World, you have In conclusion, it would be a much better place if it was a place to listen to songs and attend performances by your favorite little known indie band.
Whether you’ve found this musical favorite on a curated Spotify playlist or were hooked by casually taking you close to their stage at a music festival, you want to share the notes. gold and this sweet voice to the whole world. This is your jam. You are a fan.
But with the music industry supported over the past few decades by Rise of MP3 And streamingthe Pandemic stops touring and live music, and now a future that may include AI-generated tunes, many musicians are struggling to make ends meet. The coins they earn from streaming services combined with revenue from live tickets, merchandise sales, and promotional deals can barely cover the cost.
That’s where the fans come in. People who really want the activities they love to succeed have lots of ways to show support and ensure that the music continues and its creators get paid. Here’s how you can become a better fan.
How to support musicians live
The most obvious way to help musicians is to buy their music, buy tickets to their performances, and pay for official merchandise.
But there are some nuances to spending those dollars. For example, if you want to buy posters, t-shirts and vinyl records for a musician, the best place to do it is in person, at a live performance where artists can pocket up to 100 % of sales desk goods.
That’s better than buying from Amazon, or even the band’s own website, where shipping and other fees may apply, or printing and production costs can affect profits (for to them and to you). The purchase cost at a gig may be higher, but it’s more likely that the money goes to the musician and not to retailers and shipping companies.
And if you buy a t-shirt or hoodie, obviously, wearing it in public can raise awareness of the musician; it’s free advertising for the artist.
Artists make much less money selling music than they used to, but buying vinyl or CDs at a concert still makes a difference. You can stream your favorite artist all you want (we’ll talk about that in a bit), but buying physical media is a good way to put money in their pocket.
Some bands may also have a donation or tip on their website or may offer crowdfunding campaigns for new albums or tours.
How to support artists online
David Lowe, performer as LUCKYKATonly one great list of ways Fans can help musicians, some of them for free. Among his recommendations are following artists on social media, tuning in to live streams they may be doing on Twitch or other video services, signing up for mailing lists, asking questions, etc. fan club or newsletter and share and comment on their songs and posts. Some of these could help increase artist exposure and encourage increasingly algorithmic social networks to expose their content to other users.
Streaming an act’s songs on services like Spotify and Apple Music might make for a fraction of a penny, but those streams add up. It can only a few hundred dollars for a show with an active fan base, but that’s not for nothing. So even if you own their vinyl album and play it religiously, keep those digital streams going, especially when you’re on the go. Write a review or post a positive comment in places where that option is available, such as on YouTube or SoundCloud.
