed, or need to be professionally recorded?

AV Company vs. Event Production Company: Make Sure You Understand What You Are Looking For

Once you have the idea and the rough needs of your event outlined, you should start looking for an event production company. The first thing to identify in your research is that your prospective partners are professional event production companies. Sometimes an audio-visual company likes to stretch its offerings and moonlight as an event production company. An AV company is competent in running event equipment and can help you set up said equipment for your event, but that is where their expertise ends. They are not an event production company.

An event production company does provide equipment setup and operation, but also much more. A full-service event production company can help you design your event from the ground up. Onstage Systems has helped many clients early in the event process with tasks like venue selection and permitting. Beyond setup, an event production company will help bring your event vision to life. They can help you with the design and coordination of your stage, audio, lighting, and multimedia, turning your event idea into an extraordinary audience experience. That’s in addition to providing the nuts and bolts of offstage event production like crowd control and security. Events are far more than running lights and sound. It’s essential you work with an event production partner that can provide the full scope of services your event needs.

Event Planning, Event Management, and Event Production Companies

You also want to make sure you’re looking for the correct type of event production partner. Though they may sound similar, there are differences between an event planning company, an event management company, and an event production company. An event planning company helps on the front end, assisting clients in finding venues, finalizing event dates, hiring caterers, manage budgets, etc. In contrast, an event management company handles the project management side of event production. These companies help with event registration, managing event staff, and resolving onsite conflicts, to execute your event. An event production company focuses on the live, stage presentation of an event. They often work with the presenters/acts, AV crews, and technology vendors to produce and deliver the amazing live experiences at an event, concert, or tour. Generally, the event production company handles all production aspects of the stage production for the client.

Consider Event Production Companies or AV Companies Outside of Your Search Radius

Online research will skew towards your location. That can keep you from finding great event production companies that are outside your metro area, who would be an excellent fit for your event, and who are willing to travel. For example, Onstage Systems is based in DFW, but we help put on events, concerts, and tours from Nashville to Albuquerque. You could miss out on a great event production company partner by centering your research on your current location.

Establishing a Budget For Your Event

One of the biggest questions for a group planning an event is price. Look for an event production company partner whose pricing seems fair and reasonable for what you ask them to deliver for the event. To determine what is right and fair, consider what all your event entails. An event production company provides labor but also may provide equipment, staging, furniture, crowd control, security, and transportation. In addition to those costs, there are creative design, insurance, permitting, and taxes. An event’s costs can quickly balloon, especially if you begin involving multiple event partners like an event production company, event planner, and event management. The more moving parts in your event production, the more expensive it will become.

Sticker shock can drive some groups to search out budget solutions and low bids. But, if the price seems too good to be true, it probably is. Often a budget price translates to a budget production. The last thing you want for your event is to spend less and feel like you didn’t get your money’s worth. Remember, your event’s success is determined by its impact on the audience and how memorable it is. So spend your money where it will have the most impact, in the event’s production. Engage a full-service event production company early in your event timeline. A good, full-service event production company can help review your budget and suggest ways to use it to provide the best production, “bang for your buck.” They may be able to help you negotiate discounts and uncover additional cost savings to help your event production budget stretch further.

Vetting Event Production Companies

One of the first things you should consider when culling your list of potential partners is event production company specialties. Some event production companies specialize in corporate events like trade shows, conferences, seminars, and product launches. That company is likely not the ideal partner for your summer concert festival. Similarly, you may forego working with an event production company that specializes in broadcast if you’re not planning to broadcast, stream, or record your event. Many 2021 events have transitioned from full virtual to hybrid events, featuring in-person production, crowd control, and live-streaming. So you may be looking for an event production company partner like Onstage Systems that has been doing hybrid events for over a year now, and producing live events for over 40 years.

Experience & Licensing

Once you’ve assembled a shortlist of potential partners, you can start investigating them to find your best partner. One of the best hallmarks to look for is experience. How long have they been in business? Does their track record of work fit the type of event you’re producing? In addition to experience, ask about an event production company’s certifications, licenses, affiliations, and ensure they have general liability coverage and workers compensation coverage.

Online Presence

Delving into an event production company’s social media, website, and old event footage is a great way to get a feel for their event production. You can also learn a lot about the company’s core values, the quality of the people they have on their team, and the quality of service they provide. For example, looking back through our social media, you can learn about some of the challenges we needed to overcome to help produce a 1,000 drone open-air light show in December.

Also, check online for feedback, reviews, and referrals. You should also consider asking vendors, venues, and other event producers if they know or have worked with an event production company. This feedback can help you quickly discover less desirable event production partners.

How do the events your prospects produce look and sound? At the end of the day, this is how event attendees and concert-goers will judge your event. Look for an event production partner that is bringing something unique to the event. Look for photographs and videos of their events across the internet to see if they have a wow factor that can benefit your event.

Event Production Company Questions

Once you’ve winnowed down your potential partners, it’s time for direct questions. These questions are in the final step to help you determine if an event production company is right for you.

• What are your core services?
• What equipment can you provide, and what will you need to rent?
• Are you able to travel?
• Can you source local labor on the road?
• Can you hire/coordinate your own AV labor?
• Can you provide a show flow or cue-to-cue document?
• Can you tell me about the latest event production trends and technology?
• Choosing Your Ideal Event Production Company

Like any good partnership, you have to like and trust the people you work with. In your gut, do you trust an event production company can bring your vision for an event to life? Even after your interviews, if your potential event production partner checks all the boxes but your gut says otherwise, it may be best to trust your gut and keep looking.

Now you are ready to find your ideal event production company for your Spring and Summer event, concert, or tour. In your search, consider Onstage Systems. We have more than 40 years of experience in live events and offer full-service live event production with audio engineers, lighting experts, and technicians ready to bring your vision to life.

Learn More About Onstage Systems Event Production Capabilities

8721 Forney Rd. Dallas, TX, 75227 Phone:  972.686.4488

Lighting Design, Production Design Support // 2017 - Present

Lighting Design // Post Malone’s Twelve Carat Toothache: A VR Experience // 2022

Lighting Design // The Shaq’tacular Spectacular!: A NYE Concert Experience // 2022

Production Design, Lighting Design, Execution // 2021 - Present

Production Design, Lighting Design, Content, Execution // 2018 - Present

Lighting Design // 2021 // “Will” by Will Smith Book Tour

Lighting Design // 2022

Production Design, Lighting Design, Execution  // 2020 // Facebook Live + Tour

Production Design, Lighting Design, Programming, Execution // 2013 - 2021

Design, Execution  // 2018 - 2021 // Red Rocks (multiple)

Production Design, Content, Execution // 2012 - 2017

Production Design, Execution // 2014 - 2016

 Design, Execution  // 2018 - Present // Red Rocks (multiple)

Production Design, Execution // 2016 // RockInRio

Production Design, Execution // 2014 - 2015 // Madison Square Garden (multiple)

Production Design, Execution // 2012 - Present

Production Design, Execution // 2013 // The Warfield - San Francisco, CA

A turnkey production design & consulting firm with over 20 years of experience in the live entertainment industry. We bring your projects from concept to reality, combining our expertise with the latest technology. Our projects range from Live Touring, Theater, Film, VR, XR, Activations, Installations, Festivals and more.

