18 Ways Fans Can Support Musicians
We can’t live without music so let’s prove it.
When I started producing electronic music as LUCKYKAT, my biggest goal was to become financially independent as an artist. This sounds counter-intuitive and the polar opposite of what most musicians preach — that you do music for the love of doing it, not the money — but I always wanted to be my own boss and make music on my terms.
I wanted to devote 100% of my time to my craft, not do a meaningless job to support that pursuit.
So when I launched my first releases, I was focusing on the sales of the songs (about $2 per digital copy) instead of the streaming revenue (about $0.003 per 1 minute of listening on Spotify) to help keep the lights on.
This strategy worked quite well but then I realized that because I was not producing traditional, physical music using a medium like vinyl or CD, it was harder to sell. Human behavior has changed and music fans have migrated towards streaming and “all you can listen to” deals with music platforms.
I started researching alternative ways to generate revenue in the music world and was pleasantly surprised to find that live streaming is one of the top ways to do this now because fans can interact with artists in real time, tip them, buy emotes (Twitch specific emoticons) and get recognized for being super fans. In addition, fans can by virtual products like NFTs and even invest in a stake of the artist’s brand so as the musician grows, so too does the fan’s shares.
The pandemic completely crushed the music industry for about 2 years so I thought it was a good time to come up with a list of ways you can support artists during this tough time:
1. Follow On Social Media
Start by following your favorite up and coming artists, not just the big name celebrities who don’t care for their fans (sorry Travis Scott, the world is calling you out!).
A lot of artists use aggregators like Solo or Linktree which is one page with all of their social media profiles. Don’t just follow. Engage with the artist. You will be amazed how responsive a lot of rising music producers are and you might even get perks just by being supportive to their career.
If you like their content, hit that like button, share it with your friends and add comments. This tells the platform they are on that your content is high quality and others need to see it. It seems like a small action on your part but done consistently and with other followers doing the same thing, this will create a tipping point where the artist finally gets recognition.
2. Tune In To Live Streams
Live streaming has become massive thanks to Twitch which originally promoted video gamers live streaming their gameplay. Now musicians are on the platform and proving that they don’t need to be signed to a major label or tour around the world to reach their fans, promote their music and be successful.
Content creators can also show fans their hobbies, not just their music. This might include watch parties, live sports game, cooking something, video game, live DJ set.
Here’s how you can support musicians on Twitch:
- Tip or Cheer using Twitch Bits
- Subscribe to the channel (typically $5–25 / month).
- Buy merch (t-shirts, music, posters, stickers).
3. Join Mailing List
An option to join the artist’s email list will normally pop-up on their own website. Once you have joined, you will receive special offers, news about live shows and new music releases.
When you get these emails, don’t just delete them, read them, share them and click on the links to see what is being promoted. There might be a nice surprise!
4. Share Music
You are what you listen to. Truth.
When an artist releases a new single, EP or album, get behind it.
Buy it, stream it, like it, share it and comment on any channels it appears on.
With a lot of media, it is all about getting a positive momentum built before launch so that when the music is released, the streaming platforms push it more. If you want the artist to succeed, prove it!
Add the songs to all of your relevant Spotify/ Apple Music/ YouTube Music playlists.
Don’t just be a fan. Be a supporter.
5. Put Money In The Tip Jar
Tipping is not just a place in China as the old saying goes. A tip will give a positive signal to the artist that they are doing good and give them confidence to keep going. In some extreme cases, a well timed tip could even save a life.
Mental health is the invisible killer and music is known for being a low income pursuit. So go out of your way to be positive in every possible way.
Sacrifice your crappy cup of coffee at Starbucks and instead give it to an artist who needs it more than a greedy corporation that does nothing for you.
6. Purchase Merch
Whether you are a watching a live stream, at a live show or on the artist’s website, buying merchandise helps to support the musician and their team. And once you have bought the t-shirt, stickers or hoodie…
7. Wear The Merch
Rep the brand, rep the band (or DJ).
Word of mouth is one of the most effective forms of marketing so by simply wearing a t-shirt or hoodie, people will inevitably ask you about it at some point and you can tell them about the artist you are supporting.
No fans. No music.
You will also meets other fans this way or introduce people to the music you love. Either way, it’s a win-win.
8. Buy Tickets To Shows
Artists have to start somewhere. Unless you are baby faced Dutch producer and part of a manufactured marketing strategy by a big label, you will not headline EDC (Electric Daisy Carnival) immediately.
Go to your local nightclub and support your local DJs and bands. You are also supporting the venue which without fans like you would not be there.
