---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think the recording industry is founded…"
description: "\"I think the recording industry is founded on that principle: to approximate the live experience, to approximate that thing that evaporates as it's happ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/276/gord-downie-7576_experience_i-think-the-recording-industry-is-founde_2347203.jpg"
---

#  I think the recording industry is founded on that…

![“I think the recording industry is founded on that principle: to approximate the live experience, to approximate that thing that evaporates as it's happening, disappears as it's happening.” quote by Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/276/gord-downie-7576_experience_i-think-the-recording-industry-is-founde_2347203.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/276/gord-downie-7576_experience_i-think-the-recording-industry-is-founde_2347203.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/276/gord-downie-7576_experience_i-think-the-recording-industry-is-founde_2347203.jpg)

> “I think the recording industry is founded on that principle: to approximate the live experience, to approximate that thing that evaporates as it's happening, disappears as it's happening.”

[Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The recording industry tries to capture the fleeting live experience, which inevitably fades as it happens.

**In simple terms:** Live moments are hard to preserve.

Key Takeaway

Seek ways to honor the present.

Themes

impermanence authenticity media

Mood

nostalgic contemplative

Type

philosophical reflective

When to use this quote

- concert recording
- live streaming
- event documentation

Key Concepts

ephemerality technology experience

Questions to Reflect On

- How can recordings convey live energy?
- What alternatives capture the moment?

A Different Perspective

Live energy may never be fully replicated.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [Principle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principle/)

## Related quotes

> [ I remember before I did my HBO special, Chris \[Rock\] screamed at me - in a loving way, but still. He was like, "You… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-apatow/i-remember-before-i-did-my-hbo-special-chris-rock-screamed-at-me-in-a/)

[Judd Apatow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-apatow/)

> [I didn't really even think of recording under my own name for a long time. I thought, 'I've got the rest of my life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-white/i-didn-t-really-even-think-of-recording-under-my-own-name-for-a-long/)

[Jack White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-white/)

> [I think recording at home feels more organic, and injects some more personality into the music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mac-demarco/i-think-recording-at-home-feels-more-organic-and-injects-some-more/)

[Mac DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mac-demarco/)

> [Many fail to realize this great recording industry was built by so-called jazz artists. And at the other end of the spectrum, a base…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ahmad-jamal/many-fail-to-realize-this-great-recording-industry-was-built-by-so/)

[Ahmad Jamal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ahmad-jamal/)

> [I'm not a slave to the recording industry. I have the freedom to make an album that I want to make and do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ziggy-marley/i-m-not-a-slave-to-the-recording-industry-i-have-the-freedom-to-make/)

[Ziggy Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ziggy-marley/)

> [The recording industry has changed; they're enjoying such incredible success in the pop field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-mulligan/the-recording-industry-has-changed-they-re-enjoying-such-incredible/)

[Gerry Mulligan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-mulligan/)

> [Hollywood and the recording industry argue that current law permits the copying of songs and movies, and sharing them on the Internet. This enables…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-fields/hollywood-and-the-recording-industry-argue-that-current-law-permits/)

[Suzanne Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-fields/)

> [Pop was initially ignored as a moneymaker by the recording industry. In the seventies they were still relying on Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-visconti/pop-was-initially-ignored-as-a-moneymaker-by-the-recording-industry/)

[Tony Visconti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-visconti/)

> [I knew that it was my only shot to be taken seriously in the recording industry, because it's fast and broad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-lambert/i-knew-that-it-was-my-only-shot-to-be-taken-seriously-in-the/)

[Adam Lambert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-lambert/)

> [The first principle of cognitive therapy is that all your moods are created by your 'cognitions,' or thoughts. A cognition refers to the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/the-first-principle-of-cognitive-therapy-is-that-all-your-moods-are/)

[David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/)

> [In a nation as dynamic and diverse as the United States, what makes us great is that our founding principles are rooted in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/in-a-nation-as-dynamic-and-diverse-as-the-united-states-what-makes-us/)

[Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/)

> [The eternal principle, which never was born, never will die: it is in all things: it is in you now. You are the wave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/the-eternal-principle-which-never-was-born-never-will-die-it-is-in/)

[Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/)

> [Too much principle is often more harmful than too little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/too-much-principle-is-often-more-harmful-than-too-little/)

[Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/)

> [I'm a principle liberty, rule-of-law Conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-o-toole/i-m-a-principle-liberty-rule-of-law-conservative/)

[Erin O'Toole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-o-toole/)

> [“The laws of every country must be analogous to some common principle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/the-laws-of-every-country-must-be-analogous-to-some-common-principle/)

[Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/)

## More by Gord Downie

> [I come to America because if you're a rock 'n' roll musician you should come here every chance you get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/i-come-to-america-because-if-you-re-a-rock-n-roll-musician-you-should/)

[Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/)

> [I had spend a lot of time looking at things intellectually, coming from the head, let's say, rather than the heart, and saying things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/i-had-spend-a-lot-of-time-looking-at-things-intellectually-coming/)

[Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/)

> [I used to run the band hockey pool - regular season and playoffs. I would write weekly reports, which were meant to demoralize and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/i-used-to-run-the-band-hockey-pool-regular-season-and-playoffs-i/)

[Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/)

> [I love dance - trying to express myself wordlessly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/i-love-dance-trying-to-express-myself-wordlessly/)

[Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/)

> [I grew up on the lake and spent most of that time outdoors. As a musician, I travel widely around the country and talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/i-grew-up-on-the-lake-and-spent-most-of-that-time-outdoors-as-a/)

[Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/)

