How the Central Sydney independent musicians use pre-established ‘online DIY’ to sustain their networking during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article discusses how the Central Sydney independent musicians’ ‘online DIY’ (do-it-yourself) practices not only provide additional opportunities for practising ‘independence’, but such practices, established pre-COVID-19, allow them to sustain their networking during the pandemic. Empirical findings that inform this article are based on qualitative strategies of inquiry conducted in the inner-city and inner-west areas of Sydney, Australia between 2017–2019–specifically, semi-structured interviews with 15 individuals involved with the scene, supplemented with participant observation at live gigs, and textual analysis of relevant texts, with follow-up online interviews with the same study participants in late 2020. ‘Online DIY’ is the integration of digital music and online communication technologies with the Central Sydney independent musicians’ independent practices. Since their online DIY practices enabled them to somewhat control where they want to perform, and how they want to produce, distribute, and promote their music, while also maintaining networks with both members of the local scene as well as music industries connections via online platforms like Bandcamp, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram before the pandemic, the COVID-19-related live music shutdown did not have an immediate adverse impact on their activities.