“What’s one significant way that the business aspect of gospel quartets has evolved over the years? How has this change impacted the genre’s reach or popularity?”
One of the most significant business evolutions in gospel quartets has been the transition from traditional church circuit performances to a digital content syndication model. Our quartets now strategically record their live performances and distribute them across multiple social media platforms including YouTube, Facebook Live, Instagram, and TikTok. This digital pivot has allowed gospel quartets to connect with younger, digitally-native audiences who might not typically attend traditional church venues. The expanded reach has introduced gospel quartet music to entirely new demographics while creating additional revenue streams through digital engagement. This transformation has been crucial for ensuring the continued relevance and growth of gospel quartet music in an increasingly digital entertainment landscape.
Maksym Zakharko, Chief Marketing Officer / Marketing Consultant, maksymzakharko.com
The business side of gospel quartets has shifted dramatically toward digital distribution and social media promotion over the past decade. I noticed this firsthand while managing bookings for a local quartet in 2018—we started uploading live recordings to YouTube and sharing clips on Instagram. That change allowed us to reach audiences far beyond our regional church circuits, attracting followers from other states and even overseas. Revenue streams also diversified: digital downloads, streaming royalties, and online merchandise sales started supplementing traditional concert ticket income. This evolution has made the genre more accessible and visible, especially to younger listeners who might not attend in-person performances. Personally, seeing a single viral clip boost our concert attendance by 40% in just a few weeks highlighted how these business strategies directly impact popularity, giving gospel quartets a new platform to sustain both their music and their mission.
Nikita Sherbina, Co-Founder & CEO, AIScreen
One big shift I’ve noticed in the business side of gospel quartets is the move from almost entirely live shows and physical album sales to digital platforms and independent distribution. In the past, quartets made their living by touring non-stop, selling albums at church gatherings and relying on radio play in regional markets. That model was community-based but limited exposure—if you weren’t in the room or tuned into the right station you might never hear them.
With streaming, social media and YouTube, quartets can now reach global audiences without the same gatekeepers. I’ve seen groups use Facebook Live or TikTok to broadcast performances that would have once been confined to a single sanctuary. This has opened up the genre to listeners outside of traditional gospel strongholds.
The flip side is that the intimacy of the old model—traveling to small towns, shaking hands with fans, selling a CD from the back of a van—has been lost. Revenue is spread differently too—artists may get less per stream than they used to get per album, but they can potentially grow a larger audience and land sponsorships or festival spots as a result.
Overall I’d say this has made gospel quartets more visible and sustainable in the long run but it’s also forced groups to be smart about marketing, branding and online engagement in ways they never had to before.
Sovic Chakrabarti, Director, Icy Tales