Digitalization of classical music: The perception of the genre, the music and the performances through live stream digital platforms

In the past years the music has been facing significant changes related to its consumption, production and distribution; mostly derived from the latest developments in the media technologies and the widespread use of the internet as a key element for accessibility (Arditi, 2018). The digital era has also increased the availability of music globally, changing the social dynamics by offering a vast cultural source fully reachable for younger generations (Webster, 2019). To that end, the main goal of the research is to understand how the digitalization of classical music is influencing the listeners’ perception of the genre, the music and the performances through digital platforms, in contrast to live performances. Based on a multi-angled literature constructed of aesthetic and social theories concerning the digital artistic experience, I attempt to explore the digital innovation of classical music concert experiences and how their aesthetic perception could be considered a cultural asset and a “new art form” (McLennan, 2007; Fricker, 2008 as cited in King, 2018, p. 222). In summary, the thesis suggests that the digitalization and mediation of classical music concerts are definitely influencing the perception of the genre by adding a different possibility of understanding and a refreshed perspective of the whole concept of the artistic experience. In addition, the digital services have shown to have a much greater social and aesthetic potential than just being a digital representation of a live performance. The international health crisis derived from the COVID-19 virus has been the perfect frame to understand the fundamental role that the digital services play in today’s society, maximizing their potential and their scope to unlimited boundaries. Although the countries’ physical borders were closed during the COVID-19 health crisis, the social exchange around cultural goods prevailed through digital channels, revealing that the digital social interaction has become a cornerstone in the structural grounds of the current society.