- Production Design - Lighting Design - Laser & Special FX Design - Staging & Scenic Design  - Video & Projection Design - Technical Systems Design

- Creation - Direction - Development - Editing - Programming - Animation - 2D & 3D  - Virtual Reality - Augmented Reality - 3D Pre-Visulization  - Pre, Live & Post

- Direction & Producing - Creative Direction - Art Direction - Show Direction - Scenic & Set Design - Tour Consulting - Equipment Consulting - Logistics Consulting - Venue Design - Activations

- Logistics and management  - Lighting Programming - Video Programming - Laser Programming  - Projection & Projection Mapping - SFX Programming

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LobbyCall is a collective of Tour & Production managers that provides its services for international touring artists .

LobbyCall has a 360° approach when it comes to providing the best Tour production decisions for their clients. LobbyCall has got a proven track record of working with the best people for the job, producing a live tour design that raises the bar for each client while always making sure that budgets are safeguarded. 

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Touring & Entertainment

This is lmg.

LMG Touring & Entertainment is behind the scenes providing the technology, crew, and support for virtual and live productions.

TOURS | FESTIVALS | CONCERTS | LIVESTREAMS | COMMERCIALS | CINEMA-STYLE SHOOTS |  EXPERIENTIAL | VIRTUAL

Video and graphics are the core of any live event’s messaging and provide the focal point that brings everyone together. Displayed on widescreens, LED or monitors, our systems are built and designed to deliver the finest visual experience possible.

Audio reinforcement is critical for sound clarity and cleanliness during your event. From traditional speakers to massive line array systems, getting the sound right isn't just important, it's crucial.

Lighting fixtures of all shapes, sizes and capabilities come together to provide the right look, feel and function for any type of event. Lighting not only provides proper stage illumination, it is an artistic endeavor that delivers impact, emotion, intensity, form and color.

LED allows for a versatile, lightweight and cost-effective solution to dynamically display your content in a striking digital format. These life-size building blocks enable you to choose everything from pixel pitch and shape to size and configuration for a truly customized solution!

YOU HAVE CREATIVE CONCEPTS. We’ve got technical solutions.

As a full-service provider of video, audio, lighting, and LED, LMG Touring & Entertainment covers all technical aspects of the show.

From pre-vis to packaging, load-in to load-out, we’re here to support you and do whatever it takes to get the job done right. Because we believe that unforgettable shows are the product of strong relationships.

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Out on The Road

We serve as the single point of contact for all things technical, providing high-end technology, efficient packaging, 24/7 equipment and labor support, and responsive, flexible, and competent crew.

Rehearse in comfort in one of our state-of-the-art rehearsal studios, located in Las Vegas and Orlando. Our studios feature production offices, a crew lounge, private showers, 24-hour access, and a convenient 15-minute drive to the airport.

COVID-SAFE APPROACH

The safety of our crew, clients, and vendors is our highest priority. We closely monitor and follow the CDC recommended COVID protocols.

2023 Avenged Sevenfold: Avenged Sevenfold’s “Life is But a Dream Tour” Comes to Life with LMG Touring

by LMG Touring & Entertainment | January 29, 2024 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments

LMG Touring Enables Visual Experience for Avenged Sevenfold’s “Life is But a Dream Tour”

LMG Touring Expands Global Strategy with New London Location

by LMG Touring & Entertainment | November 2, 2023 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments

LMG Touring is thrilled to announce its expansion into London, bringing exceptional touring and entertainment solutions to clients in the UK and Europe.

LMG Supports U2’s Vegas Pop-Up Show Featuring New Single, “Atomic City”

by LMG Touring & Entertainment | October 4, 2023 | Uncategorized | 0 Comments

U2’s performance of “Atomic City” was a preview of what promises to be an unforgettable residency, “U2: UV Achtung Baby Live At The Sphere” and is set to kick off on September 29.

Expert Concert Production Services for Artists, Venues, and Promoters

At Production Live, we’re not just service providers – we’re partners in creating unforgettable concert experiences. With a deep understanding of the unique needs of artists, venues, and promoters, we offer comprehensive concert production services that ensure seamless planning and execution from both technical and logistical perspectives.

With roots in UK Club touring, we’ve amassed over 15 years of experience in touring production and venue technical management. Our journey has led us to work with thousands of artists worldwide, including supporting tours for renowned artists like Stormzy and Rita Ora, and contributing to iconic festivals such as Truck, Reading, and Common People.

Our extensive experience has shaped our approach in four key areas:

Music First : We believe music is the heart of every concert. Everything we do is aimed at enhancing the audience’s experience.

Customised Approach : We understand that every tour and venue is unique. We reject a “one size fits all” approach in favour of tailored solutions.

Simplicity and Impact : Creating a memorable impact doesn’t have to be complex. As a wise Lighting Director once told us, “black is a great colour”.

Passion for the Job : We love what we do. After all, not everyone gets to experience the thrill of concerts, let alone make a living from it!

Whether you’re an artist manager, promoter, or venue operator, we’re here to support your concert production needs. Don’t wait – get in touch with us today to discover how we can help create your next unforgettable concert experience.

Our Concert Production Services Include

- live concert production - event pro audio & system design - lighting design & support - video & media services - tech crew & show ops - stage, production & tour management - creative direction - tour logistics - festival & community events - venue technical management - venue install & refurbishment services - technical & creative consultancy, some people we've worked with.

Production Management & Design

Production Live has a network of some of the most talented concert designers in the industry, helping us support shows at every level of live music. Whether it’s a floor package and backdrop for a club tour or a full touring stadium system, we can find you the resources you need, in order to deliver a memorable audience experience.

We want to produce the most memorable concerts globally. Consequently, we use the latest technology in sound, lighting, video, sets and SFX. This can be found across our designs, both on large and small scale events.

Above all, concerts are about the music. However, we are here to enhance that experience for all.   

Technical Management

Our technical knowledge spans all major departments, and we have experience working at the highest level across them. However, we do also work for many smaller events, festival and non-profit events, and therefore understand the importance of value for money.

We have 15 years experience delivering professional technical services to some of the most prominent artists in the world.  Therefore, You show will be in safe hands with us. 

In addition to our knowledge and industry contacts, above all, we have a passion for music that shows through our work. We will ensure you have access to the resources you need, but likewise, ensure that a high quality show is at the centre of it all.

Venues & Festivals

In addition to our work in concert touring ,we also work closely with venues and festivals to help them shine. Consequently, Production Live has supported many UK festivals, providing both resource, such as equipment and technicians.

Likewise, we have worked closely with promoters such as MJR Group/TAG, in or to look after several of their UK venues. For example we have worked in several of the venues, supplying technical and production management, along with AV installations and venue maintenance. Our contributions have happened across various sized venues in their chain. We also offer consultation to venues, looking to develop their facilities.

Touring Concert Production

Are looking for a Splitter driver with some tour management experience, multiple trucks of Stage, rigging and tech, or anything in-between? We can resource all of this for you. In addition, whatever elements of the production team and logistics you require, our team will make sure you get what you need.

Production Live also has experience with arranging rehearsal spaces and pre-production, along with advancing tours and filming promotions. Our job is to help make your tour run as stress-free and cost-effective as possible.

Getting started with our tour support is simple. In short email or phone us, with the tour dates along with any particulars you have on your budget and theme. After than, we’ll get to work! 

Privacy Overview

Creating Bold, Inspiring Events

Envision what’s possible.

We’re all about moving your dreams and vision forward. We know you want a killer event your audience will love. You want people to fall head over heels for you, your brand, your product - and we’re the team that’ll make it happen. With over a century of combined experience, our team knows how to pair the right elements with your vision to make ANYTHING happen. Together we’ll build something great!

