The world, you've concluded, would be a much better place if it were listening to the songs and attending the performances of your favorite lesser-known indie band.
Whether you found this favorite musical act on a curated Spotify playlist or got hooked when serendipity put you near their stage at a music festival, you want to share these golden hooks and sweet vocals with the whole world. These are your jams. You are a fan.
But with the music industry upended in the last few decades by the rise of MP3s and streaming, the pandemic shutdown of touring and live music, and now a future that could include AI-generated tunes, many musicians are struggling to make a living. The pennies they earn from streaming services combined with live-gig ticket revenue, merchandise sales, and possible promotional deals may barely cover expenses.
That's where the fandom comes in. Those who truly want the acts they love to succeed have lots of ways to show support and make sure that the music continues and those creating it get paid. Here's how you can be a better fan.
The most obvious way to help musicians is by buying their music, buying tickets to attend their shows, and paying for official merchandise.
But there's some nuance to spending those dollars. For instance, if you want to buy posters, T-shirts, and vinyl albums for a musician, the best place to do that is directly, at a live show, where the artists may be able to pocket as much as 100 percent of merch table sales.
That's preferable to buying from, say, Amazon, or even the band's own website, where shipping and other fees might apply, or printing and production costs may take a bite out of the bottom line (for them and for you). The cost of buying at a show might be higher, but it's much more likely those dollars will go to the musician, not the 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 from music sales than they used to, but buying vinyl albums or CDs at a show still makes a difference. You can stream your favorite artist all you want (we'll talk about that in a bit), but purchasing physical media is a good way to put money in their pocket.
Some bands might also have a donation or tip jar on their website or may offer crowdfunding campaigns for new albums or tours.
David Lowe, who performs as LUCKYKAT, has a great list of ways fans can help musicians, some of them for free. Among his suggestions are following artists on social media, tuning in to livestreams they may be doing on Twitch or other video services, signing up for their mailing lists, fan clubs, or newsletters, and sharing and commenting on their songs and posts. The latter few of those can help boost the artist’s exposure and encourage increasingly algorithmic social networks to show their content to other users.
Streaming an act's songs on services like Spotify and Apple Music may generate only a fraction of a fraction of a penny, but those streams do add up. It may only be a few hundred dollars for an act with an active fan base, but that's not 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 reviews or post positive comments in places where that's an option, such as on YouTube or SoundCloud.
Buying and streaming music online also presents the opportunity to support artist-friendly music services such as Bandcamp and Resonate. Bandcamp especially has become known for giving artists a higher percentage of revenue over music sales (85 percent, typically) and more control over their online offerings.
If your favorite artist's music is available to use on services like TikTok and Instagram, you could make your own videos or post photos that include music clips. TikTok in particular has been instrumental (so to speak) in helping some up-and-coming artists go viral.
Speaking of social media posts, make sure to post photos and videos from live shows you attend, and tag the musician's account. On Instagram especially, that allows the music act to repost, say, an Instagram story and use it as content for their own account. It might even earn you some new followers from other fans that see it.
Most importantly, be positive: Fandom can teeter into toxic territory when supporters get too enthusiastic and try to pit musicians against other acts or get into online fights with nonfans or trolls. Don't be like the murderous superfan in Amazon's Swarm. Avoid negativity.
Some less obvious ways to spread the love: Call in or comment online when TV stations or radio shows have your artist on as a guest on their shows or livestreams. Call your local radio stations and make a song request. (Yes, that's still a thing!) If there's an upcoming festival or event in your town, lobby to have the band or musicians hired to play.
Some artists perform on commission or are available for private gigs. While there may be a stigma to wedding or birthday performances, these are moneymakers for bands and musicians just starting out. Hire them if you can.
Seek out interviews and podcasts featuring the musician; you never know, they may reveal what they need in an interview with a music journalist, or reveal that they wish their fans would do something specific to support them on a podcast.
But really, the easiest, least-expensive show of support you can offer is simply spreading the word. Tell a friend about this band you love, share a playlist with your book club, invite a family member to a performance.
They may not lock into the music as much as you first did, but your enthusiasm could help turn them into new fans.
