Imagine it’s 2019. You’re getting ready to see your favorite band in concert and the anticipation is unbearable. You wait in line for an hour and then wait some more for the band to come on stage. The lights go down and the music starts. It’s so loud, you can’t hear yourself think. As you dance and scream along, you form a connection with the strangers around you and the artists on stage. When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world, the music industry is one industry that suffered greatly. With the absence of live shows, artists were left to find new ways to make a living and a connection with their fans. Even without tours, there are plenty of ways to support your favorite artists during this difficult time.
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Buy merch!! Right now, one of the best ways to support struggling musicians is by buying merch. Tours are the main source of income for lots of artists, but merch sales are often their alternate means of revenue. When you buy a t-shirt, not only do you support your favorite artist financially, but when you wear a shirt with their name on it around campus, people see their name and listen to their music. Buying merch is a great way to get their name out in the world while also helping them continue to make music.
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Buy a ticket to a live-stream concert! Just because it’s impossible to physically attend a concert right now doesn’t mean live music has gone extinct. Lots of bands are doing live-stream concerts! All you have to do is buy a ticket and follow the link to watch them play live from their own studio. While my roommate and I are in quarantine, we virtually attended concerts for Missio and The Wrecks. We connected my computer to a speaker, turned the lights off, and had our own little concerts complete with a two-person mosh pit. Be sure to keep an eye out to see if/when your favorite artist will be hosting a virtual live show!
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Subscribe to their Twitch or another streaming platform! Twitch is an online platform like YouTube or TikTok where viewers can watch free live-streams based on their interests and subscribe or donate to their favorite streamers. Unlike live-streamed concerts, artists can stream anything on Twitch on a regular basis. You can find DJ sets, podcasts, or even just your favorite musician playing around with some instruments. When you subscribe to someone’s channel, you are paying them for extra content, so it’s totally worth checking to see if your favorite artist has a Twitch channel!
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Join a street team! If money is tight, this is a great way to help out for free. A street team is a group of fans who help promote new content when it is released, whether that be new music, new merch, tour dates, etc. When live shows happen, they go out and post flyers in local spots around their city to encourage people to attend. Right now, when tours are not happening, you can help promote new music by posting it on your own social media and encouraging your followers to check it out and help support as well! A street team is just a community of people who really want to help the artist grow so, even if you can’t help financially, it’s always helpful to join or even create a street team!
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Finally, if you personally know any artists who are struggling right now and you’re feeling generous, feel free to reach out to them and ask how you can help, even if it’s just by Venmo-ing a couple of dollars as a way to show that you appreciate their music and want them to keep going!!
Special thanks to Aaron Shadrow, American Teeth, and Arrested Youth for sharing suggestions for this article from their perspectives as artists. Go check out their music and buy merch if you can!!