Analysis: From going to see them playing their own show to buying physical music and merch, there are many ways to support your favourite musicians
We regularly see articles about how music streaming does not pay musicians well, and hear artists discuss struggling to make a living in the music industry. As music fans, we all want to help our favourite bands, but it's often hard to know how, particularly when there's not a lot of spare money to go around. There are lots of ways to support music, but here are ten ways that you can give your faovourite artist a boost.
Go to see the act playing their own show
The single best way to support artists is to go see their live gigs —particularly their own shows as opposed to festivals. As making money from recorded music has become harder, many artists have become increasingly dependent on touring to make a living.
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From RTÉ Radio 1's Drivetime, are big gigs now too pricey for most people?
Playing live is fun, but it’s a lot of work, and touring is exhausting and very expensive. In fact, lots of artists end up losing money on tour. There is nothing worse for a musician than playing in half-empty rooms and losing money in the process.
Music festivals like this weekend's Electric Picnic are fun for fans, but the fees are low for non-headliners (indeed, some acts even end up not getting paid at all) so people showing up for the act's own concerts is generally the most important thing for artists at any level of their career. Seeing live music also has the added benefit that you’re supporting music venues, and therefore boosting the whole music scene in your area.
Buy physical music
Another way to help is to keep buying physical music. Lots of music fans do this because they like higher sound quality or enjoy the process of sitting down and listening to a hold album. Even if you generally stream your music, buying physical music can be a great way to support artists. CDs and vinyl make wonderful gifts, and vinyl is also a fantastic home decor statement (and lets you show off your great music tastes!). Like going to shows, buying physical music from a local shop supports the whole music scene.
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From RTÉ Radio 1's Today with Claire Byrne, why are physical music formats like CDs, vinyl and cassettes back in vogue again?
Buy merchandise
If you don’t go in for physical music, buying t-shirts, tote bags or teapots can really help. It is quite common for merchandise sales to make the difference between an artist losing money or breaking even on a tour - which explains the row over venues taking a fee for allowing merch sales. If your favourite artists don’t offer merchandise, let them know you would like it. Often artists are hesitant to order t-shirts and sweatshirts because they are worried that no one will want them.
Listen to their music…on any platform
For all the bad hype that streaming music gets, there are ways in which it has been wonderful for musicians and listeners. More musicians can make and distribute music than ever before, and more music is available to listeners than at any time in the history of humanity. Every time you chose to listen to a particular artist, on any platform, you are using your time and attention to support them and what they stand for—choosing them out of all the millions of options at your fingertips. Wherever, whenever, however you listen, you’re supporting the artist.
Support artists on other platforms
Partly in response to the difficulties facing artists today, all sorts of new platforms have arisen to allow artists and musicians to connect directly. Crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter and Patreon can offer great ways to support artists directly, and some streaming services allow you to pay artists directly as well. Bandcamp also allows you to buy music and merch directly from artists, and occasionally has days where it waives all fees and gives all the money directly to the artists (the next one is September 6th).
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From RTÉ Brainstorm, why do people talk so much at gigs and concerts?
Recommend the act to your friends
While spending money on artists is a great way to support them, there are lots of other ways to help your favourite bands that are at least as powerful, and maybe even more so. The first, and possibly the most obvious, option is to recommend your favourite artists to your friends, family and colleagues. Everybody loves to discover new great music and every musician loves to find new listeners.
Talk about them on social media
Using social media to help spread your favourite music is another way to really help artists. Commenting on their posts, sharing their videos, or tagging people you think would like their music are all great ways to spread the word. This can be particularly impactful for an artist when they have a big announcement, like a song release or a tour announcement.
Contact radio shows and plug your favourite artist
Taking it a step even further, contacting your favourite radio shows or other media outlets is a fantastic way to help musicians. These platforms get inundated by requests from artists, who have to spend a lot of time knocking on doors and not getting an answer. When listeners put a word in about an artist they love, it can really help both sides.
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From RTÉ Radio 1's Today with Claire Byrne, is Ticketmaster ruining live music?
Thank any platforms that do feature them
When a platform does feature your favourite artist (whether you asked them to or not), it’s great to reach out and thank them, and let them know that you enjoyed hearing from your favourite artist. Again, this helps the radio station or reviewer know what their audience likes, and helps to get the artist in the spotlight a bit more.
Let the artists know what their music means to you
Being a musician is difficult and often quite lonely so a lot of musicians give up. Don’t forget to reach out to your favourite artists and let them know what their music means to you—often it’s something they don’t hear. Knowing that their work is being heard and having an impact can make all the difference in an artist's career.
There are all sorts of ways to support musicians, so these are just a few ideas. The music industry is constantly changing, and musicians and bands may have different problems depending on their circumstances. If you're not sure how best you can help, it's always worth reaching out on email or social media and asking if there's something you can do. Music, and music-makers, thrive in supportive communities.
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The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