Our Services

Innovation starts at Elite

We are a full-scale audio, video, lighting and LED production rental house. We strive to provide the newest and latest gear to help provide top-tier support to our customer’s event production designs nationwide. We constantly are updating our inventory with latest in technology to service all our or clients needs no matter the type of production. Tradeshow, television and film, outdoor concerts and festivals, corporate events or tours, Elite Multimedia has you covered all under one roof.

Get Inspired

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Novartis AHA Trade Show

Luke Bryan - What Makes you Country Tour

Young Living National Convention

Hino Trucks Trade Show

Seether | Poison the Parish Tour

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BuzzFeed Exhibit

Alan Jackson

Dreamhack 2022

Jon Pardi - Ain't Always The Cowboy Tour

Luke Bryan - Raised Up Right Tour

LET'S CREATE SOMETHING UNFORGETTABLE

Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Elite is a one-stop shop for concert touring, live event production and production gear rental. Offering full-service AV production, video production, and live event lighting and LED, they provide the most comprehensive production support and services at the highest quality to clients across the world.

Our services.

• Corporate Events
• Trade Shows
• Our Company

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Click below to get the latest Thorn news and be the first to know when tickets go on sale for both English and Spanish Thorn shows.

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Kygo Announces World Tour Across North America and Europe

SPECIAL GUESTS SOFI TUKKER, GRYFFIN, SAM FELDT, ZARA LARSSON, KLANGKARUSSELL, HAYLA, VICTORIA NADINE AND VANDELUX TO JOIN ON SELECT DATES

New single, “for life” ft. zak abel & nile rodgers out now, listen here, tickets available starting tuesday, april 23 with presales, general onsale begins on friday, april 26 at 10am local at kygothealbum.com.

Today,  global superstar, producer, and DJ Kygo announced part one of his 2024 world tour across North America, Europe and the UK. Produced by Live Nation, the 26-date run kicks off on Saturday, September 7 in Commerce City, CO at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park, with stops in Boston, Toronto, Chicago, Berlin, Amsterdam, Paris, London and more before wrapping up on Friday, December 13 in Dublin, Ireland at 3Arena. As the highest-selling ticket artist in dance music, part one of Kygo’s 2024 dates marks his first tour since 2018 and will bring his incredible live show across the globe. The impressive, must-see performance will feature Kygo’s signature piano, as well as strings, singers, and drummers. Special guests SOFI TUKKER, GRYFFIN, Sam Feldt , Zara Larsson, Klangkarussell, Hayla , Victoria Nadine , and Vandelux will join on select dates.

The Kygo World Tour will feature performances at iconic venues around the world, including Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl, Brooklyn’s Barclays Center and a hometown show at Telenor Arena in Oslo, Norway.

The new tour announcement comes on the heels of Kygo’s new single release, “For Life” ft. Zak Abel & Nile Rodgers, from last week.

NORTH AMERICA TICKETS: Tickets for the U.S. dates will be available starting with a Verizon presale (details below) beginning Tuesday, April 23 at 10am local time. An artist presale will begin Wednesday, April 24 at 10am local time. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning Friday, April 26 at 10am local time at kygothealbum.com .

• VERIZON PRESALE: Verizon will offer customers presale access for the The Kygo Tour for applicable U.S dates through Verizon Up. Customers will have access to purchase presale tickets for the shows beginning Tuesday, April 23 at 10am local time to Friday, April 26 at 9am local time. For more details visit Verizon Up .
• AMEX PRESALE: For the Hollywood Bowl show, American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning Tuesday, April 23 at 10am PT through Friday, April 26 at 9am PT.

EUROPE + UK TICKETS: Tickets for the Europe/UK dates will be available starting with a Mastercard presale (details below) beginning Tuesday, April 23 at 10am local time. An artist presale will begin Wednesday, April 24 at 10am local time. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning Friday, April 26 at 10am local time at kygothealbum.com .

• MASTERCARD PRESALE: Mastercard cardholders have special access to presale tickets in Norway, France, Netherlands, Italy, Sweden, Denmark and Belgium starting from Tuesday, April 23 at 10am local time until Friday, April 26 at 10am local time. Preferred ticket access is available to Mastercard cardholders in the UK on April 26 at 10am. Visit priceless.com/music to find out more.

VIP: Fans can also purchase VIP Packages, which may include premium tickets, an on stage photo op, access to the VIP Lounge, a VIP-exclusive Kygo gift item and more. VIP package contents vary based on the offer selected. For more information, visit vipnation.com .

KYGO WORLD TOUR 2024 DATES:

Sat Sep 07 – Commerce City, CO – DICK’S Sporting Goods Park *+

Thu Sep 12 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion *+

Fri Sep 13 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center *+

Tue Sep 17 – Boston, MA – TD Garden *+

Fri Sep 20 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre *+

Sat Sep 21 – Toronto, ON – Woodbine Park *+

Wed Sep 25 – Chicago, IL – Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island ^~

Sat Sep 28 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater ^~

Fri Oct 04 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center ^~

Wed Oct 09 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena ^~

Thu Oct 10 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena ^~

Thu Oct 17 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl ^~

Wed Nov 06 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena > =

Fri Nov 08 – Oslo, Norway – Telenor Arena > %

Wed Nov 13 – Stockholm, Sweden – Tele2 Arena >=

Fri Nov 15 – Berlin, Germany – Uber Arena >=

Sun Nov 17 – Budapest, Hungary – MVM Dome *=

Thu Nov 21 – Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena #=

Sat Nov 23 – Vienna, Austria – Stadthalle #=

Tue Nov 26 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome #=

Fri Nov 29 – Milan, Italy – Forum #=

Tue Dec 03 – Madrid, Spain – Wizink Center #=

Fri Dec 06 – Brussels, Belgium – ING Arena #=

Sat Dec 07 – Paris, France – Accor Arena #=

Wed Dec 11 – London, UK – The O2  #+

Fri Dec 13 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena #+

# With SOFI TUKKER

> With GRYFFIN

* With Sam Feldt

^ With Zara Larsson

= With Klangkarussell

+ With Hayla

% With Victoria Nadine

~ With Vandelux

Whether behind the piano in his studio or headlining a sold-out festival, Kygo quietly reaffirms his status as a prodigious talent, forward-thinking producer, dynamic DJ, and influential global superstar. The Norwegian musician born Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll first introduced himself in 2013 and quietly became one of the most ubiquitous hitmakers in the world. Amassing over 23 billion cumulative global audio and video streams, he has broken numerous streaming records. Kygo earned one of his biggest hits with the multiplatinum “It Ain’t Me” (feat. Selena Gomez), going Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and clocking over 2.9 billion streams worldwide. In 2019, Kygo unleashed “Higher Love” with Whitney Houston and generated another 1.4 billion combined streams/views worldwide and peaked at #1 on Dance Radio, in addition to leaving his imprint on a classic.

He heralded his 2020 critically acclaimed third full-length album Golden Hour [Sony Music International/Ultra Records/RCA Records] with the anthems “Like It Is” (feat. Zara Larsson & Tyga), “Lose Somebody” (with OneRepublic), and “I’ll Wait” (feat. Sasha Alex Sloan). The album has garnered over 2.6 billion streams worldwide. Following Golden Hour , Kygo released his remix of Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got To Do With It” and Donna Summer’s “Hot Stuff” to rave reviews. In 2022, after headlining Lollapalooza and Life Is Beautiful, along with sold-out headlining shows at Madison Square Garden and Oslo’s Ullevaal Stadion, Kygo surprised fans with the release of his fourth album Thrill Of The Chase [RCA Records]. The album featured notable singles including “Dancing Feet” (feat. DNCE), “Woke Up In Love” (with Gryffin feat. Calum Scott), and “Never Really Loved Me” (feat. Dean Lewis), amassing over 1 billion streams worldwide and debuting in the Top 5 on the Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Albums Chart. This year, Kygo continues his run of stunning collaborations, teaming up with Ava Max for his latest single “Whatever,” which the pair performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! .

