LOS ANGELES -- It's inevitable: Meerkat and Periscope, the rival live-streaming apps that have taken the world by storm this month, will be used at countless concerts by fans who want to instantly share their experiences with their friends, family and followers.
But how do artists feel about their ticketed shows being broadcast to non-concertgoers for free? Mashable asked Katy Perry -- the most-followed Twitter user and one of the biggest current touring acts -- to weigh in on these hot new live-streaming apps.
"You've got to embrace the future or you're left behind," Perry, 30, told Mashable on Thursday at the Epix screening of the TV special for her Prismatic World Tour.
"I'm with it. I think that, when you see a phone, that is like the new applause," she said. "So people used to applaud; now the more phones you see, you can just count it as the amount of applause that there would be. ... I embrace them mostly as long as they're not obtrusive."
The "Roar" singer is among current musicians who really have no choice other than to embrace the evolving digital behaviors of their fans. Now, with Meerkat and the Twitter-owned Periscope in their arsenal, fans have the ability to stream their concert perspectives, get instant feedback from viewers, and even save and share footage.
At each stop on her colorful Prismatic World Tour, Perry encourages fans to use the lights on their phones during her performance of "Unconditionally," turning the gadgets into a sea of swaying lights reminiscent of lighter flames from yesteryear.
Perry also pauses several times in concert to join fans for selfies, the digital currency that today holds more value than autographs for most Millennials.
[img src="http://admin.mashable.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/katy-perry-prismatic-world-tour-selfie.jpg" caption=""Selfies are a disease" Katy Perry jokingly says at each tour stop." credit="John Shearer/Invision/AP" alt="katy-perry-prismatic-world-tour-selfie"]
At Thursday's screening in downtown Los Angeles, Epix and Perry's team also used Periscope, which became available to download on that same day, on the red (pink) carpet and then again during the post-screening Q&A.
They promoted the Periscope live stream on Twitter, using the hashtag #Perryscope (get it?):
LIVE on #Periscope: Pink carpet interview with Katy Perry! #PrismaticOnEPIX #perryscope https://t.co/eu39FyyLrp— EPIX (@EpixHD) March 27, 2015
Because it wouldn't be opening day w/o @twitter's biggest star @katyperry #UpPeriscope #PerryScope cc: @AmbuLance pic.twitter.com/Az2Hisx6X0— lara cohen (@Larakate) March 27, 2015
Most amazing livestream ever the periscope made me feel like I was there @EpixHD #PrismaticOnEPIX— Aaisa (@aaisarayne) March 27, 2015
@EpixHD oH MY GOD THAT #PERRYSCOPE WAS INCREDIBLE— m(urderized)addy (@prismatichemmo) March 27, 2015
@EpixHD Thank you for making my night special! Seeing Katy even on periscope made my night. I stayed up so late! — Kristen (@katycatkristen) March 27, 2015
So there you have it: Phones are the new applause. Selfies are the new autographs. This is 2015, and we're all documenting it.
BONUS: What is Meerkat? Founder explains most-discussed app of SXSW