We are living through unprecedented times which are proving difficult for everyone, including the music industry as a whole. Touring musicians are being hit especially hard, as live shows continue to be cancelled and postponed left and right. As performances account for on average 80% of these creatives’ annual income, when they can’t play, they can’t record new music—which is no bueno for us, the fans!
To lend a helping hand to the people who pen your favorite songs, consider some of the ways you can assist in the coming weeks when shows start sprouting up again. And remember: artists and their music are what get us through our darkest times. Now, is the perfect moment to help them too.
While buying merch at a band’s live show is a no-brainer, the same items are generally sold on their official sites too! In fact, most musicians have an even wider variety of awesome merch options online that sell out fast at shows (plus, no lines!). Also, consider reaching out to smaller bands directly so they can get the larger cut of sales.
Yes, we live in a streaming world. But right now musicians could really use the revenue from actual online music purchases. Check out your favorite acts’ tunes on iTunes, Amazon, and Bandcamp and make it forever yours! A fan of vinyl? There’s never been a better excuse to add some new records to your collection.
While a lot of tours are getting cancelled, there are plenty of gigs that are simply postponed. Cure your quarantined blues by buying tickets way in advance to give you something to look forward to over the next few months!
Take the extra time you have on your hands and use it to help promote the musicians you love! Some ways you can do so is by posting their music on your social channels, creating a greatest hits playlist and sharing it on your feed, or tweeting a song of the day! The more you @ them, the more they’ll feel the love.
When in doubt, stream it out. A ton of artists are opting to move their live shows shows to platforms like Twitch and Instagram so they can still connect with fans. Make sure to turn on your notifications to get an alert when they go live, and be sure to tell your friends. It's almost like you're at the show together!