Connect with Kygo:

Instagram // YouTube // Twitter // Facebook // Website

About Live Nation Entertainment

Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Sponsorship. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com .

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Alex John | [email protected]

Cara Hutchinson | [email protected]

Sami Brensilber | [email protected]

Live Nation Concerts

Monique Sowinski | [email protected]

Maya Sarin | [email protected]

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Around the Valley: Innovative kitchens, cooking demonstrations focus of annual Kitchen Tour

The 15th annual Neenah-Menasha Emergency Society Kitchen Tour is set to take place April 25 at homes in Neenah and Menasha. Five homes will be open during the tour from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Attendees can enjoy demonstrations and tastings by local eateries along the tour. New this year is a lunch or appetizer tasting dinner at Ridgeway Country Club, which is an add-on ticket available online only.

From Modern Farmhouse to European Cottage and everything in between, we have a mix of innovatively designed and renovated homes that will impress you with their attention to detail and beautiful décor. As always, each home will feature unique demonstrations and tastings by local area eateries such as Thunderbird Bakery, Santé Wine Bar and Bistro, and Rusted Roost Restaurant and Bar.

NMES has been a part of the Neenah-Menasha community since 1906 when it began as an effort to assist those devastated by the San Fransisco earthquake. The organization eventually turned its focus to local efforts including the maternity ward at the Neenah hospital, the Visiting Nurses Association and the Neenah library. Some of the initatives the group offers are Emergency Assistance, Caring for Kids, a Back-to-School Fair, Caring for our Community, and a scholarship program.

For more information, including profiles of each tour stop, visit nmesociety.org/kt . Tickets also are available at all area Nicolet National Banks, Bedrock Coffee Roasters, Bill Paul Ltd., Brown Family Dentistry, Cedar Ridge Crafts & Gifts, Natural Boutique, Neenah Vintage Mall, Red Door Mercantile, Zuppas Café & Catering in Neenah, Club Liquor in Menasha, and Fox Cities Racquet Club in Grand Chute. Tickets for the tour are $35 in advance, $40 at the door. Tickets for Ridgeway Country Club are only available online at nmesociety.ticketleap.com/2024-kitchen-tour/.

Junior Youth of the Year to be named at Boys & Girls Club event

The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Fox Valley will host the Junior Youth of the Year event April 25 at the Appleton Club, 160 S. Badger Ave.

Junior Youth of the Year is a Leadership Readiness Program for youth ages 10 to 14, served through Boys & Girls Clubs of the Fox Valley. The program teaches foundational leadership knowledge and skills to build confidence and overcome challenges.

The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. when attendees can learn more about each candidate through displays. There also will be music and refreshments. Speakers will begin at 6 p.m. and the Junior Youth of the Year winner will be announced at the end of the program. There were 13 candidates this year, and a committee has chosen five finalists.

The event is free and open to the public, RSVPs are not required.

For more information, visit bgclubfoxvalley.org/junior-youth-of-the-year .

Atlas hosts annual Earth Day celebration April 27

Atlas Science Center will hold its annual Earth Day celebration on April 27. The center opens at 11 a.m. and will celebrate STEM with an Earth Day twist.

Attending will be representatives from American Chemical Society, Wisconsin DNR, Ahlstrom Paper, Menominee Tribal Enterprises along with a special guest MsPlanet in our Seed Paper Lab. Atlas will hand out 100 White Spruce saplings for guests to plant at home, from 1 p.m. or until gone.

There will be hands-on experiments and speakers throughout the day. In between the activities, guests can go on an Earth Day themed scavenger hunt. Those who finish the hunt can win a prize.

Admission is $10 for adults and children 3 and older and $7 for seniors and military. Museums for All admission for those carrying an EBT card is $1. All presentations and activities are included in the price of admission.

Tickets on sale May 1 for Neenah summer production

Riverside Players will present Ken Ludwig’s “Lend Me a Soprano” for its 68th season of Theater in the Park. Tickets go on sale May 1.

Directed by John Zhang, shows will be performed at 7:30 p.m. July 18 to 21 and July 25 to 28. This comedy is rated PG13.

Tickets are $18 at neenahgov.org/parks-and-recreation , the Parks and Recreation office, 211 Walnut St., 920-886-6060 or at the door 90 minutes before curtain time, if tickets remain.

Riverside Park is located at 500 E. Wisconsin Ave., Neenah. The stage is in an outdoor park shelter with a roof, but sides are exposed. Reserved seating is available on padded chairs on risers. If handicap accessible seating is required, call the office to purchase tickets.

Contact Mara Wegner at  [email protected]  or 920-996-7241.

25 - 28 Apr 2024

ISPS HANDA - CHAMPIONSHIP

Taiheiyo Club, Gotemba Course, Gotemba, Japan

How to watch the ISPS HANDA - CHAMPIONSHIP

European Tour Productions, the DP World Tour’s in-house production company, will produce and distribute live coverage of the ISPS HANDA - CHAMPIONSHIP as the Asian Swing resumes this week.

The tournament is the second of four counting events on the Asian Swing, the third of five ‘Global Swings’ on the 2024 Race to Dubai.

Last season’s inaugural ISPS HANDA – CHAMPIONSHIP was the first regular tournament in history to be co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and the JGTO, with Lucas Herbert overcoming Aaron Cockerill in a play-off to win.

With views of Mount Fuji offering a spectacular backdrop to this year's tournament, Taiheiyo Club Gotemba Course will play host on the DP World Tour for the first time this week, following on from last year's event at PGM Ishioka GC.

Full coverage plan

Global Broadcast Transmission Times

Below are the listed Broadcast Transmission times for the ISPS HANDA - CHAMPIONSHIP in local time in Japan, and for the general World Feed coverage (time in BST). Find out below where to watch in your area.

• READ MORE: Five things to know: ISPS HANDA - CHAMPIONSHIP
• READ MORE: ISPS HANDA CHAMPIONSHIP: Fantasy DP World Tour ones to watch
• READ MORE: The Asian Swing: What is at stake ahead of final two events

Where can you watch coverage of the DP World Tour in your area?

For specific broadcast timings of these territories please check your local listings.

Who is part of the commentary team?

Leading the team are Robert Lee and Ali Whitaker.

Joining him in the commentary box is former DP World Tour winner Tony Johnstone .

Jay Townsend and Inci Mehmet will provide on-course analysis from Japan.

DP World Tour Partners

Taylor Swift releases ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ double album ahead of Record Store Day: Highlights

Catch up on all things 'The Tortured Poets Department':

• Fans celebrated Swift's midnight release of "The Tortured Poets Department" with listening parties and themed gatherings . Many critics praised Swift in their reviews.
• Swift surprised fans at 2 a.m. ET with news of 15 extra songs.
• The album features collaborations with Post Malone and Florence + the Machine. Swift described writing the album as deeply personal. "Once we have spoken our saddest story, we can be free of it," she said.
• NBC News' resident Swifties stayed up to blog the biggest takeaways after the album's release.

