Most people don't have "digital storage" on their music festival packing list, but that's a rookie mistake according to 76 percent of music festival attendees who recently participated in a consumer study conducted by Edelman Intelligence, which was commissioned by Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ: WDC).

The survey of more than 1,000 music festivalgoers across the United States analyzed the importance of taking photos and videos at music festivals, the problems people tend to run into and how they cope with it. Key findings include:

Must-have Photos and Videos

Music festivals in the U.S. have gained popularity, with 28 percent of all Americans now attending them. Virtually everyone (96 percent of the respondents) will take photos or video of the event and 83 percent of the respondents said it's one of the main reasons they bring a charged smartphone. The content tends to be seen as "priceless" by almost three of four people surveyed because of the memories and emotions a good photo or video evokes.

Houston, We Have a Problem

Despite the intangible value placed on documenting their music festival experience, and 65 percent of respondents saying that it's important to have a way to back up that content, three in four festivalgoers surveyed have run out of room to take photos or videos at some point during the event. And, 22 percent have lost photos because of a lost, stolen or broken phone at a music festival. Still, based on the survey, people are more likely to bring their phone, water, jacket, sunscreen, phone charger and even bug spray, before they are likely to bring additional storage space.

Missing the Moment

While almost everyone (87 percent) surveyed feels frustrated when they run out of space on their phone and miss capturing a memorable moment, 61 percent of women feel disappointed and 26 percent of people surveyed felt stupid when it happened to them. More than half – 56 percent – would rather miss their train home than miss a selfie with their favorite musician.

Deleting a Memory

The most common "fix" is choosing to delete something in the moment, which detracts from the entire experience and is stressful to 76 percent of people surveyed, most of whom say it's like deleting a memory (67 percent). While selfies are the first to go (with 69 percent of respondents sacrificing them), more than half (58 percent) believe they would delete something that later became a favorite.

"At a music festival, documenting the event so that it can be relived and shared later, is a fundamental part of the experience," said Sven Rathjen, vice president of content solutions products at WD. "Sadly, three in four people surveyed ran out of storage space at some point and became either unable to capture anything further or – perhaps worse – forced to ignore the festival so that they can make on-the-spot decisions about what to delete. At Western Digital, we don't believe in those choices. Using products like wireless hard drives, network attached storage and personal clouds, consumers can have all the space they need to keep it coming."