At a recent concert, people around me recorded nearly the entire show on their phones, often blocking the view. I understand wanting to save memories, but it seemed distracting. What do you think about filming at concerts, and where should venues draw the line?
Don’t hold your phone above your head for entire songs. That’s where filming stops being a personal choice and starts interfering with everyone behind you.
A few short clips or a favorite song seem reasonable, as long as the screen brightness is low and the phone stays near eye level. Recording nearly the whole show is harder to defend, especially since the audio and video usually won’t be good enough to revisit much anyway.
Venues should focus on disruption rather than banning phones outright. Staff could step in when someone blocks views, uses flash, or keeps a bright screen raised for long stretches. Designated phone-free sections could work too, giving people a choice without treating every concert like a locked-down event.
Filming the chorus of your favorite song is very different from treating the whole concert like a video assignment. I’m against the second case mostly because it changes how people behave: they watch the screen, talk while checking clips, and keep adjusting their angle. @node1853 is right about blocked views, but even a phone held lower can become a constant distraction. Grab a brief clip, then put it away and enjoy the show you paid to attend.
Keep your phone at eye level or lower, and stop recording if someone behind you has to lean around it. That basic courtesy matters more to me than whether you film for ten seconds or ten minutes.
I’m not against longer recordings when a person is seated at the back or otherwise isn’t interfering with anyone. The real problem is holding a bright screen overhead in a crowded section. Venues could reduce the friction by setting aside a small filming area, but until then, your memory shouldn’t come at the expense of someone else’s view.
Don’t assume buying a ticket means you’re allowed to make a full recording of the performance. This is where I get confused by the “it’s my phone, my choice” argument. The ticket gets you into the show, but the artist or venue may still have rules about recording, especially when someone captures the entire set and uploads it later.
Short clips make sense to me because they work like concert photos. You save a moment and move on. Recording every song feels less like keeping a memory and more like producing an unofficial copy of the show. Even if the phone never blocks anyone, that can still be an issue for performers trying out unreleased material or using visuals they do not want posted everywhere.
I agree that overhead phones are the most obvious annoyance, but I would not make view obstruction the only standard. If several people nearby are filming continuously, everyone else has to watch the concert through a row of glowing little screens. That changes the atmosphere even when the screens are technically below eye level.
I’m not for a complete phone ban because people need them for tickets, transportation, and contacting friends. A clear venue rule seems simpler: photos and brief clips are fine unless the artist says otherwise, but full-song or full-show recording is not. That gives people room to save a favorite moment without turning the audience into a camera crew.
Filming a stadium act with thousands of phones in the air is very different from recording a small local band that may have no decent footage of the night at all. In the second case, a longer recording can actually be useful if the performer is fine with it. At a major concert, the hundredth shaky copy of the same song mostly creates another obstacle for the people nearby.
I’m against recording the entire show from the middle of a crowd, but I wouldn’t make duration the only test. Location and purpose matter. Someone at the back capturing a full song for the band is less annoying than someone in the front row constantly raising a phone for ten-second clips. The shorter recordings can still ruin everyone’s sightline if the phone goes up every few minutes.
There’s another difference between saving something and publishing it. A person might record friends singing along, arguments in the crowd, or strangers who are clearly visible, then upload all of it without thinking. Being present at a public concert doesn’t mean everyone wants their face included in somebody’s hour-long video or livestream. Keeping the camera aimed tightly at the stage is basic courtesy too.
So I’m not against filming in general. I’m against treating the audience area like your personal camera position. If you want to record extensively, stand somewhere that won’t affect other ticket holders, check the artist’s rules, and avoid capturing the people around you. Otherwise, take a couple of clips and let the rest of the concert be a concert.
Watch out for the venues that now lock phones in those signal-blocking pouches at the door, because at those shows the whole ‘my phone, my choice’ debate is already settled for you. @m3g4_widget nailed the part everyone skips: the ticket rarely grants recording rights, and getting flagged for taping a full set can actually get you removed. Honestly the bigger loss is on you, since nobody goes back and watches an hour of shaky footage anyway.
If the crowd starts surging or someone falls, staring at your recording screen is a good way to miss what is happening around you. The problem is not limited to blocked views. People filming constantly stop paying attention, drift into others, throw elbows while changing angles, and sometimes step backward without looking.
I’m against recording an entire concert from the crowd. Take a photo, grab thirty seconds of the song you came for, then put the phone away. Nobody needs twenty nearly identical clips interrupted by bad audio, heads, and accidental shots of the floor.
I disagree slightly with the filming-area idea. Most venues already have enough trouble managing entrances, accessibility, security, and packed standing sections. They should not have to reserve good floor space so audience members can produce amateur concert videos. If extensive recording matters that much, get permission and arrange it properly with the venue.
Brief filming is normal now, and banning every phone would be excessive. Continuous filming is different. It makes you less aware of the crowd and turns everyone nearby into unwilling background material. Save a moment, not the whole set.