Nightclubs are cultural meccas which too many people take for granted. Go frequently, get to know the owners and maybe soon you’ll be playing there too to support the nights.
9. Donate
See that “Donate” button on Spotify and Soundcloud? Hit it and get behind up and coming musicians.
The streaming platforms pay a pitiful amount to artists ($0.003) so donations mean the world to them and keep them producing music for you.
10. Give The Gift Of Music
The greatest gift in my opinion is introducing someone to the music you love.
Surprise your friends by gifting them music from your favorite artists. It doesn’t matter if it is digital or physical music.
Then the next time you have drinks, you have something to talk about. And if they really like the music, they won’t stop talking about it!
11. Create Videos With Their Music
TikTok has exploded in the last year as more people were at home during the pandemic and wanted to be creative.
A simple way to support an artist is to find their music by searching on the app then use that as the soundtrack for your videos. The most common use is in dance videos.
By doing this, you are promoting the music but also the artist gets paid every time a song is used.
If you don’t use TikTok, contact the artist to use their music. If you work in the film or TV industry you can license the music for a lot more money which ultimately benefits the artist and sustains their career for longer.
12. Add Music To Your Playlists
I touched on this briefly above but every time you add an artist to your playlist, more people listen to them.
Spotify also sees that artist on more playlists and ranks them higher on the platform.
Then playlisters will naturally find the songs of this artist and add them to their playlists. Music is all about discovery and you are helping to facilitate this.
13. Become A Fan Subscriber
Most social platforms allow you to subscribe to an artist’s channel. Most of them are free with a premium upgrade as a secondary option.
If you subscribe on a platform like YouTube, you will get updates when your favorite artist adds new videos and music.
They can also live stream on the platform so you will be the first to know when this is about to happen.
If you watch live streams on Twitch, you can also subscribe on there with the added benefit of being able to support the musician through their channel.
If you really want to extend your amazing positive energy and support, you can subscribe to their Bandcamp channel and Patreon.
14. Buy Music
The purists will still say to support vinyl for the physical product and the warm fuzz that a needle makes when it makes contact with the record.
The average music fan in 2021 will be happy with buying music on Bandcamp or iTunes.
Whichever way you want to support artists, buying music is the most obvious way to do this. Hang your vinyls on the wall, share your digital collection and every time there is a new release, support it!
15. Take Music Lessons
Some musicians need to make more revenue so will offer music lessons. A few years back, this was restricted to their physical location and meant they could only do one-on-one lessons or occasionally group lessons if they could attract enough people.
Now they can offer tutorials on live streaming platforms and private Zoom video calls. These can be one-on-one (more expensive) or group sessions (cheaper).
Some artists have even started to offer experiences on platforms like Airbnb. I saw one recently where a musician in Cuba takes guests on a music tour around Havana, buying vinyl in record shops then listening to the music while drinking coffee together.
16. Hire Them For A Private Event
Some artists are not at the level where they have a tour manager or booking agent. While the artist is still accessible, why not book them for your party?
These shows can pay $300–1500 depending on the event and is a crucial source of revenue for the musician. It enables them to cover their monthly costs quickly so they can spend more time creating music that they love.
I was fortunate enough for this to happen in Phoenix when I was asked to DJ at Global Entrepreneurship Week. You can watch the live set HERE.
17. Commission Their Music
Do you like an artist’s work so much that you want them to create an original piece of music for you?
Commission them to make a song for you. You can then use this on a movie soundtrack, TV show or on your podcast so more people can hear it. I was asked to do this for Katnap — my music production company. You can listen to the song HERE.
Another example of how this can work was when I watched a show on Netflix and when the end credits started rolling, I heard a song which I loved. I contacted the artist (Yali Blank) in Israel and ended up doing a remix of her song Black Skies which she adored. You can listen to it HERE.
18. Donate To Crowdfunding Campaigns
Sites like Kickstarter and IndieGogo enable artists to post projects that require a decent amount of money to launch (studio session costs, producing vinyl copies of an album, live tour).
Once they have been approved, the artist can then reach out to their fans and ask for support in the form of pledges at different levels.
For $5, you might get a pack of stickers. $15 might get you a signed vinyl. $50 might get you a personalized message and rendition of the album on a video call.
The goal is to financially support the project until it hits the target. At that point, the project is fully funded and a success. It can then launch and the fans will receive their perks.
Like what you read? Please consider checking out my Medium publication The Electronic Music Producer.
Want to connect? Find me HERE.
