4forty.io: May the orchestra tune

This morning, during my morning scroll, I noticed a good friend had posted a survey saying 64% musicians were considering leaving the music profession. And that heart-breaking wrench that I’ve experienced since Covid hit notched itself up again.

You see, I’m a tuba player. Not by trade, obviously, but I’d say I was an “enthusiastic amateur”, who, in rare and brief moments of being in practice, could definitely hold his own (or indeed, hold his tone). Despite working in tech, I proudly attribute much of who I am and my confidence to my musical education. And yes, before you ask, that IS the one that Harold Bishop played in Neighbours. No, he wasn’t very good at it. And yes, I’d like to think that I am a little bit better.

Furthermore in the office, Phil has been described by a common friend as “the most skilled and accurate rhythm guitarist I’ve ever met”, Gemma is an excellent oboe player, and Robin… well, Robin seems to play most things. And he can also sing, the talented bastard.

Spork, through pure coincidence, live and breathe music; it’s part of our DNA and that’s why it’s been so hard over the last 5 months to see the live music industry – one that we love and cherish so much – completely decimated as a result of Covid-19.

Thus, 4forty.io comes from our genuine desire to help out orchestras, music hubs, venues, colleges, ensembles, opera companies, and theatre groups. And help out not only our contemporaries in the industry, but the audiences who want to continue to enjoy their live shows.

And now ensembles, opera companies, and theatre groups can finally meet to rehearse and perform. But fill a venue to capacity they cannot, at least until social distancing measures are no longer necessary – which currently is a necessary unknown.

In the meantime, they have few options; to charge 4 times for the price of a ticket, to play outside, or to broadcast the concert.

We realised pretty quickly that different organisations wanted a streaming service that slotted into their current eco-systems in different ways. Some wanted a branded standalone app, others wanted a service seamlessly integrated to their existing site. Some had a box office and ticketing system that we could integrate with, others did not.

Which is why 4forty.io is API driven, and built with an “integration first” mindset, putting organisations in charge of what they charge, how they charge, and when they charge.

We’re truly delighted to be debuting the platform with the English Chamber Orchestra (ECO), in a series of 4 weekly tea time concerts starting Sunday September 14th. As Paul Wing, ECO’s general manager says, “This is an incredibly difficult time for orchestras and arts organisations and 4forty.io has allowed the orchestra to get back to doing what it does best – world-class performance – whilst engaging with a worldwide audience and providing the orchestra with an essential source of revenue.”

We’re still looking for other organisations to jump on board and try our platform. If you think 4forty.io can help, then get in touch. We’d love to chat to you.