The Digital Evolution of Live Music

The Digital Evolution of Live Music

by Angela Jones, Rebecca Jane Bennett
Released July 2015
Publisher(s): Chandos Publishing
ISBN: 9780081000700

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Book description

The concept of ‘live’ has changed as a consequence of mediated culture. Interaction may occur in real time, but not necessarily in shared physical spaces with others. The Digital Evolution of Live Music considers notions of live music in time and space as influenced by digital technology. This book presents the argument that live music is a special case in digital experience due to its liminal status between mind and body, words and feelings, sight and sound, virtual and real. Digital live music occupies a multimodal role in a cultural contextual landscape shaped by technological innovation. The book consists of three sections. The first section looks at fan perspectives, digital technology and the jouissance of live music and music festival fans. The second section discusses music in popular culture, exploring YouTube and live music video culture and gaming soundtracks, followed by the concluding section which investigates the future of live music and digital culture.



  • gives perspectives on the function of live music in digital culture and the role of digital in live music
  • focuses on the interaction between live and digital music
  • takes the discussion of live music beyond economics and marketing, to the cultural and philosophical implications of digital culture for the art
  • includes interviews with producers and players in the digital world of music production
  • furthers debate by looking at access to digital music via social media, websites, and applications that recognise the impact of digital culture on the live music experience

Table of contents

  1. Cover image
  2. Title page
  3. Table of Contents
  4. Copyright
  5. Preface
  6. Introduction
    1. The digital evolution
    2. Live music
    3. The live music economy
    4. Live music and digital culture
  7. Section One: Live that survives
    1. 1: Live concerts and fan identity in the age of the Internet
      1. Abstract
      2. 1.1 Introduction
      3. 1.2 Identity and live music
      4. 1.3 Live concerts and history
      5. 1.4 Live concerts and community
      6. 1.5 Live concerts and the individual
      7. 1.6 Conclusion
    2. 2: Aura, iteration, and action: digital technology and the jouissance of live music
      1. Abstract
      2. 2.1 The territory: arguments about the technological mediation of cultural production
      3. 2.2 The expedition: experiences of jouissance through live music
    3. 3: What’s my scene: festival fandom and the applification of the Big Day Out stage
      1. Abstract
      2. 3.1 Introduction
      3. 3.2 A brief history of music festivals: 1960s–1990s
      4. 3.3 The 1990s to the 2000s
      5. 3.4 The 2000s: the applification of the BDO stage
      6. 3.5 The future of music festivals
  8. Section Two: Digital live
    1. 4: Live sound and the disappearing digital
      1. Abstract
      2. 4.1 Introduction
      3. 4.2 Sound is analog
      4. 4.3 Digital processes in live sound
      5. 4.4 Global sound design
      6. 4.5 Dislocations and authenticity
      7. 4.6 Music computing and synthesis
      8. 4.7 Remote digital tools
      9. 4.8 Digital magic
      10. 4.9 Conclusion
    2. 5: Live or Memorex? Changing perceptions of music practices
      1. Abstract
      2. 5.1 Introduction
      3. 5.2 Methodology
      4. 5.3 The loss of the tangible—capturing the moment 1
      5. 5.4 Plus ça change—capturing the moment 2
      6. 5.5 Liquid sounds—disseminating the experience
      7. 5.6 Keeping it real—live and digital
      8. 5.7 Dubstep or busted speakers? Changing auditory practices
      9. 5.8 Backward to the future
    3. 6: Live from the ether: YouTube and live music video culture
      1. Abstract
      2. 6.1 Introduction
      3. 6.2 Free-for-all: the YouTube model
      4. 6.3 It’s all here: community and access
      5. 6.4 Another promotional tool: the official model
      6. 6.5 Identifying the fanvid: the amateur–professional divide
      7. 6.6 The heart of copygrey: the user-generated model
      8. 6.7 Offsetting copygrey: YouTube services
      9. 6.8 A live-streaming case study: Coachella
      10. 6.9 Conclusion
    4. 7: Live music in a virtual world: exuberant flourishing and disability at Wheelies nightclub in Second Life
      1. Abstract
      2. 7.1 Second Life: looking forward, looking back
      3. 7.2 Identity avatars and disability
      4. 7.3 Second Life, live music, and disability
      5. 7.4 Wheelies, live music, and engagement
      6. 7.5 Conclusion
    5. 8: The sounds of Skyrim: a musical journey through gaming
      1. Abstract
      2. 8.1 Introduction
      3. 8.2 The music of Skyrim
      4. 8.3 Music and live-gaming experiences: a moment in time, a moment in mind
  9. Section Three: Live after death
    1. 9: Dead music in live music culture
      1. Abstract
      2. Acknowledgments
      3. 9.1 Deadness in liveness
      4. 9.2 Retro-canonization and archivists
      5. 9.3 Collector interviews
      6. 9.4 Frank Fairfield—time traveler
    2. 10: Keepin’ it real? Life, death, and holograms on the live music stage
      1. Abstract
      2. 10.1 Introduction
      3. 10.2 Presence
      4. 10.3 Genre
      5. 10.4 Ontology
      6. 10.5 Ethics
      7. 10.6 Conclusion
  10. Coda
  11. Index

Product information

  • Title: The Digital Evolution of Live Music
  • Author(s): Angela Jones, Rebecca Jane Bennett
  • Release date: July 2015
  • Publisher(s): Chandos Publishing
  • ISBN: 9780081000700