Vinyl industry rep says pandemic-era manufacturing bottlenecks have eased

"The Tortured Poets Department" is set to be released in special-edition "ghost"-colored vinyl, available both directly through Swift's website and exclusively at Target.

During the pandemic, that might have alarmed vinyl record buyers. As vinyl plants shuttered and employees were sidelined, vinyl production ground to a halt, causing reports of weekslong backlogs and orders going unfulfilled outright.

But in an interview with NBC News on Friday, Dustin Blocker, president of the Vinyl Records Manufacturing Association, said those issues have been resolved and that suppliers now have more than enough capacity to handle any orders coming their way, including massive ones like Swift's.

"In Q3 2023, we saw the [production] timeline start to go back to normal," Blocker said. "And in Q4 it really got back to normal. Now, everyone, including the huge plants, takes only 8-12 weeks [to produce] ... so it's very good news for everyone."

Blocker said any price increases on the supply side sparked by the bottlenecks have essentially reversed.

So, the $40 price tag on the Target edition of "TTPD" is most likely the result of choices made by Swift, her label and the retailer, he said.

Jack Antonoff is sharing BTS pics

Saba Hamedy

Jack Antonoff is giving Swifties what they want: more content.

The Bleachers frontman, who is also Swift’s longtime collaborator and friend, shared pictures of Swift and collaborators on the album, including Florence Welch .

The acting U.S. secretary of labor has a question for Taylor

Acting U.S. Labor Department Secretary Julie Su has a key question for Taylor Swift and her "Tortured Poets Department":

"Is this department unionized?" she wrote in a post on X .

Su, 55, has served as acting secretary since March 2023; she has faced stumbling blocks to being confirmed full time for the role over her perceived pro-union bias .

Destin celebrates Swift shoutout

Nicole Duarte

The city of Destin, Florida, is here for the Swiftie boost.

Google searches for the beach town shot up minutes after Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” was released. The album mentions Destin in the song “Florida!!!” featuring Florence + The Machine.

The city is celebrating the shoutout:

As is Destin's mayor:

Trump gets a question on Taylor

Vaughn Hillyard

A reporter who is part of the pool following Donald Trump on Friday at his hush money trial was able to get in a question to the former president about the new albums.

Trump didn't engage.

Taylor Swift reveals ‘Dateline’ as an inspiration for ‘Florida!!!’

Maddie Ellis, TODAY

Taylor Swift has taken over radio stations, from Channel 13 on SiriusXM to iHeartRadio briefly renaming itself to iHeartTaylor and sharing messages from the songwriter.

Swift revealed in a soundbite played on iHeartRadio that “Florida!!!” — the eighth track of the album and featuring Florence + the Machine — was inspired by “Dateline.”

“I’m always watching, like ‘Dateline,’” Swift said with a laugh. “People, you know, have these crimes that they commit where they immediately skip town and go to Florida. They try to reinvent themselves, have a new identity, blend in.”

It’s the same with heartbreak, she said.

“I think when you go through a heartbreak, there’s a part of you that thinks, ‘I want a new name. I want a new life,’” she said.

Or perhaps in Swift’s case — a new era?

Read more at TODAY.com.

The double album appeared to avoid leaks

Kaetlyn Liddy

The standard edition of "The Tortured Poets Department" is said to have been leaked ahead the album's release. The origin of the apparent leaks is unclear, but none of the songs on the extended "anthology" version of the album seem to have been compromised.

Leaks of major artists' work sometimes occur when physical copies of the album arrive prematurely at record stores or department stores, before the tracks are released on streaming platforms. Fans suspect the surprise drop of the double album was a factor in the 15 extra tracks avoiding leaks.

The extra content was so unexpected that the lyrics of the anthology version have yet to be uploaded to Spotify .

‘The Tortured Poets Department’ broke a Spotify record in 12 hours

"The Tortured Poets Department" is already Spotify’s most-streamed album in a single day this year, edging out Beyoncé's "Cowboy Carter" in less than 12 hours, Spotify confirmed to NBC News.

Swift currently holds the all-time record for most streams in a day by album and by artist for 2022's "Midnights."

Who are The Blue Nile? About the Scottish band named by Swift

In the album's ninth track — "Guilty as Sin?" — Swift name-drops a beloved '80s Scottish band, The Blue Nile.

"Drowning in The Blue Nile. He sent me 'Downtown Lights.' I hadn’t heard it in a while," Swift says in the song.

"Downtown Lights," released in 1989, was the peak of The Blue Nile's commercial success in the U.S., with the song reaching No. 10 on the Billboard American Modern Rock Tracks chart. 1989 is also Swift's birth year and the title of her fifth studio album.

Known for their avoidance of publicity, The Blue Nile has released just four albums since forming in 1981.

Fans share their theories and joy on social media

It wouldn't be a new Taylor Swift album without fans wondering who it's about or decoding the names mentioned in each song. (Who is Cassandra , Taylor?)

That speculation will surely continue, but now that the album is out, fans can't believe their luck. Reactions on social media praised the sonic and lyrical range of the album, saying that "everybody gets everything," whether you listen to Swift for her synth-pop hits or her intimate folk songs.

Author and creator John Green couldn't wait to wake up his daughter to tell her she gets 31 new Taylor Swift songs today.

By the numbers: Will Taylor Swift break her own album sales marks?

Dania Kalaji

“The Tortured Poets Department” blasted to No. 1 on the U.S. iTunes album sales chart following its release. But will it live up to the success of her previous discography?

Here are all of Swift’s bestselling albums in the U.S. ranked to date, according to data from the Recording Industry Association of America.

“Fearless” (2008): 10 million units

“1989” (2014): 9 million units

“Red” (2012): 7 million units

“Taylor Swift” (2006): 7 million units

“Speak Now” (2010): 6 million units

“Reputation” (2017): 3 million units

“Lover” (2019): 3 million units

“Midnights” (2022): 2 million units

“Folklore” (2020): 2 million units

“The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection” (2008): 1 million units

“Evermore” (2020): 1 million units

TikTok rolls out new features to celebrate new album

Daysia Tolentino

As Swifties show their love for "The Tortured Poets Department" on TikTok, they have the chance to be featured in a "Fan Spotlight" carousel that highlights videos with the #TORTUREDPOETSDEPARTMENT hashtag.

TikTok released a "Taylor Swift In-App Experience" that serves as a landing page for all things "TTPD." Fans can complete challenges in exchange for limited-edition "TTPD" profile frames and some Taylor-related searches unlock animations inspired by the album. Searches for "Taylor Swift," "Taylor Nation," and "The Tortured Poets Department" lead fans to the landing page.

The features are particularly notable because Swift's music was pulled off the platform earlier this year as part of a disput between TikTok and Universal Music Group, though many of her tracks returned earlier this month .

Fans on TikTok have already been loving "TTPD," sharing numerous theories , tears and rankings .

Swift's song 'Fortnight' with Post Malone hits No. 1 on Apple

Jason Abbruzzese

That didn't take long.

The song "Fornight" off Swift's new album quickly hit No. 1 on Apple's top song chart. It features rapper and singer Post Malone.

Swift also took the next four spots with "The Tortured Poets Department," "So Long, London," "My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toy," and "Down Bad."

The National's Aaron Dessner on working with Swift: 'some of the most lyrically acute, intricate, vulnerable and cathartic' songs

Aaron Dessner, a musician who is part of the rock band The National, posted to Instagram about working with Swift on the album along with a pic of her in a studio.

