Music festivals are quickly becoming one of young Americans’ favorite past times. People discussing music festivals are talking significantly more about the experiential nature of the event; the beautiful stages, the unbelievable fireworks, the amazing acrobats performing on stage. The draw of music festivals is so strong within the EDM community 1/3 of us attended a live event before we started listening to the music at home. 8 out of the top 25 music festivals in the U.S. are exclusively electronic, with a large amount of the remaining top festivals being at least partially dedicated. An increase in the number of festivals paralleled with an increase of social media chatter about the experience has lead to the EDM fan taking an average of 25 photos and 5 videos per show [Eventbrite ticketing study]. We really want to capture and remember forever the best moments of our lives happening with our best friends. With memories and experiences being so important to the EDM culture the products we choose to record those once-in-a-lifetime moments are becoming very important too.

Life is either an incredible adventure, or it’s nothing at all

Many fans of this lifestyle choose GoPro as their go-to picture taking and moment recording device. With the GoPro HERO4 Silver’s ability to take 12mp pictures, record in 4k, and be placed almost anywhere you can see it’s easy to be drawn into wanting one; but is GoPro fit for the rugged music festival lifestyle? Will the battery last long enough to record a weekend’s worth of your favorite artist’s best songs? Is it too fragile to take to the front row? Will the playback of a live music experience capture the sound and visuals of the stage and make you feel as though you are there all over again? We took a look at the GoPro HERO4 Silver through our experienced music festival fanatic eyes to tell you if 400 of your hard earned dollars would be well spent on a product that’s going to augment the best experience of your life.

The Facts

MSRP $399.99

1 year limited warranty “This warranty does not apply to products damaged by misuse, accident or normal wear and tear. Because of possible user-resealing error, this product is not warranted against Waterproof Housing leakage or any resulting damage.”

Records video at up to 4K at 15fps, a more useful 2.7K resolution at 30fps, and perhaps most importantly 1080p at 60fps and 720p at 120fps

12 megapixel camera

Winner of the CNET Editor’s Choice Award

Pros

Protune setting allows amateurs to capture cinema-quality video.

Built-in touch screen increases navigation ease compared to older models.

USB charging means you can easily charge your HERO4 with your portable power bank almost every music festival attendee has for their phones and electronics.

GoPro Field Guide provides short and informative tutorial YouTube videos on how to get the best use out of your camera. Do you want to shoot this live concert in 1080p at 30 seconds per frame? Would the slow motion feature make for a great introduction shot as you and your friends walk into EDC Las Vegas? They’ll explain what all of that means and which settings are best for your filming location.

HiLight Tag feature allows for easy marking of specific moments during video as they happen for easy finding later. Did Markus Schulz just drop your favorite song? Simply tap the button on the side while recording and you can easily find it again later.

Playback audio is pretty good for a video camera that fits in your pocket. Bass enthusiasts like those that would enjoy a live G Jones show will notice it lacks in the low end, but it’s very acceptable.

Captures lasers and light shows with excellent quality. Even in the dark light shows play back crisp.

Battery life will suit a music festival fanatics lifestyle.

GoPro Mobile App allows you to change settings, preview and review and transfer content via Wi-Fi.

GoPro Studio computer software is simple and intuitive to use.

Skeleton Backdoor is made for recording live sound when water, dirt and sand aren’t a risk.

Cons

MicroSD card must be purchased separately.

Standard Backdoor is made for recording when water, dirt and sand are a risk. It completely encapsulates your camera and microphone making it the safest backdoor for your GoPro, but not the backdoor to use for recording live music events.

You will have to treat it gently if you are going to use the Skeleton Backdoor for optimal recording of music.

Is It Worth It?

Yes.

With all of the accessories available to mount your camera almost anywhere, you can easily attach your GoPro to the top of a rave totem to get the best unobstructed view in the crowd.

The Skeleton Backdoor is the backdoor of choice for music recording, however, that’s where you must be careful in a crowd full of people spilling beer while they’re dancing. Your $400.00 camera is susceptible to water and mud damage with that backdoor on and GoPro’s 1 Year Limited Warranty isn’t going to cover the cost of an inebriated festival-goer’s faux pas. $400.00 may be a high price when you already pay for 5-6 $300+ music festivals per summer, but if you have the extra cash and are ready to capture the best moments of your life on a better piece of equipment than your cell phone, a GoPro fits perfectly into the EDM and music festival lifestyle.

Convenient, intuitive, and professional.

Most people in this world don’t want to read a product manual to figure out how to use their new toys. GoPro knew this and brilliantly made very exciting and easy-to-understand tutorial videos taught by some of today’s extreme sports icons. You’re not only learning how to use all of the gadgetry to become a better videographer, you’re being entertained. You want to go out into the world and capture all of the moments you have been missing out on.

GoPro understands the wants and needs of a music festival fanatic and have met them with their excellent product for the price. Check out their promo video which includes a lot of great shots from this year’s epic Tomorrowland experience:

I can’t wait to take my GoPro on all of my festival experiences and put together an amazing recap video that will wow my friends because it will look professional and be something we treasure forever. That’s what GoPro can do for you and your rave crew: capture your once-in-a-lifetime music memories and easily put them together in a format you will have for the rest of your lives. That is worth $400 to me and why the GoPro HERO4 Silver is a Your EDM Editor’s Choice Product for the 2015 music festival season.

Check out GoPro.com for more information and to purchase your rave crew’s perfect camera today