> [You sort of get so lulled into thinking of yourself as this five-headed thing, the group, the band, The Hip. I guess you just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/you-sort-of-get-so-lulled-into-thinking-of-yourself-as-this-five/)

[Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/)

> [As we move towards resolution and understanding and greater serenity in all aspects of our life, love's pretty elemental and that's nice to know.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/as-we-move-towards-resolution-and-understanding-and-greater-serenity/)

[Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/)

> [You know, Prime Minister Trudeau's got me. His work with First Nations. He's got everybody. He's going to take us where we need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/you-know-prime-minister-trudeau-s-got-me-his-work-with-first-nations/)

[Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/)

> [If we weren't in this band, some of us wouldn't be playing at all. You have tiffs with someone when he has smelly feet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/if-we-weren-t-in-this-band-some-of-us-wouldn-t-be-playing-at-all-you/)

[Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/)

> [I enjoy making and creating things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/i-enjoy-making-and-creating-things/)

[Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/)

> [I think I'm a dancer in terms of what I do onstage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/i-think-i-m-a-dancer-in-terms-of-what-i-do-onstage/)

[Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/)

> [I'm grateful for the friendships and being able to show it, for people's dancing pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/i-m-grateful-for-the-friendships-and-being-able-to-show-it-for-people/)

[Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/)

> [I work a couple of hours a day with a guitar or pushing words around, so over time I have a lot of material,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/i-work-a-couple-of-hours-a-day-with-a-guitar-or-pushing-words-around/)

[Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/)

> [I've always liked R.E.M. because, like so many things I like, they exude a warmth; I like to think that we do, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/i-ve-always-liked-r-e-m-because-like-so-many-things-i-like-they-exude/)

[Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/)

> [When I'm in front of a crowd, I don't think 'Oh, there's some hard-core metalheads and some alternative fringe types, so we should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/when-i-m-in-front-of-a-crowd-i-don-t-think-oh-there-s-some-hard-core/)

[Gord Downie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/)

[Explore all 89 Gord Downie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/)

## More Experience quotes

> [Experience makes a lesson to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/experience-makes-a-lesson-to-us/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The Derby experience had not been good for me and the way it finished left a very bad taste in my mouth so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-pearson/the-derby-experience-had-not-been-good-for-me-and-the-way-it-finished/)

[Nigel Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-pearson/)

> [Well, I've been politically involved for a really long time. Growing up in the segregated South, it was a very painful experience for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cybill-shepherd/well-i-ve-been-politically-involved-for-a-really-long-time-growing-up/)

[Cybill Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cybill-shepherd/)

> [From my experience of having served for 3000 days, I can say that anything can be achieved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/from-my-experience-of-having-served-for-3000-days-i-can-say-that/)

[Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/)

> [My favorite job is the next one. Its such a gratifying experience getting to creatively keep trying something new and push things in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-craig-smith/my-favorite-job-is-the-next-one-its-such-a-gratifying-experience/)

[Roger Craig Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-craig-smith/)

> [I happen to think it's the politics that makes you electable, but the reason for that is politicians sometimes talk about electability as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-blair/i-happen-to-think-it-s-the-politics-that-makes-you-electable-but-the/)

[Tony Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-blair/)

> [Iranians hate Arabs. They're a fairly well-educated population and they have centuries of experience with self-government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ledeen/iranians-hate-arabs-they-re-a-fairly-well-educated-population-and/)

[Michael Ledeen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ledeen/)

> [Education is a lifelong experience. Experience is a lifelong education. Education plus experience equals expertise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bugeja/education-is-a-lifelong-experience-experience-is-a-lifelong-education/)

Michael Bugeja

> [Prison experience puts distance between me and any person who hasn't been there, done that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-mcconnell/prison-experience-puts-distance-between-me-and-any-person-who-hasn-t/)

[Patricia McConnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-mcconnell/)

> [Experience is a thorough teacher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-jane-holmes/experience-is-a-thorough-teacher/)

[Mary Jane Holmes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-jane-holmes/)

> [It definitely helps to have the acting experience going into singing, because when you're singing, you have to portray the emotion you were feeling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-newman/it-definitely-helps-to-have-the-acting-experience-going-into-singing/)

Ryan Newman

> [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/)

[Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/)

> [I've had a great experience with pretty much everybody I've worked with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mia-wasikowska/i-ve-had-a-great-experience-with-pretty-much-everybody-i-ve-worked/)

[Mia Wasikowska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mia-wasikowska/)

> [It wasn't a mistake, it was a fun learning experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-wasn-t-a-mistake-it-was-a-fun-learning-experience/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I worked a lot in Chicago's theater scene as a fight choreographer. And so I do have a lot of experience in stage combat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-offerman/i-worked-a-lot-in-chicago-s-theater-scene-as-a-fight-choreographer/)

[Nick Offerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-offerman/)

[Browse all 11,792 Experience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I think the recording industry is founded on that principle: to approximate the live experience, to approximate that thing that evaporates as it's happening, disappears as it's happening.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Gord Downie"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/i-think-the-recording-industry-is-founded-on-that-principle-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Experience"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/i-think-the-recording-industry-is-founded-on-that-principle-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/276/gord-downie-7576_experience_i-think-the-recording-industry-is-founde_2347203.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/276/gord-downie-7576_experience_i-think-the-recording-industry-is-founde_2347203.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/276/gord-downie-7576_experience_i-think-the-recording-industry-is-founde_2347203.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I think the recording industry is founded on that principle: to approximate the live experience, to…” — Gord Downie",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Gord Downie",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gord-downie/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I think the recording industry is...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/i-think-the-recording-industry-is-founded-on-that-principle-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gord-downie/i-think-the-recording-industry-is-founded-on-that-principle-to/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
