Ways To Support Music During COVID-19
The Coronavirus pandemic has thrown the whole world out of sync. The music industry is one area that is being drastically affected. Artists are having to postpone and cancel shows which is causing everyone involved to have a loss in revenue. Artists and venues need fans’ support at this time and there are many different ways you can help.
Buy merch from artists or venues.
Bandcamp is a website that artists of any size can use to sell merchandise and music. Bandcamp has started having days where 100% of proceeds from purchases will go directly to the artist. Many artists and venues also have their own websites for t-shirts, stickers, pins, and more.
Donate to programs and foundations.
During this time many funds have been started to help different aspects of the music industry and there are lots of ways you can help. Some work with supporting venues and staff but a majority focus on artists and bands. The company We’ve Got You Covered is helping musicians while also giving you a way to stay safe. 100% of the proceeds from their face masks are going to The Grammy’s MusicCares foundation. The money they raise works as a safety net of sorts for workers in the music industry. Sweet Relief is another foundation working to support everyone in the music industry. They have been helping those in need since 1993. There are many more organizations helping artists and music staff get through these difficult times. Spotify has set up a website with links to foundations in different countries. They also guarantee that they will match donations dollar for dollar made to programs when done through their website.
Stream music and watch online performances.
Soundcloud is a streaming site that helps smaller artists have a platform to put out their music and gain a following. They have recently partnered with the live streaming service Twitch. By working together this allows artists that are pro and premier members on Soundcloud to do live performances on Twitch and get paid. Tuning in to artists’ live streams on Instagram and YouTube also helps by allowing them to interact with their fans and keep doing what they love. Streaming their music online can also allow them to make some money and keep going after all of this is over.
Buy albums.
Streaming services such as Spotify and Pandora have become the main way people choose to listen to music. However, with the resurgence of CDs, cassette tapes, and vinyl records, buying physical albums is becoming more common again. Buying these physical albums through Bandcamp or an artist’s own website will help them the most by giving them a majority, if not all, of the profits.
Spread the word.
Another big step you can take to keep your favorite bands, artists, and venues going is to tell more people about them. If you buy merch, share a picture on Instagram, tweet about who’s music you’re listening to, post throwbacks to past concerts at your favorite venues, and just keep the music industry alive as possible in the current situation. Hopefully, we’ll all be back at concerts soon but stay safe until then! <3