He said that he has now worked with swift on more than 60 songs, including 17 across her newest release.

"I am forever grateful to Taylor for sharing her insane talents with and trusting me with her music. I believe these songs are some of the most lyrically acute, intricate, vulnerable and cathartic Taylor has ever written and I am continually astonished by her skills as a songwriter and performer," he wrote, adding in thanks to a long list of other artists and producers.

Will Swift break her own streaming records?

The October 2022 release of Swift's 10th studio album, "Midnights" shattered records on Spotify and Apple Music.

"Midnights" became Spotify's most-streamed album in a single day with 184.6 million streams when it debuted. Swift also broke the record for most-streamed artist in a single day on Spotify with 228 million streams.

The album also become the biggest album of all time by a female artist in Apple Music history by first-day and first-week streams worldwide.

Can Swift outdo herself?

Will Swift's album inspire a new college course?

As Swift became increasingly synonymous with American pop culture, universities around the country started creating entire courses dedicated to studying her lyricism and impact.

Some courses focus on Swift as a business and marketing mastermind, while others analyze her storytelling techniques with all the detail and skill of poetry analysis.

Time will tell whether this new album will inspire yet another college course. Our guess is with all the literary references, it's sure to be on some professors minds.

Read more in NBC News' article here .

Saturday is Record Store Day

The release of "The Tortured Poets Department" will come just in time for a notable day in the music industry calendar: Record Store Day on April 20. The annual event has been observed since 2007 to celebrate independent record stores and is often accompanied by exclusive drops by major artists.

Swift has yet to announce a special event, but the date is marked in the TTPD Timetable on her Instagram, suggesting she might have something up her sleeve.

Swift describes new album: 'Once we have spoken our saddest story, we can be free of it.'

Patrick Smith

Taylor Swift has offered fans a glimpse into the creative process behind "The Tortured Poets Society" and the emotions that inspired it.

In a press release Friday morning to accompany the new release, the artist said:

"The Tortured Poets Department. An anthology of new works that reflect events, opinions and sentiments from a fleeting and fatalistic moment in time — one that was both sensational and sorrowful in equal measure.

"This period of the author’s life is now over, the chapter closed and boarded up. There is nothing to avenge, no scores to settle once wounds have healed. And upon further reflection, a good number of them turned out to be self-inflicted.

"This writer is of the firm belief that our tears become holy in the form of ink on a page. Once we have spoken our saddest story, we can be free of it.

"And then all that’s left behind is the tortured poetry."

To sleep or stream? Swifties question staying up even later

Can you wait until the morning to listen to the 15 extra songs on Swift's anthology?

If you answered no, you're not alone. Online, fans joked that they didn't expect to get this little shut eye.

Among the fans: Gen Z Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla.

"I got votes in the morning. Do I sleep or listen" he wrote .

Others had similar thoughts.

"TAYLOR I HAVE A JOB OH MY GOD" wrote one fan, tagging the artist on X .

"lol Taylor I have to get up early to run errands before work please" wrote another X user.

Leave it to Swift to give us adrenaline to keep us all up a little longer.

'The Tortured Poets Department' becomes Swift's longest album

With the surprise release of 15 additional songs, "The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology" has 31 tracks.

That now makes it Swift's longest album, edging ahead of "Red (Taylor's Version)" by just one track.

A list of all 15 of the extra 'Anthology' songs

• “The Black Dog”
• “imgonnagetyouback”
• “The Albatross”
• “Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus”
• “How Did It End?”
• “So High School”
• “I Hate It Here”
• “thanK you aiMee”
• “I Look in People’s Windows”
• “The Prophecy”
• “Cassandra”
• “The Bolter”
• “The Manuscript”

Surprise: a double album!

"The Tortured Poets Department" is a secret DOUBLE album.

In a 2 a.m. ET surprise, Swift announced an extra 15 songs.

"I’d written so much tortured poetry in the past 2 years and wanted to share it all with you, so here’s the second installment of TTPD: The Anthology," she wrote on X . "15 extra songs. And now the story isn’t mine anymore… it’s all yours."

It's 2 a.m.

Now what, Taylor?

ICYMI: Swift's powerhouse publicist Tree Paine gets profiled by WSJ

Swift's longtime publicist, Tree Paine, whom many fans know by name, was the subject of a lengthy Wall Street Journal article published Thursday ahead of the new album's release.

While she declined to be interviewed for the story, it delves into how she became one of the most powerful people in the entertainment industry since she joined Swift's camp in 2014.

“There isn’t a publicist in NY, LA or Nashville that wouldn’t jump at an opportunity to work with someone as talented as Taylor Swift and her management team,” Paine said at the time, according to the New York Post .

Read the full story here.

Couples are now wary of Swift's 'Lover' as a love song

Elena Nicolaou, TODAY

“Lover” — at least until recently — was widely received as one of Swift’s classic love songs. When the album of the same name came out in 2019, its title single was declared  first dance song material , or even a “ wedding waltz .”

In the song, Swift paints a portrait of quiet intimacy. Her wild “Red” days, of thrilling romances with highs and lows and uncertainties in between, had settled into something steadier with one person, captured by a simple chorus: “You’re my, my, my, my lover.”

But that interpretation is now in question, as Swift recasts some of her songs in a different light. Ahead of the release of “The Tortured Poets Department,”  she released five playlists on Apple Music , sorting old songs into groups inspired by the five stages of grief, or “heartbreak.”

Aaron Dessner is credited as a songwriter on five of 16 tracks

Dessner, who is a member of the bands The National and Big Red Machine, is one of two producers who worked on "The Tortured Poets Department."

He's credited as a songwriter on five of the 16 tracks on the standard album.

Dessner first collaborated with Swift on her eighth studio album, “Folklore,” for which he shared in the Grammy win for album of the year. He made several guest appearances with Swift on the U.S. leg of the Eras Tour, joining her onstage during the acoustic set for performances of songs they wrote together.

Here's what some critics are saying in their reviews

Angela Yang

The critics have spoken. Here's a roundup of some of their takeaways on "The Tortured Poets Department."

Billboard ’s Jason Lipshutz praised Swift’s boldness for releasing a “knowingly messy, wildly unguarded breakup album” at what’s arguably the peak of her career. It's more mature than her past heartbreak albums, he writes, and “not everyone will love it, but the ones who get it will adore it fiercely.”

Variety ’s Chris Willman wrote that the album can serve as an “unapologetically dramatic” soundtrack to listeners’ own heartbreaks.

Labeling it Swift’s most personal album yet, Rolling Stone ’s Rob Sheffield described it as “the cathartic confession of a woman who thought she had adulthood — and adult romance — all figured out, only to find herself realizing she knows nothing.”

And unlike on past albums, Swift doesn’t portray herself as a victim in this one, wrote the Los Angeles Times ’ Mikael Wood. Instead, the album emanates “a proudly villainous energy as Swift embraces her messiest and most chaotic tendencies.”

Jack Antonoff, Swift's longtime collaborator, posts love for album

Antonoff, Swift’s longtime collaborator and friend, shared his love for the new album on X .

"Love this album more than I can say," wrote Antonoff, who worked on “The Tortured Poets Department” as a producer.

Antonoff also co-wrote eight of the album's tracks.

Swifties are starting to post reax on X

In typical fashion after a Swift album drops, reactions from fans are pouring in online, and they TEND TO COME IN ALL CAPS.

As any Swiftie will tell you, listening to new music from the artist always proves to be a collective emotional experience.

