The difference between live music and streaming concerts: being there in person is better for your well-being

(Live) Music as medicine

Research had already shown that listening to music can have a positive effect on your health or well-being. However, it had not yet been proven that live music affects you even more deeply than a recording. The study into the human response to live music performed by musicians versus streamed live music is part of a series of experiments within this interdisciplinary research project by the ‘Music as Medicine’ research group.

Kama muta

The study took place in early 2024 at De Doelen in Rotterdam. 130 healthy volunteers were randomly divided into two groups: one group attended a live performance of classical or pop music, performed by the RPhO. The other group watched a live stream of exactly the same concert. During the experiment, participants completed questionnaires about their emotions and their experience of the music, their kama muta. Kama muta (Sanskrit) means ‘moved by love’ and is the term scientists use for the intense, warm feeling of connection or emotion. The Cardiology Department recorded their heart rates to gain insight into the physical reactions.

And what did they find? The audience in the live setting gave a higher rating, felt more emotionally moved, experienced more positive emotions and excitement, and had a higher heart rate.

Heart rate

The average heart rate of the first group was higher, although the heart rate variability – which indicates the degree of relaxation among the visitors – did not differ between the two groups. According to the scientists, further research is needed into the link between kama muta and heart rate. 

In conclusion, the ‘vibrancy’ – the physical presence of being in a room with the musicians – appears to be an important aspect that determines the audience’s experience and physical reactions.
 

Read the full article in scientific journal Nature here.