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The world of creating and sharing music has come a long way in the last few decades. Thanks to advancements in technology, it’s now easier than ever for artists all over the globe to not only create, but share their music in exciting and effective ways. Things like music video distribution services or music distribution services make sharing music not only streamlined but incredibly affordable.
This has led to a meteoric rise in independent artists. In fact, some of the biggest names in the music industry like Post Malone started their careers using free platforms like SoundCloud. The ability that technology has afforded to in-home audio engineers to craft incredible, high-quality music is unprecedented and with access to major platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, it’s never been more viable for the independent artist to self-publish their work.
While this is an exciting time for new up-and-coming artists as there have never been more tools and access, it’s also an exciting time for the fans. The same advancements in technology and communication that have afforded musicians incredible new advantages can also work for their fans. In fact, right now, it’s never been easier to champion your favorite musicians and artists and support them in meaningful ways that will further their careers.
If you have been wondering how you can help support your favorite artists that you love, here are some things to consider!
1. Stream, Stream, Steam
It’s no secret that streaming is no longer the ‘future’ of music, but instead, it’s a very real present. The world of physical music in the shape of CDs is mostly gone at this point, and even cassette tapes are a thing of prehistoric times. In fact, a trend among many artists is to release their work in cassette tape form as a vintage collectible item, which really does show you how outdated this form of tech is.
While streaming is the norm, and something that isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, there are still ways of supporting your favorite indie artists by doing more than simply streaming their songs.
In the digital age of music, the almighty algorithm is something that artists live in hope of appealing to and gaining its favor. Utilizing tools like the Slate Digital multiband compressor and OTT can enhance a song’s dynamic range and clarity, making it more attractive to streaming algorithms. Algorithms for Spotify or Apple Music can dictate how often a song is played and how much it is pushed into potential fans’ feeds as suggested music.
One way you can help your favorite artists accomplish this is by racking up as many streams as possible. Yes, you stream when you listen – but you can also keep streaming even when you aren’t! This can be done by setting up a custom playlist that is exclusively built with your favorite artist’s songs and then playing them on replay throughout the night. You can easily hit mute so you aren’t bothered by it, but the streams will start to rack up and make a difference. This can be especially important for new artists when they first drop new music.
2. Share to Socials
Another powerful way that you can help support your favorite artists, is to share their music on your socials. Social media is designed to let your friends, family, and followers keep up with your life, and most major streaming platforms take advantage of this. By sharing your favorite songs on your stories, or posts, you can seamlessly hyperlink your online community to your favorite artists. This is a great way to share the songs and artists you are passionate about with a community of followers that you can influence.
3. See Them on Tour
Lastly, one of the best ways to support the artist you love is to see them on tour. In the digital age, a stream is worth something – but it honestly isn’t worth a lot. It’s a great tool for spreading awareness, and once an artist starts racking millions of streams per day they can begin to see some appreciable financial returns. However, for the most part, the most financially impactful way to support your artists is to go see them physically on tour.
Everything from the ticket to the merch you buy at their connect helps support their bottom line to keep them freed up to continue being the artist you know and love them to be.
Conclusion
Finding ways to support your favorite artists isn’t hard, and it can actually be a lot of fun. From getting them as many streams as possible, sharing them on your socials, and finally, seeing them in concert – supporting your favorite artist is something you can do with a lot of joy in the coming year!
