Collective listening events respond to a cultural need, but are at risk of co-option by wellness and lifestyle marketeers, argues Derek Walmsley in The Wire 511“You’re in the right place!” These kinds of immersive listening experiences are finding an audience. Immersive listening events often carry a sense of exclusivity. This kind of branding plays out on Instagram and other social media channels, despite the promise that listening venues constitute a break from online life. At present, listening events often look backwards.