In a performative context, the term was originally used to refer to live appearances, initially at rave events in the late 1980s, of studio based producers of electronic dance music who released music using fixed media formats such as 12-inch single, CD, or music download. The concept of the live PA helped provide a public face for a scene that was criticized as "faceless" by the mainstream music press. The trend was quickly exploited by a music industry desperate to market dance music to a popular audience.