Well, what is it?

We get this question a lot when we introduce people to our own live session series, Incandescent Sessions. While there is no official definition, we like to define a live session as a video and audio recording of a musical group or solo artist that performed live at the time of the recording (meaning everyone performed together in one place with no overdubs). 

What’s the difference between a live session and a live stream?

While live sessions can be broadcast on radio, TV, or the internet, they can also be recorded and edited first. For example, NPR records their Tiny Desk Concerts, edits them, and uploads them to YouTube for people to watch whenever they want, while KEXP Radio both broadcasts their in studio performances and records them for later viewing online. 

Do all live sessions have an audience?

No, many live sessions are filmed with just the band and crew in the room.

What’s the difference between a live session with an audience and a concert recording?

There isn’t a hard line between the two, but in general the difference is scale and setting. Is the audience a small group of people watching the filming of the session in a recording studio, or is the audience a crowd in a concert hall? It’s ultimately subjective to whoever is naming the recording.