FAQs

The Digital Stage is a nonprofit-based software service that allows arts and culture professionals to rehearse, teach, and perform together online from multiple locations. It can be used by small and large groups and ensembles in music, theater, dance, and performance. The technology is being developed by Digitale Bühne gGmbH, which, in building its national and international network, aims to enable professionals and amateurs to artistically appropriate and create digital spaces. The Digital Stage is intended to be available to as many people as possible on a low-barrier basis.

Singing, making music, rehearsing or performing together online is either only possible to a very limited extent or not at all via the video conferencing services currently in use. Alternative solutions are often too expensive in their commercial orientation (which are presented in our forum) or require technical prerequisites that are complex. Other, freely available solutions require sound technical knowledge or the willingness to undergo intensive training. So there is a lack of a solution that fits the needs of different application scenarios and is as easy to use as possible. The Digital Stage would like to offer an alternative point of contact for a modular service of this kind.

So far, Digitale Bühne has been sponsored through various grants. On our website we have listed who has funded us so far. In the long term, we want to fund ourselves through our partnerships with institutions, but we still depend on funding to reach more and more people.

As a non-profit supporting organization, we would like to make the Digital Stage available to as many people as possible free of charge or at net cost price. Institutions and associations can enter into a development or implementation partnership with us that is tailored to their specific needs. By making a financial contribution, institutions and associations give their members the opportunity to use the Digital Stage free of charge. The more partners participate, the lower the individual contribution required. Feel free to contact us!

Most video conferencing services currently in use have not yet defined music, theater, dance and performance as use cases and therefore do not offer solutions that address the complex conditions of the arts and culture sector. As a rule, they work with speech optimization, suppress frequencies as well as sound volume, and are unsuitable for music and theater due to their long time delay.

The Digital Stage deals precisely with these obstacles and is therefore an interface between art, culture, science and technology development on a non-profit basis. It provides the tools to set up artistic digital infrastructures and support the versatile design of digital art formats. The Digital Stage offers three different versions designed for different application scenarios:

1. digital-stage-web, a web version in the Internet browser
2. digital-stage-pc (for Windows, Mac und Linux) as software download
3. digital-stage-ovbox, a PC-independent hardware device (Raspberry Pi)

• It enables innovative hybrid and digital theater and concert formats even for small and medium-sized stages and event organizers
• It strengthens social cohesion and provides an experience of artistic community instead of competition
• It allows participation in rehearsals, classes and performances from different locations
• It creates new opportunities for audience interaction
• It also extends online artistic teaching in schools and universities in normal operation
• It lowers CO2 emissions by reducing travel (not only can rehearsals, classes and performance take place hybrid or online, but so can reading and building rehearsals, auditions and auditions, castings and even entrance exams)
• It strengthens international cooperation (festivals online or in parallel venues, "world choir")
• We welcome any further ideas!

Associations have different ways to participate in the work of the Digital Stage:

1. They can promote our project among their members so that everyone can use the service.
2. You can become a project or implementation partner.
3. You can, of course, also contribute to the project funding, depending on your possibilities.
4. You can convince other associations and institutions to participate as well.

If you are interested in a partnership with Digital Stage, please contact us at contact@digital-stage.org. We will then discuss the existing set-up and consider together how an implementation partnership can be designed to meet your needs.

Individuals and ensembles who are not organized in a national association are also welcome to use the Digital Stage. If you contact us at contact@digital-stage.org, we will find a suitable solution.

Digitale Bühne gGmbH receives your donation and uses it exclusively for non-profit purposes.