Late-night TV music slots have shrunk sharply.

CBS ended "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" this year, closing its music program.

James Corden's "Late Late Show" was never replaced after he left in 2023.

NBC's "Late Night With Seth Meyers" has cut live music, and ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" now books performances only twice a week.

Only "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" consistently features live acts.

The loss hits independent artists hardest.

Future Islands bassist William Cashion said their 2014 "Late Show with David Letterman" performance was a huge turning point.

Festivals that had rejected them suddenly wanted them, and the band gained much greater exposure.

Publicist Chloë Walsh said fewer slots mean developing artists compete with big names for dwindling opportunities.

Some artists now find success online.

Gigi Perez launched her career with the TikTok hit "Sailor Song," and Malcolm Todd landed a Columbia Records deal after viral clips.

Beach Bunny's "Prom Queen" went viral on TikTok and led to TV performances.

Beach Bunny singer Lili Trifilio said short-form content has replaced much of the album cycle, but she added that self-made clips do not hold the same value as late-night spots.

New online shows are stepping in.

Julian Shapiro-Barnum launched the YouTube show "Outside Tonight," which features live performances outdoors and leans independent.

Beach Bunny performed on its first episode.

Trifilio said she hopes it inspires others to revive late-night music.

Walsh noted that late-night spots mainly help touring, not sales, and that promoters and radio directors take notice.

Still, she said, for many artists, especially international ones, getting on "Jimmy Kimmel" remains the goal that makes the whole effort worth it.