Why recorded music will never feel as good as the real thing
The answer, according to neuroscience
In a world of music streaming services, access to almost any song is just a few clicks away. Yet, the live gig lives on. People still fill sweaty basements, muddy fields and gilded concert halls to hear their favourite musicians play. And now neuroscientists might know why: live music engages the brain’s emotion centres more than its recorded counterpart.
Concerts are immersive social experiences in which people listen to and feel the music together through crescendos, key changes and drops. They are also dynamic—artists can adapt their playing according to the crowd’s reaction.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline "Nothing better than the real thing"
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