Live Islands in the Seas of Recordings: The Music Experience of Visitors at the Øya Festival

Abstract

Live music remains popular in the digital age, as reflected in the growth in music festivals in the 2000s. The increased availability of music online highlights the issue of what sets live music apart but also raises the question of whether the use of new music media changes the experience of live music. This article explores perceptual, psychological, and social aspects of the music experience of visitors at the Øya festival in Norway. It finds that new music media can in fact enhance the live music experience but also uncovers fresh dilemmas regarding the fundamental pleasures of attending performances. “This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Popular Music and Society on 25 Jun 2014, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/03007766.2014.929322