In my opinion you’re wrong to think that a scrolling donation link is desperate.
These are difficult times and if people are willing to send a dollar so DJs can eat, why not.
How do you view GoFundMe pages? As desperate as well?
How would you fix it so people would get money to support their lives and family?
It seems like you view live streams like most people do. If they don’t get big numbers it’s useless. But live streaming is more than that. It’s being out there for others to see. A DJ might have a specific genre they love and share it that others can discover, which wasn’t possible BC (before COVID) as promoters and club owners didn’t want that.
Some do live stream because that is their form of therapy as they deal with the challenges COVID has brought.
There have been a handful of DJs that got 10-15k current viewers, but guess what, those are EDM djs with a very large following on social media. At they already have a certain reputation.
Not everybody sits in front of the TV and watches. I for example leave the music on in the background.
I also avoid streams with a ridiculous amount of visual effects, if I do sit down for 10-15 to watch it.
The DJs I follow average 150-300. And some are able to bring in 200-500 per stream thanks to subscriptions and bits. Because you only need a core of 100 ppl that is able to give you $20 a month for a decent monthly income. And that is what most have, regulars coming in. They’re friends and community supporting them.
DJ Marky is one dope DJ and I always look forward to his D&B sets. But I would never be able to see him live unless he tours. With the restrictions I’m allowed to enjoy his mixes.
Same goes for Skratch Bastid, Jazzy Jeff among others. Skratch Bastid actually educates you about the music he plays during his mixes.