When CBS ended “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” earlier this year, it also dismantled the program’s extensive musical programming — a significant setback for artists whose television exposure was already in decline.

Historically, late-night television has served as a singular platform for musicians seeking to reach fresh audiences — consider a rising Chappell Roan on “The Late Show” or even The Beatles on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”

Yet when James Corden departed CBS’ “The Late Late Show” in 2023, his program — along with its coveted performance slot — was never resurrected.

NBC’s “Late Night With Seth Meyers” has scaled back its live music offerings, while ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” has reduced performances to twice weekly.

As matters stand, only NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” consistently secures live acts.

Emerging artists continue to perceive considerable merit in these performances — and remain optimistic that nascent digital programming will present a viable alternative.

March 3, 2014, proved to be the pivotal moment for the rock band Future Islands.

The synth-pop ensemble had long been a cornerstone of America's underground music scene, owing much of its standing to the magnetic frontman Samuel T. Herring and his distinctive vocal delivery, which hovered somewhere between Tom Waits and Rammstein's Till Lindemann.

On that particular day, their performance on the "Late Show with David Letterman" left the host utterly captivated.

"I'll take all of that you got!" Letterman enthused, catapulting the DIY outfit into genuine viral fame.

“At the time we played Letterman, the band was in a transitional phase,” remarked bassist William Cashion.

Having signed with the larger independent label 4AD Records, enlisted management, and been promised a late-night television slot, they never anticipated it would come to fruition.

“Our team informed us, ‘It will resonate with your fans, friends, and family, but it’s unlikely to make a significant impact. These opportunities no longer carry the weight they once did,’” he recalls.

That, however, proved not to be the case.

“Every festival that had initially rejected us suddenly wanted us to perform.

Everything shifted after that moment,” he said.

“It was unquestionably a pivotal juncture and afforded the band considerably greater visibility.”

A scarcity of late-night venues hits independent acts especially hard — the very performers who stand to gain the most from such exposure, much like Future Islands.

Representatives for CBS, NBC, and ABC declined to respond to Reporters’ inquiries.

Chloë Walsh, co-founder of publicity firm The Oriel, highlights the role of the music bookers working behind the scenes.

“Of course, they have to book all the biggest things in the world, but they also have things that they want to champion,” she remarks.

With fewer slots available, emerging artists find themselves competing against established names for increasingly scarce opportunities.

Yet alternative pathways to discovery remain.

“We’re somewhat of an anomaly in that our song and that performance gained such traction,” says Cashion.

“Yet we’ve observed other bands experiencing viral moments on TikTok and the like.”

There are countless examples of artists cracking the code online: Singer-songwriter Gigi Perez’s career was launched by the TikTok hit “Sailor Song,” just as Malcolm Todd’s was boosted by a few viral tracks, earning him a major label deal with Columbia Records.

Indie band Beach Bunny saw their punky-pop go viral with “Prom Queen” just before the pandemic, leading to performances on Kimmel and Fallon.

Even established artists are enjoying renewed waves of discovery: Weezer’s 2010s power-pop track “Go Away,” featuring Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino, recently circulated widely on TikTok and emerged as a leading track for both on Spotify.

"It seems as though many aspects of the album cycle have, in a sense, been replaced by short-form content," Beach Bunny singer Lili Trifilio explained.

"And it is disappointing, because late-night television is a major service to musicians.

You are helping artists reach new fans."

She added that much of the burden of promotion now falls on artists, who must effectively produce their own late-night television segments for platforms like TikTok.

In her view, these self-produced clips of thirty seconds to a minute do not carry the same weight as more polished, traditional media appearances.

“The media landscape is in a state of perpetual flux.

At times, that proves advantageous for music, and at other times, detrimental,” says Walsh.

“There is currently a whole generation of emerging creators producing remarkably innovative work.

…

It is to be hoped that a greater array of opportunities will present themselves, and that we will no longer be dependent on the networks.”

She highlights “Track Star(asterisk),” the online music trivia series, which has expanded to host live performances, and Julian Shapiro-Barnum of “Recess Therapy,” who has launched a late-night YouTube program, “Outside Tonight,” featuring live acts.

Shapiro-Barnum says “Outside Tonight” was born out of necessity.

“We know that the entertainment industry is hard to break into.

And so, what’s been so cool about digital media is that it’s circumvented that,” he says.

His guiding question was, “How can we do late night, but different?”

The program unfolds in an outdoor setting, circumventing the conventional studio format.

Its musical curation leans toward independent acts, with recent guests including rapper Erick the Architect, indie rock soloist Annie DiRusso, and the multi-instrumentalist and experimentalist L’Rain.

“There was no iteration of the show that omitted music,” he remarks.

“For me, it feels indispensable.”

Beach Bunny took the stage as the headlining act for the inaugural installment of “Outside Tonight.”

“It’s truly inspiring to witness individuals who are movers and shakers acknowledge, ‘Here’s a gap I’ve identified. Late-night programming has been relegated to the sidelines. We need to revitalize it, and I’m determined to find a solution,’” Trifilio remarked.

“I trust that this will motivate others to rise to the occasion.”

She perceives it as part of a broader YouTube renaissance, moving away from prioritizing short-form content.

She observes that audiences appear to be craving more extended, in-depth content.

In traditional late-night television slots, artists gain valuable exposure—yet this visibility does not necessarily translate into a corresponding surge in sales.

Ideally, that same dynamic will extend to these emerging digital platforms.

"It's a showcase for touring, and that's really where artists make their money," says Walsh.

"People often say, 'Being on a late-night TV show doesn't really give you a boost.'"

They're looking at sales, not at a promoter in Minneapolis thinking, 'Oh my god, I want that,' or a radio playlist director saying, 'That was fantastic, we should add that.'"

"Every musical guest who's been on 'Outside Tonight,' every crew member, and every audience member has been unable to stop listening," says Shapiro-Barnum.

"In real time, it spreads and creates all these fans.

So, I have to imagine that happens online as well."

Yet for many, securing a late-night television slot remains the ultimate benchmark of a successful press tour.

"For many—especially international artists who come to grind through club dates across the U.S., often without even headlining—securing a slot on 'Jimmy Kimmel' feels like we've made it," says Walsh.

"Every ounce of effort was justified."

And that's monumental."