How to Support Your Favorite Independent Artists

Independent Artist: a person or group that is not signed to a major record label. 

Pros:	Creative control, Higher profits, Ownership over music
Cons:	Lack of resources, Time restrictions, Limited business connections

Although these tips highlight musical artists, this information can be used to support your favorite artists in other categories 😉. Independent artists have complete control over their image and musical direction; however, they also shoulder the heavy burden of the behind-the-scenes costs. Betting on the success of one’s career is a gamble. It’s important to note that artists can go from unsigned, to signed, back to independent. Nonetheless, artists that choose to release music independently encompass the true definition of what it means to believe in yourself! Here are a few tips to support your favorite artists.

1. Follow Them 👍🏿

Social Media. This is the quickest way to gain access to your favorite artists. You’ll get access to their music and their lives. Be warned, you may get more than you bargained for.  

Website. A website should give you access to all things your artists. Any new appearances, merchandise, or updates should be posted there. 

3rd Party Sites.  As an avid concert-goer, I need access to tickets as soon as they drop. In order to be first in line, I track artists through concert apps. These apps send me notifications as soon as a concert date is announced. If you have a particular artist that you’d like to see live, try following them on a concert app. But first, make sure the site is reputable before entering any of your sensitive information. Try looking at reviews from multiple sources to gather a well-rounded opinion for yourself. 

Sites I follow:

Bandsintown

Ticketmaster

Songkick

Eventbrite

2. Buy From Them 🎟

Merch. Buying merchandise directly from the artist or its affiliates is a great way to support them financially. Not to mention, it gives you a greater chance of receiving a quality product.

Purchase the album. Streaming and purchasing are not the same things! Although streaming is great for exposure, it does not guarantee the musician a living wage. Did you know that Spotify pays $0.003 to $0.005 per stream, according to Business Insider? 

This means the real money isn’t rolling in until an artist receives over 1M streams. Buying music not only puts more money in the artist’s pocket but also gives you complete access to the music without paying for streaming subscriptions. 

Attend Concerts. Burn calories. Meet new friends. Opportunity to meet the artist. What more can I say!

3. Share Them 🥰

Sharing is caring! If you care about the people around you, share great music with them. Plus, the more popularity the artist receives, the more quality content fans can hope to get.

4. Love Them 💕

If you love something about an artist, tell them. We all want to hear praise for a job well done. Comment under their posts, leave a review, write them a fan letter, whatever! Just find a legal, safe, non-creepy way to tell them 😁!

Good News! Ya girl got Apple Music. Come LISTEN to my new playlist “Higher Calling” & FOLLOW ME @aslongicey .