Music from anywhere & everywhere: exploring the design space of remote music performances

This thesis explores the design space of remote music performances through a Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) lens, responding to the rapid changes in the music industry which were trigged by global shifts towards digitalisation. My work aims to add to the existing body of work in remote and hybrid music performances, contributing towards bridging the gap between theoretical research and practical applications in technology design for remote music engagement. I do this by focusing on two key stakeholders: musicians and audiences. The research is grounded in a human-centred approach, utilising methodologies from design research to dive into the experiences, needs, and aspirations of the two stakeholder groups.

First, I examine how musicians' practices have evolved within remote and hybrid settings, identifying technological gaps in facilitating remote rehearsals in varied acoustic and visual spaces. Then, I transition to understanding remote music audiences' changing behaviours and expectations, investigating what they seek from remote music experiences now and in the future. In the latter part of the thesis I present a 'Designer's Toolkit', a compilation of design suggestions in the form of intermediate-level knowledge intended to inspire future work in remote music performances and the wider field of HCI. It bridges the findings from the initial explorations into actionable guidelines. Moreover, in this part, I also reflect on my positionality as a researcher within the research and describe how it has evolved throughout my PhD journey, with the aim to relate to other researchers working in complex and interdisciplinary domains.

Throughout my investigation, the thesis contributes to the fields of music and HCI (and beyond) by providing a fresh perspective on the current landscape of remote music performances. By doing so, my research aspires to offer inspirational starting points for future work and design initiatives that ultimately enhance the overall experience of music performed and experienced remotely for both musicians and audiences in the post-pandemic world. In addition, I advocate for human-centered approaches both towards technology design in the space, but also towards ourselves as researchers. For interaction design researchers, the work contributes methodological and conceptual tools for designing with and for complex experiential domains. For musicians and artists, it offers reflections and design directions grounded in their lived practices, supporting both creativity and adaptability in remote performance contexts. For music industry professionals and platform developers, it raises considerations around audience experience, engagement models, and the broader design of remote performance ecosystems.