Spotify appears to be holding it together (so far)

The last time Swift debuted a brand-new album, Spotify crashed. No major issues so far this time around.

Shoutout to the engineers and people behind the scenes who are probably working overtime to make sure Swifties don't panic.

We have a new countdown

Don’t go to bed yet! Taylor Swift’s Instagram page is displaying a new countdown to 2 a.m. ET. This wasn't on the timetable ...

Swift releases statement after album drop

In her first social media post after “The Tortured Poets Department” was released, Swift shared a statement about the album online.

These songs reflect her experiences from a moment in time that was equally “sensational and sorrowful,” she wrote, adding that it is a chapter now closed.

“Once we have spoken our saddest story, we can be free of it,” Swift wrote. “And then all that’s left behind is the tortured poetry.”

Who is Clara Bow?

Daniel Arkin

The 16th and final track on the album is named for Clara Bow, one of the leading lights of Hollywood’s silent era.

Bow, unlike a lot of stars from the 1920s, managed to successfully pivot to roles in talkies by the end of the decade. She co-starred in “Wings” (1927), which today is probably best known as the first movie to win the Oscar for best picture.

I’m not a Swiftie, so I don’t have much insight into how Taylor’s music connects to Bow’s acting career — but I’m curious how this track will be interpreted by the die-hards.

The album is here

BRB, we’re busy listening with the rest of y’all.

You can now choose a Swift-themed chat for your Instagram DMs

Instagram users can now set their direct message conversations to a new chat theme inspired by “The Tortured Poets Department.”

Bars, venues hold special Swift parties

On the eve of Swift’s album drop, event venues across the country (and around the world) hosted release parties so Swifties could get their first listen of the “The Tortured Poets Department” on the dance floor.

At Pianos in New York, music from across Swift’s discography will play until the new album drops at midnight. Attendees are encouraged to come in themed outfits and friendship bracelets, and the bar will be serving Swift-inspired cocktails.

In Los Angeles, El Cid is hosting a listening party complete with fan-made merch, giveaways and a themed wall for photos. Attendees can also expect performances from drag queen Jade Jolie, who appeared in Swift’s “You Need to Calm Down” music video.

Several Swiftie-themed events are also being held across the Washington, D.C., area, according to The Washington Post, which compiled a list .

A Swiftie mom and daughter are hosting their own album party

Kristie Gilmore, 36, is ready to celebrate with her daughter, who was born shortly after Swift's “1989” album and has been a Swiftie ever since.

Gilmore decorated her Boston-area apartment with balloons, signs and stickers in the color palette of “The Tortured Poets Department.” She sprinkled the table with handmade confetti of the album’s logo and made TTPD-themed “membership cards” for themselves and each of her daughter’s friends.

“They’ve been counting down since Taylor announced this album,” Gilmore said, adding, “They’re just hanging out, having a dance party. They’re gonna try to stay up till midnight and listen to it.”

What are the track lengths?

The average track length on “The Tortured Poets Department” is 4 minutes and 4 seconds, making it the third longest album across Swift’s discography.

The longest song is “But Daddy I Love Him,” which clocks in at 5 minutes and 40 seconds.

“I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)” is the shortest song, at 2 minutes and 36 seconds.

Travis Kelce shared his early thoughts about the album

Ahead of the Super Bowl, Swift's boyfriend, Travis Kelce, the star tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, weighed in on the new album.

“I have heard some of it, yes. It is unbelievable,”  Kelce said . “I can’t wait for her to shake up the world when it finally drops.”

The couple , who have become the internet's favorite love story , were most recently spotted at Coachella 's first weekend.

Taylor Swift beat reporter speaks to NBC's Hallie Jackson

USA Today’s Taylor Swift reporter , Bryan West, spoke with NBC News about the album drop and all the Easter eggs being spotted by fans.

Swift's music is back on TikTok despite UMG dispute

Kalhan Rosenblatt

Some songs that Swift fans know “All Too Well” returned to TikTok this month, months after they were removed.

The songs were among the many tracks Universal Music Group pulled off TikTok after the label and the platform  failed to reach an agreement  this year. (UMG has no relationship to NBCUniversal, the parent company of NBC News.)

UMG, known as one of the “Big Three” global music companies, cleared its music from TikTok in late January, saying it was doing so because of a lack of compensation for artists and songwriters. TikTok previously fired back at UMG, accusing the company of putting “their own greed above the interests of artists and songwriters.”

The economics of 'The Tortured Poets Department'

Doha Madani

Die-hard Taylor Swift fans will be spending a pretty penny on her latest album release as she releases four variants of the album with one exclusive track each.

Each variant of “The Tortured Poets Department” is named after the bonus song found at the end of the album: “The Manuscript,” “The Bolter,” “The Albatross” and “The Black Dog.” If a fan wanted to collect them all, the minimum for $13.99 CDs at a store would cost at least $55.96 before taxes.

Longtime Swifties are already familiar with her tendency to provide deluxe editions, as anyone who was around for her original “1989” release can recall the Target exclusive that included three bonus tracks and three voice memos recorded by Swift. 

Her “Midnights” release included a Target exclusive track that was added to streaming only months later, and in May she released a new song on “Midnights (The Late Night Edition).” But this is the first time Swift has put an exclusive song on each individual variant, with no clear timeline for when they might be added to streaming. 

2024: The year of Post Malone and the pop girlies

Rebecca Cohen

Fresh off of a collab with Beyoncé on "LEVII'S JEANS" from her now-famed "Cowboy Carter," Post Malone finds himself on another major release of 2024: Swift's "The Tortured Poets Department."

He joins Swift on the album's first song, "Fortnight." Swift announced that "Fortnight" would be the album's lead single and the song for which she is releasing a music video 8 o'clock tomorrow night.

"I’ve been such a huge fan of Post because of the writer he is, his musical experimentation and those melodies he creates that just stick in your head forever," Swift wrote on social media. "I got to witness that magic come to life firsthand when we worked together on Fortnight."

While best known for more rap-focused songs, Post Malone is clearly making the rounds in the pop music scene, having also recently collaborated with Noah Kahan on "Dial Drunk." But his back-to-back appearances on arguably two of the biggest albums from pop artists this year raise the questions: Is Post Malone becoming a pop girlie? Is he just having a moment? Or is it all of the above?

There's a book about Swift's impact headed to bookshelves

Rolling Stone writer and music historian Rob Sheffield's book "Heartbreak Is the National Anthem: How Taylor Swift Reinvented Pop Music" will debut Nov. 12.

He's expected to dive further into Swift’s music and fan connection.

Swifties are celebrating with their own listening parties

Many Swifties are sharing their elaborate party setups online as they prepare to celebrate the album release at home.

Karen Rothdeutsch, 25, has decked out her bedroom in upstate New York with “The Tortured Poets Department”-themed decorations, complete with a platter of homemade cupcakes decorated to match Swift’s various vinyl variants.

“I just made my space a little more immersive for my first listen,” Rothdeutsch told NBC News. “I’ll be sitting in my bed with a box of tissues and a notebook, writing down my thoughts and probably checking into Twitter every so often to see what everybody’s thinking about it.”

She said she procured the decorations over the course of several weeks, but the whole setup cost her less than $100. While she decorates on a budget, she said she did splash out on the vinyl variants and collector’s edition CDs.

Swift's new album is already breaking a Spotify record

Spotify said on X that the “The Tortured Poets Department” became the most pre-saved album countdown page in the streaming service’s history.

