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"Gaming livestream platform Twitch is branching out from its roots by testing the waters on live concert broadcasts, with the inaugural performance by EDM superstar Steve Aoki.\nThis experiment, according to Twitch, was something long requested by fans; apparently 80% of Twitch users surveyed wanted to see live music. It could also be a content experiment for when the company could make a bigger expansion, like if it were purchased by Google, a continually rumored deal.\nSee also: 10 Engaging Twitch Channels to Watch for Great Gaming\n\"This was really a serendipitous thing that came together really fast. We polled Twitch viewers about their appetite for watching live music, and the overwhelming sentiment was positive. We simultaneously had interest from some of our friends in the music business, so it all worked out in this instance. If this kind of thing turns out to be a good fit, we\u2019ll certainly think about the best way to integrate music more fully into the platform,\" Twitch VP of Marketing Matt DiPietro told Mashable.\nAoki will be playing a live set from a club in Ibiza Wednesday night at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on his own Twitch channel, and he'll play for two hours.\n\"There has been a long symbiotic relationship between video games and recorded music,\" Aoki said in a statement. \"With the gaming industry now doing live broadcasts on Twitch, it makes sense to bridge these two cultures with live music.\"\nWhether it's just a simple internal content experiment or signs of expansion plans, that remains to be seen. DiPietro said it was just about \"a value we could bring to the Twitch community.\"\nNeither Twitch or Google have commented on the buyout rumors. Four different publications have reported anonymous sources say Google is close to buying the streaming company for $1 billion.\nHave something to add to this story? Share it in the comments."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2014/07/30/twitch-concert-streaming/>