Coming in from the margins

HCI is increasingly interested in amateurism, but the wider literature suggests that the amateur is a complex and distinctive phenomenon. An interview study reveals the nature of the amateur in the digital age. Even though operating non-professionally at a micro-scale, amateur musicians employ a plethora of online services to sustain local fanbases, reach out to new fans, collaborate internationally, and actively promote both digital and material products. Our findings lead to recommendations for event-oriented promotion tools; community-oriented analytics; tangible and embedded products; and limited-edition digital experiences. We conclude that HCI needs to recognise the amateur as an important class of user, one who is serious about their leisure, and who is also distinct from the professional as from the novice and hobbyist.