From posters to patches, selling merchandise is another major revenue source for musicians. Selling music and concert tickets aren’t the only ways musicians earn a living. If you’re looking for a way to support and feel closer to your favorite artists, Patreon gives you a front-row seat on the edge of their world. Depending on the membership options offered by the artist, patrons may be rewarded with exclusive access to the musician and other fans, rare merch, raw recordings and streams of private performances. With a Patreon membership, you receive exclusive content and gain a deeper look into the creative process of your favorite artists. By becoming a patron of your favorite musicians, you contribute directly to an income stream controlled by the artist rather than a company-and you usually get some sweet perks. Essentially, it’s a subscription to your favorite creators, including podcasters, YouTubers and artists. Patreon is a special platform where creators give fans access to a variety of different content through a monthly membership. Pay a visit to Bandcamp (where artists keep most of their revenue, minus a small fee), the iTunes Store (which keeps a larger portion of a band’s sales) or your favorite online shop. Buying albums guarantees your favorite artists bigger payouts than streaming on average.īuying a vinyl record or CD is awesome if you’re a fan of physical media, but digital sales are also a great way to support musicians. Though money from streaming does support artists (more on that later), the streaming rate per song can be as low as $0.003 per stream! At that rate, you’d need roughly 3,333 streams just to make $10-your cost of buying that album on iTunes. When you fall in love with an album or single, consider buying it rather than streaming it. Whether you buy a digital single or a vinyl LP, purchasing music helps artists get attention from labels, land bigger tour slots and more. Buy MusicĪside from attending shows, buying music is the best way to show appreciation for your favorite musicians.

Before you buy tickets, spread the love and invite your friends-the more the merrier.

Performing live to a sold-out crowd pays well and gives musicians exposure to new fans, whether they’re playing a local record shop or Madison Square Garden. Despite the uncertain landscape of the live entertainment industry in recent years during the pandemic, buying concert tickets is still a great way to support artists and the music industry as a whole. Attend Live ShowsĪs low-paying streaming platforms dominate and album sales fall, musicians are relying on live performances for a significant slice of income. Here are some of the best, most impactful ways to support musicians that will help them live their dreams. The Best Ways to Support MusiciansĪs music lovers, it’s important to show appreciation for the talented musicians who put their heart and soul into writing, recording and performing. But if you make that same purchase through their website or from their merch booth, they’ll get to keep a bigger percentage of the sales and can access that money right away. For example, buying music from iTunes is great, but it takes time for that money to reach musicians, and they may have to split funds with labels, agents and managers. When you support musicians directly, they reap more of the benefits of that support, faster. Even now, as the live entertainment industry struggles, musicians still need support so they can continue doing what they love, and that’s where you come in. Additionally, musicians spend countless months on tour, which takes a lot of time away from their families. When artists aren’t on stage or in the studio, they’re rehearsing or writing new material. And, unfortunately, it isn’t always as lucrative as you might expect.īeing a musician is much more than a full-time job-it’s a way of life. Putting art into the world takes a lot of courage and devotion, not to mention all the hard work behind the scene. There’s no doubt about it-being a musician is difficult. Why You Should Support Musicians Directly Is streaming good enough, or should you also buy their records? Should you only buy physical copies of records, or is iTunes okay? In this blog, we highlight some of the best ways to support musicians, including a few options that don’t cost a dime. And now more than ever, we need to support musicians back.īut these days, it can be hard to know if you’re doing enough to support musicians.

For many of us, music supported us through everything from bad breakups to memorable nights. There are songs you know every word to, concert posters framed on your wall and maybe even a collection of vinyl records on your shelf. It’s probably safe to say that, if you clicked on this article, you like music.

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