Since its launch on March 28, TTPD's countdown page has ticked down to the album’s drop, now just hours away.

Was Swift's Grammys dress a 'Fortnight' Easter egg?

The white gown Swift wore to the 2024 Grammys, where she announced "The Tortured Poets Department," appears to have been an Easter egg.

Swift appears to be wearing a very similar dress in the teaser for the "Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)" music video, which will debut 8 p.m. ET tomorrow.

Swift was also pictured hugging Post Malone at the ceremony. Some fans online pointed out a similar shot of the two singers that appears in the teaser for the music video.

Swift drops 'Fortnight' music video teaser

Swift blessed fans with a teaser for “Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)," the album's first single.

"At this hearing, I stand before my fellow members of The Tortured Poets Department with a summary of my findings. Album tonight. Fortnight music video tomorrow at 8pm et," Swift wrote in a post on X , which was accompanied by a short video clip.

The black-and-white teaser gave a sneak peak of the visuals for the music video. It's a combination of dramatic period gowns and a bleak medical setting in this supercut that is reminiscent of "Poor Things," which Swift's longtime friend Emma Stone recently won the best actress Oscar for.

Swift had announced she'd be dropping a music video at 8 p.m. ET tomorrow by sharing a “TTPD Timetable” on her Instagram page this week.

Merch is here — and already selling out

Hours before the album’s release, themed merchandise for “The Tortured Poets Department” is now available to order online.

The merch drop includes hoodies, crewnecks and gold jewelry branded with the album’s logo. A display case for the album vinyls seemingly sold out within minutes.

ICYMI: The Eras Tour concert film is on Disney+

In case you need something to do as you count down to the new album, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” is on Disney+. Swift announced the film would be available for streaming in February.

The film features all songs from the three Los Angeles tour dates during which it was filmed at SoFi Stadium. They include “cardigan,” as well as four additional acoustic surprise songs from the tour: “I Can See You,” “Maroon,” “You Are in Love” and “Death by a Thousand Cuts.”

Swifties online are freaking out over purported ‘leaks’

The internet was at it again this week, with some online circulating what they said were leaks of Swift's new album. It is unclear from where and when the apparent leaks originated, but one Reddit thread is already filled with commentary.

As early as Tuesday, "taylor swift leak" appeared to be blocked from searches on X. Instead, when a user tried to search the phrase, a blank page popped up with the message, "Something went wrong. Try reloading."

The secret message has been decoded

The sixth and final word of the secret message, “mortem,” was revealed today, hidden in the lyrics of the song “Begin Again.”

The complete secret message is: “We hereby conduct this post mortem.”

In a collaboration with Apple Music, Swift sorted some of her existing songs into thematic playlists , along with audio messages from her.

The messages seemed to confirm some fans’ theories that the playlists mirrored the five stages of grief — denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance — indicating that the new album may grapple with grief or loss. Swift later used a song from each playlist to reveal a hidden word on Apple Music every day leading up to the release of “The Tortured Poets Department.”

Swift sets fans loose on an international puzzle

Swifties had a big day yesterday after murals with QR codes were unveiled in cities around the world, including Mexico City, Paris and Chicago.

Fans stumbled upon the murals, which Swift had not announced, and scanned them to find a link to a YouTube Shorts video. Every mural had a unique code that led to a different video, each revealing a new letter as part of a word puzzle.

Fans came together online to help decode the puzzle, which seemed to hint at the new album's first track, because it spelled out "for a fortnight."

Swifties in Los Angeles flock to Spotify pop-up library

Many Los Angeles Swifties celebrated the new album with a pop-up library installation in partnership with Spotify.

The three-day event, which runs through today at The Grove, featured a sneak peek at some of the album's lyrics.

Fans posted videos of themselves lined up for hours to get a glimpse at the installation.

A manuscript was front and center at the installation, revealing new lyrics periodically as the pages were turned over the course of three days.

Many fans online tried to identify other potential Easter eggs in the pop-up library, such as a bust of a peace sign, quill and fountain pens and a globe that appeared to be pointing to Florida, the name of a track on the album.

Why is the album called 'The Tortured Poets Department'?

Fans were quick to note that “The Tortured Poets Department” is the longest title for a Taylor Swift album by a large margin, a distinction previously held by her third album, "Speak Now." Before "TTPD," "Speak Now" was her only album title consisting of more than one word.

Speculation surrounding the new album and its uncharacteristic title has primarily revolved around Swift’s  2023 breakup  with British actor Joe Alwyn after their six-year relationship.

After the album announcement, a  2022 Variety interview  between Alwyn and Paul Mescal resurfaced on X. The pair revealed in the interview that they were both members of a WhatsApp group chat titled the Tortured Man Club, prompting some fans to  draw parallels  between Alwyn and Swift’s upcoming album.

The true meaning of “The Tortured Poets Department” remains to be seen, but the album's rollout has featured references to famous poems like Charles Baudelaire’s “The Albatross,” among other literary references.

Clues keep coming

Speculation continues to grow over clues for lyrics, song titles and the album’s first music video.

Not much from Miss Swift so far

It's been a notably quiet rollout for "The Tortured Poets Department."

No themed Instagram grid overhaul, no lead singles, not even a cryptic calendar leading Swifties on wild goose chases for potential Easter eggs.

A week before the release, Taylor Swift was rocking out at Coachella instead of feeding her fans who are desperate for a hint of what's to come.

Aside from a hand-painted QR code on the side of a building in Chicago, a planned exhibit at The Grove in Los Angeles in partnership with Spotify and a quick video released Tuesday that appears to leave the "Midnights" era in the dust as viewers tour The Tortured Poets Department, Swift has been silent on what we can expect.

In the video , posted to her Instagram account, we did get a glimpse of a schedule that only showed release day, and on it, the promise of a music video on Friday at 8 p.m. ET. Fourteen tick marks beneath led some to think the music video could be for the 14th track on the album, or for the leading song, "Fortnight," since a fortnight is 14 days.

Swifties believing in the latter theory proved to be correct. Swift announced that the music video would be for "Fortnight" in a Thursday afternoon social media post.

Swifties online continue to grasp for any details to try to figure out what this mastermind might have in store for her beloved fan base.

What songs are on the new album?

Here's what songs are on the track list.

• "Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)"
• "The Tortured Poets Department"
• "My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys"
• "So Long, London"
• "But Daddy I Love Him"
• "Fresh Out the Slammer"
• "Florida!!! (Florence + the Machine)"
• "Guilty as Sin?"
• "Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?"
• "I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)"
• "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart"
• "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived"
• "The Alchemy"
• "Clara Bow"

Swift has also announced four bonus tracks: "The Manuscript," “The Bolter,” “The Albatross” and “The Black Dog.” Each bonus track will be available on a separate vinyl variant and won't be on the streaming version of the album.

When does 'The Tortured Poets Department' drop?

Swift's 11th studio album, "The Tortured Poets Department," will be released Friday at 12 a.m. ET, or 9 p.m. PT.

It will be available for purchase on vinyl, on cassette, as a digital album and in CD form. It will also be on several streaming services, including Spotify and Apple Music.

But if you plan to stream “The Tortured Poets Department” right after its release, be prepared for potential delays. When Swift’s most recent brand-new album, “Midnights,” was released, Spotify  briefly crashed  because of intense demand.

Angela Yang is a culture and trends reporter for NBC News.

Doha Madani is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News. Pronouns: she/her.

Rebecca Cohen is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.

is culture and trends editor for NBC News Digital.