Karol G spent three times what Coachella paid for her headline set.

to Coachella Headlining sets have long been one of the most coveted seats in the entire concert landscape, confirming the power of superstardom and co-signing some of the world’s most culturally relevant music. But it’s become one of YouTube’s signature livestreams of the spring, with millions of people watching at home making it one of the top earners on a global scale production like the Super Bowl.

Sabrina Carpenter and by Karol G This year’s headlining set in particular was on a scale far beyond what you’d expect from a typical concert live stream. A grand production with multiple set changes, dozens of backing dancers, and perhaps most notably, next-level cinematography for those watching on screen.

Ambitious Coachella sets are nothing new in themselves. Take a look at Daft Punk’s iconic pyramid set in 2006. Beyoncé’s famous song ‘Baichella’ In 2018, as global audiences grew, what was once considered the best of all time began to become standard expectations.

“I think there’s a greater focus now on how it’s going to translate on camera and how the cinematography will actually reflect the scale and detail of the production,” says Ian Simon, CEO of Strangeloop Studios, who has helped provide visual and creative direction for Coachella headlining sets such as Blackpink and Kendrick Lamar. “Having a live performance that translates well to live streaming is probably non-negotiable at this point. If something looks great at Coachella but is underwhelming in the live stream, especially after this year, you run the risk of disappointing the fan base that expects it with the quality we’ve seen.”

JBeau Lewis, Partner Agent at UTA, has the following clients: Karol G 2023 headliner Bad Bunny says: “No one takes for granted how important this is.”

“Every artist and team has to decide for themselves what their values ​​are,” says Lewis. “Strategic and savvy artists and teams look at the big picture of how Coachella fits into the larger landscape of what they are trying to achieve, both in the live experience and live stream.”

Considering the huge global audience with thousands in attendance, Lewis said Karol G spent three times what Coachella paid her on production costs alone, including months of preparation time and three weeks of rehearsals in Las Vegas. Lewis didn’t specify how much Karol G was paid this year, but considering the typical Coachella headliner earns a salary in the mid-seven figures (Justin Bieber set a record this year with a salary of around $10 million), this suggests Karol may have been paid as high as eight figures.

Asked whether the broader livestream audience played a role in that calculation, he called that a “fair assessment.”

“Karol doesn’t see this as a one-off show of, ‘I did it and now I’m going home,’” says Lewis. “She is one of the biggest artists on the planet, someone who deserves and seeks world domination. This show is part of a bigger plan. Doing my best in front of over 100,000 people and tens of millions on the live stream will only serve our long-term plans.”

Karol G’s global Spotify streams soared 15% the day after her show. rolling stone Meanwhile, US streams increased by more than 35%.

Of course, not all sets require the same level of flare. Justin Bieber’s Show In stark contrast to Carpenter and Karol, he looked relatively stripped down, showing off little more than Bieber, carrying a laptop, a halfpipe-shaped stage set and a few guests. show, While divisions occur onlinewas probably the most-watched show of the entire weekend and by all accounts a successful comeback show that highlighted Bieber’s profile as one of the biggest artists in the world.

Neither Coachella nor YouTube share specific numbers on the festival’s streaming numbers, but it undoubtedly hit huge numbers, racking up millions of views. Coachella and YouTube are doubling down on streaming in 2026, streaming the Main Stage, Outdoor Theater and Sahara Tent in 4K for the first time and introducing a multi-stream feature that allows you to watch four different sets at once.

Considering the number of viewers watching the stream, Simon liked to develop Coachella sets around performances like award shows and other TV commercials, where the focus could be on millions watching on screen rather than thousands watching in person.

“Every Grammy I worked at, I would sit down with the manager and watch the show,” says Simon. “With the Coachella live stream, it became a similar process to a dress rehearsal, thinking about the stage production and choreography, but working backwards to see how it would look on camera.”

But just because live streaming is popular doesn’t mean direct viewers don’t get priority. Although hundreds of thousands of people attend, festivals are held in parks and fields rather than stadiums or stadiums built to accommodate the sights of large crowds, so most festival attendees don’t get to see much of the most crowded sets, so good camera shots are equally important.

“There were people who ran in as soon as the door opened and sat in front of the barricade for beavers for 11 hours, and didn’t even go to the bathroom all day just to get a good view.” Simon said: “If you’re not willing to make that commitment, even if you have a VIP or artist pass, your chances of getting a good view are low, so I think you’ll have to look at the screen.”

Coachella has been live streaming for more than a decade, but Simon attributes its rise in popularity in part to the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed live streaming into the only way for fans to consume live content from their favorite artists. Live streaming shows in the Corona era started out as cheap and haphazard, but as they became more common, the demand for high-quality live streaming shows increased. The technology hasn’t gone away, but live streaming itself has become more advanced. A typical part of the live experience For those who cannot attend in person

Simon added that pandemic-era streams have now been replaced by some of the technology and technological upgrades that remain in live streaming, raising the floor as demand for better shows continues to grow.

“Everything we do with these cameras is basically trying to create a live concert film for a live stream audience,” he says. “The discrepancy between what live streaming looks like and what a well-produced concert film looks like after editing is starting to converge, and expectations for the former will look more like the latter.”

Simon said it was the label’s first Coachella main stage performance since the pandemic ended, adding, “The conversation about live streaming was something we had been thinking about from the moment we entered rehearsals, and we were aware of this in the main stage performances we’ve done in the past, but we didn’t necessarily look at camera blocking early in the process.”

As these top-tier shows continue to grow in ambition and Couchella continues to get better, it’s hard to imagine the trend slowing down in the coming year.

“If you’re performing on an Indian stage, people are watching in India,” says Lewis. “People are watching it from everywhere, and this directly impacts artists’ ability to reach fans, connect, stream, and tour venues around the world that were previously difficult to reach.”