Live coding can be performed by geographically distributed musicians sharing code over networks, challenging the conventional requirement for co-presence

Networked live coding — multiple performers sharing code and audio across physical distances — is an established practice. Tools like Flok, Troop, and Estuary enable collaborative live coding where participants type in a shared editor that all can see and modify. The PowerBooks_UnPlugged ensemble used Julian Rohrhuber’s proxy system in SuperCollider to share and access code running on multiple computers. This practice challenges a conventional assumption about live performance: that it requires physical co-presence for its liveness. Remote live coding can produce genuine collaborative liveness through the feedback loop of code coproduction, even without spatial proximity. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated distributed live coding as many performances moved online.

Examples

The Eulerroom online algorave streams feature performers from different countries coding simultaneously. ALGOBABEZ use networked music to continue collaboration as the physical distance between them increased. LiveCodeNYC organizers run remote collaborative sessions via Flok.

Assessment

Design a networked live coding session for two performers 5000km apart. Specify: what tool they use, how they coordinate tempo/timing, and what liveness remains even without physical co-presence.